Ohlund and the Improved Defense Has Led to Lightning's Resurgence

The Tampa Bay Lightning notched their first victory of the 2009-10 campaign, beating their nemesis, Carolina, 5-2. Going into the game, the Hurricanes had won eight straight meetings with the Lightning, but it wasn't going to happen this night.

While Ryan Malone and his hat trick will get all the press, it's really the Lightning's defense that was the difference and has been the difference all of this young season.

For those of you not paying attention, despite Tampa Bay's 1-1-2 record, this is a vastly improved hockey team.

One of the main reasons for that is the addition of Mattias Ohlund. Ohlund's physical play has been a force on the Lightning's top defensive pair, enabling the offense to take chances and generate rushes down the ice.

Ohlund has taken the leadership role along the blue line, tutoring the Lightning's top draft pick Victor Hedman while stabilizing defensive unit that at one point last season had AHLers on the top pairing.

Ohlund's not alone though. The return of Paul Ranger, Andrej Meszaros, and the addition of Matt Walker has allowed the Lightning to shave goals (from 3.28 goals per game to 3.00) and shots against (from 32.9 shots per game to 30) while enabling the defense to contribute 11 points to the offense.

Tampa Bay has a different look in their own end of the ice, where last season the team would fail to clear the puck out of danger and eventually lead to a shooting gallery against their goaltender, Ohlund and crew not only have been able to calmly get the Lightning out of trouble, they've also sparked offensive rushes.

Tampa Bay's goals for average is up (3.00 from 2.52) and would be more if not for some spectacular goaltending they've faced in the first few games.

"We could have won the last three games," St. Louis told the Associated Press. "Keep playing together, I like our chances to be successful."

Indeed, the Lightning deserved better in their previous two outings, vastly outplaying their opponent only to be beaten in disappointing shoot out losses.

The goals will come, as they did Saturday night when they notched five of them, and so will the wins. As the team grows more confident in their rebuilt blue line, more chances and rushes will turn into goals and victories.

While not in the hey day of John Tortorella's "Safe is Death" philosophy, the Tampa Bay Lightning will again have "forecheck" and "attack" in their vocabulary.