Zemgus Girgensons Tampabejas “Lightning” #latvia
Latvian forward Zemgus Girgensons spent his first 11 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Buffalo Sabers, who selected him with the 14th overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft. During this time, Girgenson played in 688 regular season games, where he accumulated 188 points (89 goals and 99 assists). However, in spite of his long-term presence, the “Sabres” with the Latvian in the lineup were never able to qualify for the Stanley Cup. Girgenson’s last season in Buffalo was statistically his least productive – only 14 points (8+6) were scored in 63 games. As a result, he became one of only three active NHL players with the most games played without a playoff appearance at the time. In front of Zemgum in this statistic were Rasmus Ristolainen (713 games, also mostly in the “Sabres”) and Jeff Skinner, who had already played more than 1000 games since 2010, but still had not experienced the atmosphere of the playoffs. After the season, the Sabers offered Girgenson a new contract, but he chose to turn it down and go in a new direction. Girgenson has always been the epitome of teamwork — a man of the minority, a physical playmaker and a mainstay in the locker room — but his role in Buffalo has stagnated. Parting with the “Sabres” was a logical step, after more than a decade of failures in reaching the playoffs, Zemgum needed a new environment where his experience would not only be appreciated, but also used to move the team to higher goals. “There were other options, but I chose to sign a contract with Lightning, because my goal is to play in the playoffs and fight for the Stanley Cup,” Zemgus Girgensons revealed to “Latvijas Avīze” media. “Seeing what kind of players this organization attracts, it’s clear – they are thinking about the future here, and the goals are already high. I will have to prove myself again.” In the new team, Girgenson’s average salary per season will be 850 thousand US dollars – a significant drop compared to the previous season, when he received 2.5 million in the ranks of the Buffalo Sabres. However, this decision was more about sporting ambition than financial gain. The Tampa Bay Lightning is a three-time Stanley Cup winner, with the last triumph coming in 2021. Last season, the team finished the regular season in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, but lost in the first round of the playoffs to the eventual champion Florida Panthers in a 1–4 series. Girgenson’s choice in favor of the Lightning team is not a surprise – he finally entered an environment where the fight for the Stanley Cup is not just a wish and hope, but a reality. While the pay drop is significant, this is a clear signal that he is ready to take on a specific role or player status, especially in the minority or in the fourth inning, and contribute to a unit that already knows how to win. After 16 seasons as part of the Tampa Bay Lightning, team legend Steven Stemkos left the organization this summer. The 34-year-old forward could not agree with the club on a new contract and became a free agent. He accepted the offer of the Nashville “Predators” – a four-year contract with a salary of eight million dollars per season. “I repeatedly asked myself the question – what happened?” later discovered by Stemkos. “We were ready to compromise in order to stay in Tampa, because I wanted to end my career right here. But it probably wasn’t mutual. My family and I feel very comfortable here, but I’m a grown man – I’ll deal with it.” Although in his own opinion a good season was held, the organization decided to look in a different direction. “I won’t lie – it’s difficult. I was part of the same team for 16 years. I never thought that such a day would come, but it did.” Stemkos’ contribution to the ranks of “Lightning” is significant – 1082 games, 1137 productive points (555 goals and 582 assists), as well as 101 points in 128 Stanley Cup games. He was and still is one of the most inspiring attacking leaders of his generation. This was a huge change for Tampa, not only losing a captain, but also an emotional leader and long-lasting symbol of the team’s identity. On October 1, Zemgus Girgensons scored his first point as part of the Tampa Bay Lightning in a test game against the current Stanley Cup champions Florida Panthers. The Latvian assisted in the first goal, when Emils Lillebergs put the puck into the home team’s goal. Later, Gage Golsalves and Maksim Groshev also stood out with accurate shots, providing “Lightning” victory with the result 3:1. Sam Reinhardt scored the only goal for Florida, but Uvis Balinskis remained in the shadows this time. Zemgus spent 13 minutes and 26 seconds on the ice, during which time he made two shots on goal, made three power plays, blocked one opponent’s shot, won 8 out of 13 shots and finished the match with a +2 efficiency ratio, the best indicator in the team. Girgenson made his official debut in the NHL regular season on October 11, playing against the Carolina Hurricanes, the same team against which he had already made his preseason debut on September 24. In the regular championship game, Zemgus played 13 minutes and 8 seconds, made one power play and ended the game with a neutral +/- indicator. “Lightning” played much more confidently this time and won with the result 4:1. On the other hand, after his first test match in September, in which the Tampa Bay team lost 1:2 to the Hurricanes, Girgenson shared his emotions: “Besides the loss, it was great to wear the Tampa Bay jersey for the first time. It’s only pre-season, but there’s no shortage of emotions. I’ve already had several training sessions and I feel good.” Girgenson himself, the fans, and the “Lightning” organization had to endure until the first goal as part of the new team. After a long period of silence, the Latvian striker finally opened his goal tally in February in the victory against the Montreal Canadiens. At the time, he had just two assists and a negative -4 efficiency rating. But in this game, the forward spent 14 minutes and 39 seconds on the court, made two shots, used three power plays, blocked one shot, won four of 11 shots and finished the game with a positive utility of +1. The goal came in the second half of the game, after a precise pass by Cam Atkinson, Zemgus was free in front of the goal and unhindered sent the puck into the net, making it 4:1. At that time, the Lightning ranked sixth in the Eastern Conference with 66 points in 55 games. The team’s head coach, John Cooper, smiled after the game: “It took a long time for the poor guy. He had so many chances … Atkinson made a great pass, but if you saw our bench, the lads were excited about Girgenson.” Zemgus played all 82 games of the regular championship – a stable, reliable, workhorse in the energy shift. He finished the season with 2 goals, 4 assists, 6 points, 47 penalty minutes and a -7 efficiency rating. It is interesting that he scored his second goal of the season in a 3:4 loss against the Philadelphia Flyers, whose team featured another Latvian, Rodrigo Ābols. In this match, Girgenson played 16 minutes and 18 seconds, 2:26 of which he spent in the minority, cementing his importance in the team’s defensive structure. Although it hasn’t been a stellar season for the forward statistically, Girgenson has done his job honorably, physical, reliable, experienced and usable in important moments, especially on defense and in the minority. On NHL teams, power forwards rarely shine in the stat boxes, but their importance on the ice is invaluable, especially on the brink of or during the playoffs. The Tampa Bay Lightning featured a strong offensive core during the regular season, with four players reaching or exceeding the 80-point mark and a typically impressive offensive drive. The team’s superstar Nikita Kucherov played the first violin – in 78 games he scored 37 goals and gave 84 assists , accumulating 121 points and a +22 efficiency ratio. Brandon Hagel came in second place among the top scorers, who with 90 points (28 goals + 62 assists) and a bright efficiency index of +33 proved that he is ready to be a true team leader. Third, Brayden Point with a classic performance: 42 goals, 40 assists and a total of 82 points, also adding a +17 efficiency rating. The fourth, but no less important, former Pittsburgh “Penguins” American Jake Guentzel. He fit into the team perfectly, accumulating 80 points (41 goals + 39 assists) with a positive utility rate of +18. The team’s main goalkeeper Andrejs Vasilevskis remained at his level this season as well, he played in 63 games, of which “Lightning” won 38. His average number of goals conceded was 2.18, while the total number of saved shots reached 1581 saves. He spent 3743 minutes and 5 seconds on the ice, suffering 20 losses. This season Zemgus Girgensons surprised with a brand new trend – he is more and more often rushed into the game. If in previous years the Latvian was known as a “black worker” on the field and a stable center of the fourth shift, then this season he not only blocked shots and made power plays on the field, but also got into fights several times. His last duel took place against Florida “Panthers” forward Niko Sturm – the fight ended with Girgenson’s convincing victory. Although in the course of the season, in most of the clashes, the superiority of the opponents had to be recognized, it should be remembered that unlike Rait Ivanan, this is not everyday bread for Girgenson. But the character was shown! The Tampa Bay Lightning finished the season in second place in the Atlantic Division and third in the Eastern Conference with 102 points, thus confidently qualifying for the Stanley Cup. It meant something very special to Girgenson, for the first time in his career he will participate in the NHL playoffs. In the regular season, the Lightning’s offense was potent, scoring 294 goals, nearly half of which came from the dominant performance of Nikita Kucherov and his roster mates. On the other hand, the puck was allowed into the own goal 219 times, which shows a balanced performance at both ends of the field. The most successful period for “lightning” was February – the team won 7 victories in 8 games, achieving an excellent 87.5% winning percentage. But not everything was rosy, November turned out to be the most difficult month, in which only 5 wins were won, and the percentage of wins dropped to 38.5%. The longest winning streak of the season was 8 in a row, while twice the team suffered a four-game losing streak that forced the coaches and players to regroup and change course. Zemgus Girgensons described his debut in the NHL playoffs briefly and succinctly: “It means everything, it’s the reason I play,” said the Latvian. “Unfortunately, I haven’t experienced it yet, but I’m excited to be a part of it now.” However, his first playoff experience was short-lived, as the Florida Panthers won Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Series 6-3 and went 4-1 in the four-game winning streak, eliminating Girgenson’s Tampa Bay Lightning. Zemgus played in all five games of the series, but did not score. In the fifth match, he spent 8 minutes and 27 seconds on the ice, made five power plays, lost the puck once and ended the game with a -1 efficiency rating. Overall, his playoff stats remained neutral utility. On the other hand, the second Latvian in this series, Uvis Balinskis, went on the field in three games and marked himself with a positive efficiency coefficient of +3.
Zemgus Girgensons 2024./25. gada NHL sezonā pirmo reizi savā karjerā piedzīvoja izslēgšanas spēļu gaisotni, pārstāvot Tampabejas “Lightning”. Spēlētājs pats atzina, ka tas viņam nozīmē visu un ir iemesls, kāpēc viņš spēlē hokeju. Lai arī viņa debija Stenlija kausā nebija rezultatīva, piecos mačos punktus viņš neguva. Girgensons uz ledus parādīja fizisku spēli, pielietojot spēka paņēmienus un cīnoties līdz galam katrā spēles epizodē. Piektajā un noslēdzošajā spēlē pret Floridas “Panthers” viņš uz ledus pavadīja 8 minūtes un 27 sekundes, izdarīja piecus spēka paņēmienus, reizi zaudēja ripu un noslēdza spēli ar lietderības koeficientu -1. Sērijā “Lightning” piekāpās ar 1-4, bet otrs latvietis, aizsargs Uvis Balinskis, trīs spēlēs sakrāja pozitīvu lietderības koeficientu +3. Šī sezona iezīmējās ar jaunu pavērsienu Girgensona spēles stilā, viņš biežāk iesaistījās spēka spēlē un pat attiecību skaidrošanā uz ledus. Viens no spilgtākajiem momentiem bija kautiņš ar “Panthers” spēlētāju Niko Šturmu, kurā Zemgus izcīnīja pārliecinošu uzvaru. Lai gan viņš nav pazīstams kā “kauslis” NHL, šis bija interesants jauninājums viņa spēles mentalitātē. “Tampa” noslēdza regulāro sezonu ar 102 punktiem, izcīnot otro vietu Atlantijas divīzijā un trešo Austrumu konferencē. Komanda guva 294 vārtus un zaudēja 219, bet veiksmīgākais mēnesis bija februāris ar bilanci 7-1 (87.5% uzvaras). Vārtsargs Andrejs Vasiļevskis aizvadīja 63 spēles, vidēji ielaižot 2.18 vārtus. Girgensons Latvijas izlasē piedalījies četros pasaules čempionātos, pēdējo reizi 2017. gadā Ķelnē. Rudenī viņš spēlēja Milānas olimpiskās kvalifikācijas turnīrā, bet pēc gūtās traumas piedalījās tikai vienā spēlē.
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