An often-overlooked group just might get its due based on this year's playoffs.
By DAMIAN CRISTODERO
Published April 25, 2004
TAMPA - Maybe next season things will be different, Lightning defenseman Dan Boyle said. Maybe next season he will pick up a hockey preview magazine and not read that Tampa Bay's defense is its Achilles' heel.
"I've heard it for a couple of years now," Boyle said Saturday. "You use it as ammo, as a chip on your shoulder. You go out every night and try to prove the people wrong."
That is an uphill battle when you play for Tampa Bay. Media attention usually zeros in on high-profile forwards Martin St. Louis and Vinny Lecavalier, and world-class goalie Nikolai Khabibulin.
No surprise. Goals are sexy. Shutouts dramatic. Picking up a loose puck in the defensive zone and chipping it off the glass and out of harm's way is ... well, have you seen grass grow?
That is not a criticism, just the lay of the land. But those who have watched closely know the Lightning's defensemen have been a solid and steadying force during the playoffs, which continue today at the St. Pete Times Forum with Game 2 of the East semifinals against the Canadiens.
Want to know why Khabibulin's shutout in Game 1 looked so easy? The defense blocked a ton of shots, and most of the 21 that got through came from the outside. That was because the defense did such a good job of clogging the slot.
This isn't a one-game phenomenon. Tampa Bay's defense - Boyle, Pavel Kubina, Brad Lukowich, Cory Sarich, Darryl Sydor and Nolan Pratt, who took over for the injured Jassen Cullimore - has helped the team allow an average of 27.2 shots, third among the eight playoff teams, and a playoff low five goals, including one empty-netter.
"But most people would look at this team and look at the goals we scored and look at our players up front," said associate coach Craig Ramsay, who oversees the defense. "And with the year Marty's had, it's easy to look beyond a pretty important part of our hockey club, and that's our defensemen. These kids are really coming along."
"They've played well," coach John Tortorella said. "But not too many people talk about them. They're a bunch of no-names."
Hey, the No-name Defense.
As Boyle said, "I'd bet you most Canadians can't name three defensemen off our team."
Too bad the NFL Dolphins of the early '70s beat the Lightning to it. Not that Tampa Bay's players are looking for a handle.
"We're just a hard-working group back there," Sydor said. "And the good thing is, everyone is close and everyone cares, and that's what makes it good. It's kind of your own little team back there."
"They're doing a good job," Canadiens captain Saku Koivu said. "It's not just the goalie. It's the guys in front of him who are doing a good job."
Tampa Bay's defensemen have become proficient at using their sticks to block shots or disrupt passing lanes rather than always using the body, which can take a player out of position. They challenge opponents at the blue line and force them to the outside of the defensive zone.
This does not happen in a vacuum. Tampa Bay forwards are required to bust it back to their zone when the puck goes the other way.
"We go over it on video and we see the forwards coming back and cutting their guys off early, allowing us to stand up at the blue line and keep guys wide and block shots. It's just a commitment to defense, which makes it a lot easier for everybody."
And the Lightning's much-improved ability to make the first pass out of the defensive zone has been invaluable for the forwards. Pinching defensemen create even more offensive chances.
"We get the puck up and get it out of the zone quickly and allow them to get going, and then we support them," Ramsay said. "It works, but the defense has yet to be recognized for that."
Consider it done, though Boyle admitted it is a tenuous undertaking.
"You go through streaks," he said. "We were hot for a while this year. We also caught the other end of it when we couldn't do anything right. But right now, we're playing pretty sound. We're not making mistakes. The key is Habby. He's stopping the pucks but the guys are doing a good job of clearing rebounds."
