Tampa Bay Lightning Need to Fix Power Play Struggles
The Tampa Bay Lightning are coming off a 7-6 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. While they can’t be fully satisfied with letting an early 3-1 lead slip away, there’s one bright spot—they went 2-for-2 on the power play. This helped them secure a point against a Blue Jackets team that has been on fire offensively, averaging 4.75 goals over their past four games.
So, what’s the big deal about the Lightning’s power play? Well, it’s simply not as effective as it has been in recent years.
For example, in their 3-2 overtime win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, the Lightning went 0-for-3 with the man advantage. Two of those opportunities came in the first period, and converting on even one of them could have prevented the game from going to overtime.
If the power play performance against Columbus had been the norm, we’d give the team credit for overcoming an off-night. But this power-play struggle has been a persistent issue this season. While other areas of their game, particularly their even-strength play, have improved, this has come at the expense of what was once their biggest strength.
The Power Play Slump
Just last season, the Lightning had the best power play in the NHL, scoring on 28.6% of their chances. They’ve been consistently in the top 10 for this category since the 2015-16 season. However, after the Columbus game, they sit at 21.4%, ranked 11th. Before that game, their power-play success rate was just 18.5%, ranking 17th.
This drop-off is concerning, especially considering the team hasn’t finished a season below a 20% power-play conversion rate since 2015-16, when they were at 15.8%.
So, what’s behind this decline? Let’s break down the performances of key players.
Key Players and Their Impact
Nikita Kucherov remains a key offensive driver. Last season, he was involved in half of the team’s total goals, and this season, he’s still contributing significantly. Out of the Lightning’s 66 goals, he’s had a hand in 29 (43%). Kucherov continues to create power-play opportunities and is on pace to match his 40 power-play assists from last season. However, his own goal-scoring rate on the power play has dropped sharply—he’s scored just one power-play goal this season, compared to 13 last year. If this trend continues, he’ll finish the season with only four power-play goals.
Brayden Point, on the other hand, has been scoring well on the power play, tied for the league lead with six goals. But he has yet to register a power-play assist, which is concerning, given that he had a career-high 17 power-play assists last season. Point has missed some time due to injury, but even when he’s on the ice, he’s not producing at the same level.
Jake Guentzel has faced similar struggles, though his lack of power-play production wasn’t unexpected. After recording 22 power-play points last season, he’s on pace for only 17 this year. While he’s been great for the Lightning at even strength, his impact on the power play has been limited.
A big factor in the team’s power-play woes is their inability to replace Steven Stamkos, who was a master on the man advantage. Last season, Stamkos recorded 39 power-play points (19 goals and 20 assists). Although he’s not performing as well this year, eight of his 10 points have come on the power play, showing that he still has the ability to make an impact in that area. The Lightning are clearly missing his presence on the power play.
Implications of the Sluggish Power Play
The Lightning’s record is still solid at 10-6-2, sitting in third place in the Atlantic Division, which is a good position considering they have games in hand on the other top teams. However, the real concern is how the power-play struggles could affect them in the playoffs.
Take the Lightning’s first-round loss to the Florida Panthers last season, where their power play was dismal. In the first three games, they went 2-for-12 on the power play. In a one-goal loss in Game 2, they were 1-for-6. In Game 3, they were 0-for-4. They missed critical opportunities to take control of the series, which could have been the difference.
While improving their 5-on-5 play could help, the power play remains an area that can directly influence game outcomes. The Lightning are a better team this season overall, but if they can get their power play back to its usual level, they could once again be one of the best teams in the NHL.
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