from John Romano of the Tampa Bay Times,

Remember this:

The Lightning did not become great until they got tough. Until they got smart. The Lightning did not go on their three-year stretch of near-total domination until they learned that preventing goals was the difference between a season ending too soon and having a floating victory parade.

That’s what this weekend’s comings and goings were all about.

The Lightning sacrificed continuity, popularity and goal scoring in the hope of getting just a little bit harder. Maybe it wasn’t the optimal set of moves, but it was probably the best they could hope for considering their contentious relationship with the salary cap.

Saying goodbye to Alex Killorn and Pat Maroon is heartbreaking. No sense arguing that. Maroon, while not a major cog on the ice, was a fan favorite for his passion and wit. Killorn, on the other hand, was a vital part of the Lightning roster. He not only played an important role on the ice, but he was adored in the community and respected in the locker room.

The only thing worse than losing Killorn would have been giving him the four-year, $25 million contract he got from Anaheim on Saturday.

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