One: Wright Line Humming
Rookie centerman Shane Wright is playing “unencumbered,” per coach Dan Bylsma, since his three-game reset as a healthy scratch, which included sitting in the GM booth with Ron Francis and director of player development Jeff Tambellini for two periods during the home win over Nashville in mid-November. That said, Wright is not playing unaccompanied. His linemates, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Eeli Tolvanen, are on their heaters. To wit: Wright has six goals in eight games since being reinserted into the lineup. Bjorkstrand, coming off a four-point game in the wild win over the Rangers, now has 12 points in the last nine games. His seven-game point streak was broken in the sole loss on the trip to New Jersey. Let’s agree Sunday got him back on track. Tolvanen notched two goals and three assists on the Eastern swing.
Bylsma, of course, likes all of the production, commending Bjorkstrand for “big goals at big times,” but equally praised Wright and Tolvanen for being outstanding in the defensive end to not only stop an offensive rush but then quickly get the puck up ice for scoring chances.
“I think we've been able to gain some chemistry,” Bjorkstrand said about his linemates. “We've done that for some games now, so it's just building on it [on the homestand]. I think we're getting really comfortable with where the pucks are going and where other guys are going to be ... A lot of good stuff.”
Two: Fourth Line Boosted By Other ‘Stevie’
Mitchell Stephens played his 100th game Sunday and recorded his first Kraken point with an assist on a game-changing goal by fellow fourth-liner Brandon Tanev (who hit the 500-game mark Thursday against the Islanders). He has impressed at the faceoff circle and created scoring chances in the offensive zone (his backhanded power move from behind the net scrambled the New York defense, enabling Brandon Tanev to pop open for a pass and score the first of Sunday’s dramatic comeback goals). Often called “Stevie” by the Coachella Valley coaching staff, Bylsma has opted for “Mitchell.” Both sets of coaches like what they see from the former Tampa Bay teammate of Yanni Gourde during the Lightning two Cup-winning series (TBL selected him 35th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft).
The game changed [Sunday] with Mitchell’s line,” said Bylsma. “We’re crashing [the net] there, winning some pucks ... his style of hockey, getting the puck around the net, he’s done that a couple of times in the last three games, and this one lands on Turbo’s stick ... he had a great training camp. Unfortunately, the way the numbers shake down, we started [the season] with 12 forwards. Mitchell's confident. He's a smart player. He knows how to play the game to have success wherever he's playing in the lineup. And that's PK as well.”
Three: Know the Foe: Florida Back on Track
Forget the so-called “Cup hangover” for Florida. The Panthers started the season 4-3-1, then reeled off a seven-game win streak. They hit a speed bump after that, losing six of their next seven, including twice at home to New Jersey over three nights, plus falling to Chicago (?!) on the road. But since then, Florida has collected six wins in the last seven games, including a pair of blowout wins over Atlantic Division rival Carolina. Plus, look out, clutch playoff star Matthew Tkachuk was just named the NHL’s First Star for the week ending Sunday: Five goals, six assists, and two power-play goals as part of his current six-game point streak. It should be an engaging night for former Panthers D-man Brandon Montour.
