If you watched the Lightning in their 4-1 loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Monday night, was there anything you saw in that game that gave you the confidence and assurance that this team is going to be ok for the playoffs and be ready to take care of business?
I thought it was just me. That my assessment was off. That the Lightning is just playing out the string. That they will be able to flick a switch and everything will be fine once the playoffs start on April 11th.
I think that is the mind set of some of the guys in the locker room. I just give it the eye ball test as they say. What I see being played out on the ice the last four games is not going to win you a series in the playoffs.
I know Steven Stamkos was out as a maintenance day as it was called, but as a team you have to put up a better effort than that against the second worst team in the league.
I’m sorry, but I vehemently disagree with Cooper when he says the puck just didn’t bounce their way. if that’s the case the puck hasn’t bounced their way the last four games.
Again we saw the Lightning abandon all systems and just run around trying to make something happen. There was no structure to their game. That has nothing to do with the puck not bouncing their way Coach.
I’ve written about it before. the poor passing, defensemen out of position, the turnovers. The Lightning get one shot and that is it, no one is in the right position for another shot attempt.
The other disturbing thing about this Lightning team is their lack of being physical. There is more contact in an NBA game than there is initiated by the Lightning. The softness of the team bothers me.
Victor Hedman got drilled late in the game, falls to the ice, and not one Lightning player comes to his defense. Not one. Everyone just accepts the fact that one of their teammates just got hit and is down on the ice and its no big deal.
The mindset of this team starts with Cooper. Not a lot of fire. Good coach, but very composed and this team is a reflection of that on the ice.
The Bruins are right on the heels of the Lightning just one point behind in the division, with two games remaining against the Lightning. The first of those two meetings will be Thursday night in Boston. The Lightning are still looking for that first win this season against the Bruins.
It’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Lightning could fall to third in the division behind Toronto. It‘s not likely, but stranger things have happened.
This is the time of year when everything should be clicking on all cylinders and being fine-tuned for a deep playoff run.
After the Bruins, the Lightning will be in New York to play the Rangers before coming home to play Nashville on Easter Sunday, which could be a Stanley Cup Preview.
The Lightning needs to get back to playing the type of game which made them so successful the first half season. If that Lightning team shows up in the Playoffs, we will be playing hockey in June.
If not, the Lightning will get some extra time to work on their golf game.
