Deadline acquisitions building chemistry with Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning will continue their season-long, five-game homestand tonight at 7 p.m. when they battle the Winnipeg Jets at AMALIE Arena. Tonight's contest marks the second game of a two-game season series between Tampa Bay and Winnipeg and the Bolts will look to even that season series after falling to the Jets 7-4 on March 8 at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg.

The first matchup between the two teams featured a six-goal first period with Alex Killorn and Victor Hedman scoring 1:29 apart near the end of the opening frame to tie the game at three. After the barrage of goals in the first period, neither team found the back of the net in the second before Winnipeg closed out the game with a four-goal third period to seal the win over Tampa Bay.
Since then, the Lightning have added some new faces to the lineup in forwards Brandon Hagel and Nick Paul, who are both beginning to gain some chemistry with their new teammates in Tampa Bay. In Thursday's 4-3 win over Anaheim, Hagel skated on a line with Killorn and Anthony Cirelli, while Paul slotted in with Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov, two players that have impressed the former Ottawa Senator through his first 13 games with the Bolts.
"Pointer just flies sometimes and the way him and Kuch kind of dice up the 'D' is pretty fun to watch," Paul said following morning skate on Saturday. "Some of the ways they handle the puck and skate and do all that is kind of unbelievable. I try to do it on the ice and I've got no one on me and I'm still tripping over my feet."

There are not too many players in the NHL that have the skill set of Point or Kucherov, but Paul brings plenty to the table with what he can do for a line. The Mississauga, Ontario native has been a presence on the ice since joining the Lightning, scoring two goals and adding five assists for seven points through 13 games. Standing 6'3" and weighing in at 224 pounds, Paul has been a force on the forecheck and has shown that he has no problem getting involved in the physical side of the game after dropping the gloves with Jamie Benn on April 12 in Dallas.
"[I was] just showing I'm not afraid to drop the gloves or do what I need to do," said Paul. "A lot of my fights come off big hits or sticking up for my teammates if something happens - kind of getting the game switched around.
"It's something that's a part of my game and if I need to do it, I'm definitely willing to."
There is a lot of skill around the NHL, especially in today's day and age, but finding players who have the courage to heavily involve themselves in the physical aspect of the sport may be harder than it once was.
"He's got size, strength, skill," said Lightning head coach Jon Cooper when describing Paul last week. "He looks guys in the eye when you go into the corner. He's been a great add for us. The more you get to know him, the more you appreciate him."
Based off the Lightning's lines during morning skate, it looks like Paul will get another chance to skate with Point and Kucherov on Saturday night against the Jets.
"He can easily play with those guys," said Cooper. "He's got the skill. He was around the net a ton [on Thursday], so it worked out well."
Whether he's skating on the first line or the fourth line, Paul brings the same mentality and identity into every game.
"They're unbelievable players, but for me, my game doesn't change too much," Paul said. "I'm there because I play a certain way. That's creating space for them, creating battles, getting them the puck, and giving them space to do their magic.
"My game kind of stays the same, but at the same time, just keep my head up and know when they're open, because when they get the puck, crazy things happen."
Brian Elliott was the first goalie off the ice at the Lightning's morning skate and will start in goal for Tampa Bay. Elliott signed a one-year contract extension with the Bolts on Friday and will return to the crease for the 2022-23 season. When asked about what has impressed him most about Elliott, Cooper pointed to his preparedness, a vital quality for a backup goaltender that often has long breaks between game action.

"I think that's the one thing about Elliott, he really preps," Cooper said. "It's tough when you might go 10 days between starts, but that's the one thing that you're hoping the young guys take a look at because it's hard.
"When you're 21, you think you're on top of the world and everything feels great, but that's not the way it is when you're 31. If you want to keep playing, it's how you prep before and after games and Elliott's a gold star at that."
That ability to stay prepared was on full display in Thursday's win over Anaheim. Elliott entered the game with 9:19 remaining in the second period and the Lightning trailing by one before stopping all 13 shots he faced, including two breakaways from a couple high-skill players in Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras.
Elliott will look to keep rolling in the right direction tonight after stopping 41 consecutive shots over his last two appearances. The veteran netminder has a .940 save percentage over his last eight games and is 9-3-3 overall this season with a .921 SV% and 2.23 goals against average.
The Lightning will hope for another strong showing from Elliott on Saturday night as the team looks to hit the 100-point mark for the seventh time in franchise history. Currently sitting in third place in the Atlantic Division with 98 points, the Bolts can achieve that feat with a win over Winnipeg in any fashion. It would mark the fourth 100-point season under Cooper since he became head coach in March of 2013.