Tampa Bay Lightning: 'Triplets' Line Keeps Producing

It took the Tampa Bay Lightning 13 games, but the team has secured a spot in the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2011 thanks in part to the team’s “Triplets” line. The line, which consists of Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov, has been together since late October when Tampa Bay was fighting injuries and needed to shuffle players around to create balance.

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I don’t think even Jon Cooper could have predicted the success this one line would be able to achieve. Over the course of the regular season, The Triplets were one of the hottest and most dangerous lines in the NHL, as each player on the line recorded more than 60 points.

The line has continued its dominance in the postseason.

According to the Tampa Bay Times: “I’ve never seen a line with that much chemistry,” defenseman Anton Stralman said.

That chemistry and lethal combination of speed, skill and shooting have made The Triplets line the Lightning’s most productive. The line has scored 17 of the team’s 34 goals and has 14 of 53 assists this postseason.

These three players just seem to be on the same wavelength. They can anticipate where their linemates are going to be and send the puck that way. A great example is Palat and Johnson’s give-and-go power-play goal from Game 6:

The Triplets are brimming with confidence, which they should be. They continue to play well and lead the Lightning to success. Johnson is currently first on the team in points this postseason with 12 and right behind him is Kucherov with 11. That’s almost a point per game! Not too shabby for two players who are in their early 20s and in their sophomore year in the NHL.

Another nifty fact provided by the NHL.com is “Kucherov and Johnson each tied Ruslan Fedotenko’s franchise record set in the 2004 Eastern Conference Final for the most goals in a playoff series.”

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If this type of play continues and Tampa Bay makes it to the Cup finals, you might hear more about Johnson winning the Conn Smythe. He will, at the very least, be in the running. Watching Johnson in his element is a sight to see. He has unbelievable talent and doesn’t let his small size affect his game. If anything, he size is an asset. It allows him to slip past players and find open ice with ease. Even if you don’t root for Tampa Bay, you still find yourself smiling when Johnson and the rest of The Triplets line make a spectacular play. You can’t help it—so much talent and so young!

Overall, Cooper must be ecstatic about the way his team has been playing. Their best game so far was Game 6 against the Montreal Canadiens as they played fast and smart, and crushed any hope the Habs had about forcing Game 7 early in the game. I have to mention that Tampa Bay is the only team in the NHL to never lose three games in a row during the regular season. That trend has continued into the postseason as well with the Game 6 win.

What else could you ask for? The Triplets are producing, Steven Stamkos is scoring, three goals in the past five games, and Ben Bishop is a brick wall.

With everything clicking, the Bolts are primed to take on either the Washington Capitals or the New York Rangers in the finals.

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