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Bolts' Youth Being Served

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By ERIK ERLENDSSON, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 16, 2007

BRANDON - When looking down the rows of locker stalls inside the Lightning locker room these days, the area reserved for the team's defensemen sometimes resembles the feel of a frat house following initiation.

But instead of any type of hazing ritual, it has been more of a baptism by fire for Tampa Bay's defense, which ranks tied for seventh youngest in the NHL with an average age of 26.63 years for every defenseman who has appeared in at least one game. Tampa Bay's opponent tonight, Washington, has the youngest at 25.38 years.

In the absence of Dan Boyle, who appeared in four games and is now out indefinitely following a second surgery to repair three severed tendons in his left wrist, the Lightning have leaned heavily on three players younger than 25, one in his second year in the NHL and two 30-year-old veterans.

Nearing the quarter point of the season, Tampa Bay's defense has been solid, if not spectacular, as the Lightning have allowed an average of 27.2 shots per game, tied for seventh-fewest allowed in the league. The Lightning also have three players in the top 30 in blocked shots - Brad Lukowich (seventh with 45 blocks), Filip Kuba (T-16th with 36) and 23-year-old Paul Ranger (T-27th with 32).

And with Boyle and his 20 goals from last season absent, the Tampa Bay defense has stepped up with 10 combined goals, fourth-most of any team in the league.

"We have a young defensive core and I don't think people realize how young they are," Lightning coach John Tortorella said. "With the injury to Danny and the minutes they are compiling, they have done a good job. They have all chipped in."

In terms of NHL experience, outside of veterans Lukowich and Kuba, Tampa Bay is light. Of the four other defensemen who will be on the ice tonight against the Capitals, none had more than 150 games of NHL experience entering the season.

Without Boyle, the coaching staff has to figure out a way to divide up the nearly 30 minutes a night he generally played. That means increased ice time and increased roles for others. To this point, nobody has lagged in their new role while some - mainly Ranger, Shane O'Brien and Mike Lundin - have thrived.

Ranger entered Thursday's games tied for seventh among defensemen with 13 points, is 10th in average ice time per game (25:25), fifth in average shifts per game (30.8) and is tied for sixth with a plus-10 rating.

O'Brien, who was playing eight minutes a game last season in his rookie campaign with Anaheim before being traded, is averaging 22:43 per game this season. The 24-year-old Ontario native already has doubled his career goal totals with four, and despite some setbacks, O'Brien has not let his mistakes on the ice affect his overall game.

Lundin came out of nowhere in training camp to earn a spot on the roster in his first pro season after graduating from Maine earlier this year. Though the 23-year-old rookie is averaging 14:15 per game, he has been over 19 minutes four times this season and over 20 minutes twice, including Wednesday's win against Carolina. He is tied for seventh among rookies and is fifth among rookie defensemen with a plus-3 rating.

Add in Kuba, who is 17th in average ice time at 24:27 and third with a plus-13 rating, and steadily improved play from Lukowich of late.

"When you lose a guy like Danny for an extended period of time, guys have to step up and fill that role. I think collectively as a group these guys have really supported each other and have competed extremely hard for us," said Lightning associate coach Mike Sullivan, who works with the defense during games. "When we have success, we play within ourselves and we keep the game simple back there."

With the extended ice time and roles some on the blue line are earning, they will be better for it later this year when Boyle comes back - possibly not until February - and further down the line.

"Although these guys are young, they are good players and capable players," Sullivan said. "I don't think anyone here is surprised by any of this. We feel we have a capable group that can continue to improve and get better because of our youth. But what I like about our group is they compete, they try hard. We make mistakes, but they are mistakes of enthusiasm.

"I think our defense will continue to improve and get better. I think we have to continue to keep our edge and our competitiveness because I think that has to continue to be the foundation of our success. And I think the sky is the limit for our group."

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