Several Tampa Bay Lightning players stepped up yesterday in Game 1. However, the Lightning were lost to the Florida Panthers 3-2 to begin the first round of the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. Today, we’ll take a look at three notable players from the Bolts’ previous game. . We have two popular picks and one surprise pick in our analysis.
Three players who stood out for the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1
Anthony Cirelli (C)
To Our three-star opener of the night for Tampa Bay, Anthony Cirelli established his impactful two-way presence against the Panthers. The defensive center caught Brandon Hagel’s goal-bound pass while dominating play on the field. Cirelli was on the ice for 18 shot attempts and only gave up eight. This calculation gives him a Corsi for Percentage (CF%) of 69.2. This rate was at the top of the list as of Sunday afternoon. Cirelli conceded just 0.09 expected goals over 13 minutes of play at 5v5. The Panthers were unable to create any quality opportunities to attack Cirelli’s attack. The Canadian center leads the Lightning in expected goals percentage this afternoon (91.39 xGF%).
Brandon Hagel (LW)
Another member of the dominant second line , Brandon Hagel, opens the scoring for the 2024 season . playoff race. Hagel’s energy and two-way presence were in full effect against Florida at even strength. The 25-year-old posted elite possession numbers alongside his linemates. Hagel also surrendered just 0.09 expected goals against in over 15 minutes of ice time 5v5. Furthermore, he controlled over 90% of the expected goal share on-ice (xGF%) 90.6. Hagel led the Bolts with 0.33 individual expected goals (ixG) on the afternoon, which means he got the highest-quality scoring chances. The Lightning’s second line was head and shoulders the best unit on the ice in game one, and we expect them to be vital if the Lightning pull off an upset in round one.
Matt Dumba (D)
While Matt Dumba did not have the most productive regular season stint in Tampa Bay, he made his physical presence known in game one. Dumba led the Lightning with ten hits this afternoon, the only player on either side to reach double figures. Additionally, the veteran defender also created two scoring opportunities offensively. Dumba had eight scoring chances and created one in 17 minutes of play. Additionally, he led all Lightning defensemen in expected goals percentage in Game 1 (78.56 xGF%). Dumba and his teammate Emil Martinsen Lilleberg formed the Bolts’ best defensive duo on Sunday. However, the Lightning recalled a right-handed defenseman from the American Hockey League on Monday morning. Let’s see what this call-up brings to the squad and talk about the second match on Tuesday.
Thoughts and Preview of Game 2
Apart from the top six forwards, there wasn’t much to write home about Game 1 for the Lightning. The Panthers used their best advantage against the Lightning. Florida has much more depth than Tampa Bay, and the possession numbers of the bottom six forwards on both sides suggest an advantage. The Lightning had to make adjustments before Game 2. The team recalled right-hander Maxwell Crozier from the Syracuse Crunch to help provide defensive stability. Crozier recorded two assists in 13 regular season games while averaging about 13 minutes per night. The Bolts must continue their disciplined play to keep a dangerous Panthers power play unit on the bench. Scoring the first goal against the Panthers will be crucial to winning Game 2. Overall, Lightning played a pretty good first game, but they need to improve their game to find themselves dancing against Lord Stanley again in the second round.