The Tampa Bay Lightning have another defenseman not afraid to mix things up.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have another defenseman not afraid to mix things up.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are 24-17-5 after a 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres last night. Nick Paul, Tyler Motte and Calvin de Haan scored the goals while Jonas Johansson picked up his 10th win of the season - a career first for him.
With these unsung heroes helping the Lightning win yesterday it's important to note that they aren't the only ones. Darren Raddysh has really taken a step forward this year - and is being rewarded with a tremendous volume of ice time. He's averaged 19:21 of time on ice on the season, with a whopping 25:31 in yesterday's game.
Another blue liner who is just getting their feet wet with NHL experience this season is Emil Lilleberg. Lilleberg signed a two-year entry level contract this past summer after playing the past two seasons in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).
He's not an elite offensive defenseman by any stretch, but he can contribute in that way. He had 12 points in 31 games for the Syracuse Crunch before his call up - and he's tallied one assist in the six games he's played with the Lightning.
Lightning teammates (and fans) have learned a talent of his that would impress the likes of Radko Gudas and Scott Stevens.
He really likes to hit.
Even though he's only played six games he's already thrown 20 hits. While he didn't have a recorded hit against the Boston Bruins, he hasn't had less than three hits a game since.
Some on social media took notice of his affinity for throwing the body during the Lightning's game against the Anaheim Ducks - here's one of the five hits he had.
These kind of defensemen are loved by their teammates, and celebrated for their contributions to the team. The longer Lilleberg remains with the Lightning, expect to see more highlights like this one.
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