The Tampa Bay Lightning were picked by many pundits to make the playoffs this season - and so far, they look like more than just a playoff team.
After their first 10 games of the 2010-11 season, the Bolts were first in the Southeast Division – and second in the NHL – with a 7-2-1 record. Much of the credit for that belongs to cornerstone center Steven Stamkos (who led all NHL point-getters with 19), but the organization has been receiving stellar contributions in other areas as well.
Defensemen Pavel Kubina and Victor Hedman picked up the slack when veteran Mattias Ohlund was injured, while complementary players such as Teddy Purcell (one goal, six points), Sean Bergenheim (three goals, six points) and Dominic Moore (four goals, five points) have taken some pressure off of Vincent Lecavalier (three goals and five points) and Ryan Malone (one goal and a minus-seven).
The Lightning have a three-games-in-four-nights West Coast trip this week that begins Wednesday in Anaheim, continues Thursday in Los Angeles and finishes Saturday in San Jose. The Ducks may not present a huge challenge for the Bolts, but the Kings and Sharks won’t be pushovers.
The Hockey News ranks the teams 1-30 each Wednesday based on a combination of last week’s play and a squad’s overall outlook.
For more great profiles, news and views from the world of hockey, Subscribe to The Hockey News magazine.