And when the opponent whips out the Hammer?

Martin St. Louis was once the model of a whole Generation of little hockey players. In a time when in the National Hockey League (NHL), the ideal player was as big and heavy, stormed this only 1,73 m tall and about 80 pounds light little man in the world of NHL giants and led the Tampa Bay Lightning to the 2004 Stanley Cup as the best Skorer of the League.

One of the Highlights of Martin St. Louis' career: The striker of Tampa hitting in the 2. Extension of the 6. Final game of 2004 in Calgary and evens the series at 3:3.

Maybe this is also why until today, almost 15 years later, this image of Tampa and the little man in the minds of the hockey fans stayed.

which of course is a distortion of reality. St. Louis was an exception, eleven players from the championship team were at least 1,90 gross, St. Louis is the only tribe players under 1.80.

The "Goon" that was once a

The NHL ice hockey of 2004 with that of today no longer have much in common. Tampa was at the time, in every game with a 110-Kilo man in the squad, whose Name was as simple as his role: Chris Dingman, doing his thing by asking ruffians of the opponent to a fist fight – that was quite normal, everybody had a "Goon".

Chris Dingman and Rob Ray, two heavy weights of the "old" hockey collide.

That is today unimaginable. Tampa is a model example of the new NHL, speed and Skills are becoming increasingly important, the physical Element is always insignificant.

best Little

The new Lightning are not only successful: they lead the League with 17 points ahead, although there is in the NHL is just two points per victory. Tampa is on course for 129 points, the record of Montreal's miracle team of 1976/77 is 132.

Tampa is currently one of the smallest NHL Teams. Your Top Formation with Center Brayden Point (1,79 m), and the wings Nikita Kutscherow (1.80 m) and Yanni Gourde (1.75 m) duel with Colorado's 3-man Show Landeskog/MacKinnon/Rantanen for the unofficial title of the best rushing trios in the season – the best "small line" form you all.

you are blind: Brayden Point, Nikita Kutscherow. (Video: nhl.com)

And the Offensive of the Lightning has to offer, unlike Colorado, also behind a lot: For example, Tyler Johnson (1.73 m), with Captain Steven Stamkos also made a splash. Youth Idol and Inspiration of the "dwarves" Gourde and Johnson, wen s, Martin St. Louis a surprise.

Small but mighty: Yanni Gourde is congratulated by Brayden Point in the scoring. (Image: Kim Klement/USA Today Sports)

Small alone

not enough Unusual the career of the man behind the gang: Jon Cooper was without experience as a professional player, coach, and now since 2013 he is in the office, and so long as no other current NHL head coach.

he likes small players, not conceal, Cooper, but, in principle, have advantages in modern hockey, is for him a myth: "to be able to as small players to be successful, you need to be in at least one other category, one of the world's best," he said recently, when it came to the Point, and his current season.

Point excels as a Two-way Center in the defensive area, on the offensive, he is on course for 105 Skorerpunkte, team, internally, he is surpassed only by line-mate Kutscherow. The 25-year-old Russian and his 29 goals and 70 Assists to only 61 Games per 82 games long of qualification is good for 133 Skorerpunkte – League with holds far none really.

A goal to shoot without the shot? Nikita Kutscherow also in the Repertoire.

Point, only 22, already has an impressive development. As a third-round supplemental Draft pick of Tampa in 2014 came two years after that, in the NHL, to trust him, hardly anyone has a performance like this season.

perhaps The biggest progress Point made in the rotor. This is no coincidence, because Tampa is on many levels ready to go new ways: How many other young players in the organization of the Lightning Point, with Barbara Underhill, a former figure skating-Junior world champion worked.

imagine the looks from the big boys of the good old hockey of the Eighties and Nineties, just when the Trainer would have you sent to the Eistänzerin ...

Fun ...

For Cooper's Points pace is an example of the success of his team: Kutscherow was perhaps the most talented player in the League, but it was the Point, next to him, steam do and the Russians are driving. Cooper's Credo: Be fast enough, then you can check none.

Duo infernale: Brayden Point (left) and Nikita Kutscherow celebrate a goal against New Jersey. (Image: Kim Klement/USA Today Sports)

Tampa head coach of the "Sports Illustrated recently announced" three days of an insight into his work, and the command displayed at the end of "band of generals" in the NHL out. Cooper may be a perfectionist, cramming late into the night with Video tactics. But he puts just as much emphasis on Fun and camaraderie, with players and Staff.

The Lightning will meet on a monthly basis to the Golf tournament, they lead to the same internal rankings in Swimming, chess and "settlers of Catan", a Board game. Two of their on this season, which was newly installed assistant coach are Rookies on NHL-Level, Cooper, you wanted to also, because they were types of the good mood in the dressing room can spread.

... and where the Fun stops

Cooper relies on communication, discusses regularly with Stamkos, to feel the Team, he expects always constructive criticism of his Captains. His players the reward, says Cooper, as the following Episode with Point out of the Playoff in 2018 shows, in the quarter-final against Boston.

He took his little favorite Center in the first break of the second game to get to the office. Point, actually intended as a neutralizer of the opposing Top line, had finished game 1 with a gruesome Minus-5-balance sheet and now again a goal "conceded".

but There was no scolding, on the contrary, Cooper says he has told Point only that he believed in him and that he could play his role successfully. And, how could it be otherwise: the Point was, until the end of the Tampa in 5 Games gained in series with no other goal on the ice.

He the Lightning: Jon Cooper. (Image of Jason Behnken/Keystone)

But only with Fun and good to talk does not work then Cooper. Ironically, the Point that last Tuesday, learned, Tampa, Philadelphia played. Cooper exiles his centre-forward on the bleachers, because of these unexcused missed in the Morning, a team meating – since there was no Pardon.

Two things Tampa

strain The Top line just volunteered to take apart – how many Teams can afford that? Also, the North American trade press Tampa currently sees as a Top Team, the renowned "Hockey News" in the current issue of the Lightning to square 1 when it comes to potential success in the next five years.

And yet: There are two things that could tarnish Tampa's rosy Outlook. A whole series of favorable contracts to key players expires at the end of the season, the rule of the salary cap in the NHL will make it impossible for the team in this Form, and hold together. Because in the Pipeline the Lightning a number of good young players waiting to Move up to the NHL Team, this is the smaller Problem Coopers.

The greater pursued him still day by day, night after night, again and again he looks at the video images before going to sleep: The semi-final From last season against Washington, despite the 3:2 lead in the Best-of-7 series.

game 6 and 7 lost Tampa 0:3 and 0:4. Worse still, The Team Cooper was pushed around by the Capitals really, as this unpacked the Hammer.

it Takes for success in the Playoff, maybe even a little "Good ole' hockey", the pinch of the hardness and wickedness? It is an open secret that Tampa is up to at 25. February would commit to the following, Transfer-lock-up period, especially in Philadelphia forward Wayne Simmonds. Can play Hockey and score goals shooting – and also a strong pitch in if need be. (Tages-Anzeiger.ch/Newsnet)

Created: 21.02.2019, 18:14 PM