It’s only November, but the Lightning have already weathered their fair share of turbulence. After sitting last in the Eastern Conference just seven games into the season, they’re beginning to show signs of cohesion and depth throughout the organization.
Injuries to key players, particularly on the blue line, have only added to the challenges. Captain Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh and Erik Cernak are all on injured reserve, prompting the Lightning to lean heavily on their AHL affiliate for reinforcements. Charles-Edouard D’Astous, Declan Carlile and Steven Stantini have all been called up from the Crunch to help fill the gaps.
“Guys are making a great case for being a part of this team if not right now, in the future,” said Lightning coach Jon Cooper. “It's a pretty collective effort. And I've got to give the veteran guys a lot of credit for making everybody feel comfortable that hasn't been here the whole year. The young guys are seizing the opportunity, so it's been fun to watch."
It’s been the perfect mix of veteran presence and fresh energy — players who know what it takes to go all the way, alongside younger guys battling for a chance to earn a spot. The coaching staff hasn’t shied away from showing tough love when needed, adding on an extra practice following their 6-2 loss to Vancouver.
“At the end of the day, things have to change when you don’t win in the first round for a few consecutive years, right? Part of that is expanding our limits a little bit as players,” Lightning assistant coach Dan Hinote said following the practice. “It's about becoming the team we want to be in April, May and June.”
Yanni Gourde, who brings a youthful energy of his own, is fully embracing the new players in the locker room. “I love it,” he said. “It’s great to have new faces. Great to have young guys coming in and being super vocal. I think it brings a lot of life to the locker room and on the bench as well.”
He added, “It’s been a lot of fun seeing these guys come in and play well, and they’re fitting right in with the group.”
Gourde was the first to admit that Saturday’s 5-3 win over Washington wasn’t pretty, especially after losing both Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point, but it was necessary, and the Lightning found a way to get the win.
“You’ve got to find ways to win games. Obviously, we didn't have the best game at all, but good teams find ways to win games differently, and we found a way to get one. At the end of the day, that's what you’ve got to do.”
A heavyweight clash between rookie Curtis Douglas and Tom Wilson injected the team with a much-needed boost.
“Dougie went out there and did the job he was asked to do, and he’s been a great teammate. It's been a lot of fun having him, and he's lifting the team up when he does stuff like that,” said Gourde.
Forwards Dominic James and Jack Finley have also been welcomed additions. James, originally a sixth-round pick by the Chicago Blackhawks, was signed by the Lightning in September after completing his fourth year at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
After three seasons with the Crunch, Finley brings size to the Lightning lineup and has worked his way up through the organization’s development pipeline.
“This is the culture around here, this is how they do things, and that’s why there’s no difference from five or six years ago to right now, because guys come in, they commit to the culture and the standard, and everybody’s pushing forward,” said Gourde. “It’s fun to see guys stepping up and stepping into different roles and executing. That’s what this group is all about. Everybody’s got to raise their level.”
“This is what the organization is about,” he added. “You know what you're getting. There's only great people in this organization and we're seeing that right now.”