5 questions for Lightning in Stanley Cup Qualifiers

NHL.com is looking ahead to the Stanley Cup Qualifiers by examining five of the biggest questions facing each of the 24 remaining teams. Today, we look at the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Tampa Bay Lightning were 43-21-6 (.657 points percentage) and will enter the Stanley Cup Qualifiers as one of the top four teams in the Eastern Conference. They will play a round-robin against the Boston Bruins (44-14-12, .714), Washington Capitals (41-20-8, .652) and Philadelphia Flyers (41-21-7, .645) to determine seeding in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The qualifiers will start Aug. 1 at a site to be determined.

Here are 5 key questions facing the Lightning:

1. Can they avoid another early exit from the playoffs?

The Lightning won 62 regular-season games last season, tying the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings for most in NHL history, but were swept by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Eastern Conference First Round. Some Lightning players have expressed concern that teams in the round-robin might not be as well prepared for the Stanley Cup Playoffs as those playing best-of-5 series in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers. That's an important concern for a team that figured a big reason for its early exit from the playoffs last season was that it clinched its berth March 8, with 14 games remaining, and the Blue Jackets had to fight to the end to get in the postseason. They'll need a greater sense of urgency this time around.

2. How healthy is Steven Stamkos?

Stamkos, who was second on the Lightning with 29 goals and 66 points in 57 games, had core muscle surgery March 2 and was expected to be out 6-8 weeks. But with the season paused since March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus, Stamkos has had time to recover. That's a significant development for Tampa Bay, but there are always questions when a player comes back from surgery, especially in terms of getting back into hockey shape. It will be no different with Stamkos.

3. What will they get from Andrei Vasilevskiy?

The start of the season was rough for Vasilevskiy. After winning the Vezina Trophy voted as the top goalie in the NHL last season, he went 14-9-2 with a 2.88 goals-against average and .906 save percentage in his first 25 starts. After Dec. 21, though, he was 21-5-1 with a 2.26 GAA and .928 save percentage to help the Lightning regain their footing. Vasilevskiy, who led the NHL with 35 wins, will need to continue that level of play to avoid a repeat of his performance in the 2019 playoffs, when he had a 3.82 GAA and .856 save percentage.

4. Where do Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow fit in the lineup?

The Lightning were trying to figure that out when the season was paused. Coleman, who had one assist in nine games with Tampa Bay after being acquired in a trade from the New Jersey Devils on Feb. 16, recently said he hadn't played as well as he thinks he can. Goodrow, who was acquired in a trade from the San Jose Sharks on Feb. 24, had two assists in eight games. They could make up two-thirds of a revamped third line or find themselves elsewhere in the lineup, but coach Jon Cooper needs to figure out how to get the best out of each player.

5. Will interruption during Phase 2 have a lasting impact?

The Lightning had to temporarily close their training facility when three players tested positive for COVID-19 on June 19. Tampa Bay said the players were asymptomatic other than a low-grade fever, but it did have to halt training. With training camp set to begin July 10, it's unknown what, if any, effect the shutdown will have, but it's worth keeping an eye on.