There was little doubt that the Tampa Bay Lightning missed Brayden Point during the playoffs last season. Even though the team made it to the Stanley Cup Final, his absence was very much felt after the quad muscle tear he sustained in the Game 7 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Now fully healed, Point is starting to be that impact player he has been for so many seasons.
Sometimes the term “Warrior” is somewhat overused, but in the case of Point, he made every attempt possible to return to the playoffs. He returned for Games 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, but it was apparent that he was not himself and did not return. It is very difficult to replace someone who has 38 goals, 40 assists, and a plus-minus of +1 in 76 games in the playoffs in his career. He also had the Stanley Cup-clinching goal of the 2020 Stanley Cup Final and led the playoffs in goal-scoring in both Stanley Cup-winning postseasons.
But the injury is well in his rear-view mirror. The 26-year-old shook off some rust in training camp and pre-season and was ready to get the season going. “It was a bit of a long recovery process, but feeling good,” Point said on pre-season Media Day. “It’s about just kind of getting that feel back and that timing back and kind of getting used to that game speed. That’s something you can’t really replicate in practice.” Point did not seem to lose a beat, as he scored five goals with five assists in the first 10 games this season.
Point Developing First-Line Chemistry
With the Lightning losing some key pieces over the offseason, one big question was on what line Point was to going to skate on. In the past, he has skated on the top line with Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov, and he also has been matched with Alex Killorn and Brandon Hagel on the second line. But early in the season, Point began skating on the first line with Hagel and Kucherov, which has been a very productive line to start the season.
This chemistry was on full exhibit last Tuesday night in that wild 4-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators. On the game-winning goal, Hagel’s strong forecheck allowed Point to snag the puck behind Ottawa’s net and throw a saucer pass to Mikhail Sergachev at the left circle. The defenseman slid a pass across the zone to Kucherov, who fired a one-timer in for the eventual game-winner. Point scored the game-tying goal when Kucherov fed him a nice little touch pass, allowing the Calgary native to split the Ottawa defense and score.
“Great players,” said Kucherov when asked about playing with Point and Hagel after the 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 26. “Really enjoy it.” He probably also enjoyed the excellent passes his two teammates made that allowed him to score the game-winning goal against the Sharks. There is little doubt that this trio has been the best on the Lightning since they were put together.
Point One of the Best Draft Steals in Recent Memory
It was the 2014 NHL Draft in Philadelphia, and the Lightning, much to their credit, traded a seventh-rounder with the Minnesota Wild to move up just one spot to pick Point. Originally, Lightning brass only saw Point play before the draft because they had gone to see Morgan Rielly playing for the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League. It was at this game they noticed Point. Two years later, they remembered the barely-16-year-old undersized kid and moved to grab him.
After the draft, one of the things that head coach Jon Cooper noticed about Point was that he lacked NHL-quality skating skills. At that point, Cooper had Point work with Barbara Underhill, a former World Champion pairs skater who has helped many Lightning and other NHLers improve their stride. They also utilized Jamie Heffernan, who is also a consultant with the Lightning. He was one of the first in hockey to use the Zenolink 3D motion capture technology system as a tool to analyze skating. All of this led to the improvement of their third-round draft pick, who has become an elite skater who can play both ends of the ice.
Related: Lightning Skating Consultants Have Been Key to Team’s Success
A healthy Brayden Point will be critical to the success of the Lightning in 2022-23. Not only do they have a player who makes contributions in the regular season, but they also have a player that has developed his skills into a player that excels in the playoffs. Everyone in the Lightning organization is very pleased to see a player who was once described as “a small player with a big heart” return to form after an untimely injury.
