Many to Thank and Much to Ponder as Lightning Head into Thanksgiving

Where was your head at when the Tampa bay Lightning sat at 1-4-2 to start the 2025-26' season? Were you one of the many calling for Jon Cooper's head, admitting defeat early and standing on the panic button? Or maybe, just maybe, you had the unwavering faith 'Coop' has shown this group over the years. The faith that things would be okay.

Flash forward a month, and the landscape has changed dramatically for a Bolts team seemingly determined to battle to the top of the Atlantic Division standings. Crazily enough, as of Thanksgiving Day, the East crown is within striking distance, too.

That begs the question, how did this all come to be? The answer might be more of a collection of players, factors, and attitudes than you think.

Let's dive in.

The Numbers

Tampa Bay now sit atop the Atlantic with a record of 14-7-2, edging the Ottawa Senators for sole possession with an impressive 30 points in 23 games played.

Andrei Vasilevskiy has won five straight contests heading into Turkey Day, and has allowed only four goals throughout that span.

Nikita Kucherov unsurprisingly paves the way with 27 points in 21 games played. (GP)

After a sluggish start to the season, a seemingly fired-up and determined Brandon Hagel has been a huge factor for this team, slotting in second in team scoring behind 'Kuch' with 12 goals and as many helpers in 22 GP.

Resilience Throughout a Slew of Injuries

While it has proven hard to find the exact (large) number of man-games lost due to injury this season, it doesn't take a Google search to know the Lightning are a leader in that category.

So, how have the Bolts managed to fend off L's amid a stretch of brutal luck in the injury department? While D-men Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh and Erik Cernak all sit idle on IR? As of Thanksgiving, with Brayden Point out of the lineup as well (day-to-day) it's been a response like no other from a crew of newcomers to the lineup.

Crunch Time

Forward Dominic James is a name that may not jump off the scoresheet yet, but this kid has game.

James has tallied 4 points in 14 GP this season after his call-up from the Syracuse Crunch. What has made James impressive, though, has been his tenacity, offensive instincts and involvement off the rush. He's a player who could easily have more than just his first NHL goal.

The youngster has an even plus-minus rating despite playing consistently in the bottom six of the Bolts lineup.

He's been a wonder to watch early on in his career, and is someone to keep an eye on moving forward.

Picked 173rd overall by Chicago in 2022, James has found his footing in Tampa.

Blue Line Bolstered

While names like Declan Carlile, who has amassed 5 GP thus far have shown promise. If we'e giving flowers to anyone on this new-look blue-line right now it has to be Charle-Edouard D'Astous.

D'Astous is not your typical rookie, having played plenty of puck in Sweden and across the ECHL and QMJHL before finding his way onto the Lightning roster.

The 27-year-old looks the part. He's been a smooth-skating, reliable option for the Bolts who has chipped in offensively from time to time as well.

Big Cat Finds his Claws

Along with the success of the call-ups, a big piece to the puzzle has been the earlier discussed play of Vasilevskiy.

He is playing at an unreal level of late, which is always a scary proposition for opposing teams.

If Vasilevskiy, who currently has rebounded to the degree of a 10-win campaign with a 2.28 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage, can continue to stymie shooters like this, it begs the question of how good this team can be when bodies start to filter off of the injured list and back into the lineup.

As was evidence in the Edmonton game, in which 'Vasy' made a ridiculous stop in overtime, the guys feed off it. Jake Guentzel buried the OT winner on the next trip up the ice.

The same story revealed itself early in the holiday-eve game, when a Vasilevskiy stop fueled another TBL tally.

He's truly playing Vezina-calibre net right now, which is a sight for sore eyes after how he and the Bolts started this season off.

Spreading Thanks

Suffice to say, the Tampa Bay Lightning have a lot to be grateful for this thanksgiving, as they have managed a string of bad luck with injuries incredibly well.

The schedule has done them no favors as well, be it a couple back-to-backs or just tough opponents both on the road and in the confines of Benchmark International Arena.

The response? Wins over the New Jersey Devils, Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas Stars and a Utah Mammoth group that was red-hot at the time to name a few.

The Bolts can be content now with winning games in the extra stanza, another issue that plagued them early this season and in recent years.

They can gather around the table this Thanksgiving with hope things will only improve when health at last arrives.

Where to?

Be it young guns, excellent goaltending, or maybe just the benefit of being a Jon Cooper-coached group, this is one of the hottest teams in the league right now riding a five-game winning streak.

Where they head from here remains to be seen. Do they have continuity issues when their lineup inevitably sees changes in coming games? One would hope not, as we've already seen Nick Paul and Pontus Holmberg slide back into the lineup in recent victories.

Down the Stretch we go

One thing seems certain. If General Manager Julien Brisebois thinks his team has a fighting chance at the trade deadline, he will go down swinging or die trying. Don't be shocked to see the Lightning swing for the fences if the sentiment remains they've got a bid for it all.

The reality is Vasilevskiy is aging. As is the core group of guys like Brayden Point, Hedman and Kucherov among others.

Is it last dance time in the Bay? Perhaps not, but don't be shocked to see a Tampa team that seems destined to overcome adversity give it everything they've got as the season nears its end.

Health comes and goes. The Bolts hope winning is here to stay, and they've proven to have the attitude, depth and vigor to rise above.

Buckle up, Lightning fans. If this team has proven one thing, it's that anything is possible. So, let's enjoy the ride.