TAMPA — Larger-than-life posters featuring Lightning players adorn the exterior walls of Amalie Arena and the parking garage directly opposite the main entrance.
Among them are Steven Stamkos, Ben Bishop, Victor Hedman and Valtteri Filppula — big-name players with big roles on the best regular-season team in Tampa Bay franchise history.
But when Mike Babcock, head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, characterized some of the Lightning’s strengths heading into the first round playoff series between the teams, the first thing he identified had nothing to do with any of the faces that line those outer walls.