Golden Knights can learn lessons from Tampa Bay Lightning

The best the Golden Knights could do was watch from home as the Tampa Bay Lightning lifted the Stanley Cup on Monday in Edmonton, Alberta.

They expect to be closer to the action next season. The Knights have high standards, which means they have a lot in common with a Lightning franchise that has been in contention for its second Cup since its loss in the 2015 final. Tampa Bay built a strong core and battled for years before finally breaking through this postseason.

Now that the Lightning succeeded, they will be a model for the other 30 NHL teams.

“You’re seeing a Tampa team that’s been knocking on the door for five years, including some devastating losses, including a sweep last year in the first round, but kept knocking on the door, didn’t overreact,” Knights coach Pete DeBoer said Sept. 16 when the Lightning were in the Eastern Conference Final. “Tweaked, added, did some things differently. That’s where we’re at. I’m already excited about next year and the pursuit.”

Some things Tampa Bay did — like having a Hart, Norris and Vezina winner on its roster — will be hard to replicate. Others will not. Here are three things the Knights can learn from the new champs:

1. Be patient

The Knights’ loss in the Western Conference Final was ugly. But it was nothing compared to the Lightning’s playoff exit last season.

Presidents’ Trophy-winning Tampa Bay was swept in the first round by the Columbus Blue Jackets by a combined score of 19-8. It was an almost unfathomable result after the Lightning tied an NHL record with 62 regular-season wins. It was so disappointing the team released a statement after the series was over.

“We don’t have any words, and we know you don’t want to hear them,” it read. “We understand your anger, your frustration, your sadness. Everything you’re feeling — we get it.”

General manager Julien BriseBois’ response to such an unacceptable result was to do … almost nothing, at least in the offseason. Tampa Bay’s top six scorers — and 13 of 14 — returned. Only four skaters who played against the Blue Jackets are no longer with the organization.

BriseBois trusted his team was better than the sweep showed, and his patience was rewarded. The Knights should keep that in mind when evaluating their roster.

“You need to be cautious not to get caught up in the emotion of it,” Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said. “We have a good roster. We’ve been to the conference final twice in three years. You need to be cautious so you don’t overreact and start making a number of changes, because we’re not far away.”

2. Rely on the top guys

Filling out a Conn Smythe ballot for playoff MVP had to be agonizing for voters.

Defenseman Victor Hedman won after scoring 22 points and playing 26:28 minutes per game. But forwards Nikita Kucherov (34 points) and Brayden Point (33 points) had strong cases. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (.927 save percentage) did, too.

They’re the reason the Lightning were so dominant and never faced elimination. Every time Tampa Bay needed a goal, its stars seemed to deliver.

The same wasn’t true of the Knights. Many of their top forwards stopped scoring in the final eight games, and it’s why they lost the Western Conference Final in five games. Only center Paul Stastny had more than three points in that span.

The Knights simply need their top six to be better to have a shot at the Stanley Cup.

“Personally, when the team isn’t scoring and you’re relied upon to score, you definitely have to look in the mirror,” said left wing Max Pacioretty, who had one assist in his final eight games.

3. Don’t be afraid to bargain shop

Tampa Bay’s top signing of the offseason cost $1.75 million against the cap.

The Lightning received plenty of bang for their buck with defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, who had 13 points in the postseason and played 19:30 minutes a game. He was bought out by the New York Rangers last summer and willing to join a contender on the cheap to chase a Stanley Cup.

He wasn’t the only key low-cost acquisition. The Lightning added fourth-line left wing Pat Maroon for $900,000. Third-pair defenseman Zach Bogosian cost $1.3 million.

“I thank these guys every day, because they gave me an opportunity to live my dream again,” said Maroon, who played for the Cup-winning St. Louis Blues last season.

None of these moves grabbed headlines, but they filled out one of the league’s best rosters. The Knights should look for similar opportunities because the flat salary cap might leave some veterans out in the cold.

The team has had success with low-key signings and trades, such as the Chandler Stephenson deal.

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.