TAMPA — Ross Colton is no longer the wide-eyed rookie he was last postseason. He no longer carries that happy-to-be-here demeanor. When the Lightning lose, he’s as angry as the veterans around him and equally determined to show more in the next game.
But there’s still something about the playoffs that brings out the kid in the 25-year-old, and it seems to bring out the best in Colton in some of the most critical moments.
It might not seem like 10 months since Colton scored the Stanley Cup-clinching goal in Game 5 of the 2021 final against Montreal, earning the right to hoist the Cup in celebration at Amalie Arena, then enjoying his first championship boat parade days later.