Now that we are in April and two weeks out from the playoffs, it’s time to start looking ahead to the matchup. We can start by looking backward.
The most significant focus for me will be the Lightning defense. This was the blue line Tampa trotted out for Game 7 last year:
Victor Hedman – Erik Cernak
Ryan McDonagh – Zach Bogosian
Mikhail Sergachev – Cal Foote
Of note: Sergachev and McDonagh played together quite a bit in that series.
Entering their most recent game, Tampa ran this group of six on defense:
Victor Hedman – Nick Perbix
Mikhail Sergachev – Darren Raddysh
Ian Cole – Erik Cernak
It should also be noted that Sergachev left their recent game against the Islanders with an injury and did not return.