Ottawa, Detroit, Jersey, and now Tampa all had a very rough trip in California. The hilarious thing is that Buffalo of all teams managed to sweep their own CA trip 🤷
Tbh I kinda figured the lighting would struggle to score at some point this year. They were shooting ridiculously well for a while. I think the break kinda threw them off. Only a matter of time before they find the scoring again imo.
Their defense and goaltending still continue to look really good. This recent 4 game stretch they just cannot put the puck in the back of the net lol. That would be the last thing I’d think this team struggles with, so the level of concern isn’t extremely high atm
Moser being out has stunk, but the D overall has been decent and JoJo has really stepped up his play. Vasy has looked back to his old self. This recent skid looks more like a speed bump than a trend. The last 3 games, Moneypuck had Tampa firmly on the deserve to win side.
The Lightning have the best goal differential in the Atlantic Division and 4th best in the NHL. Tough recent stretch, but it happens to every team. Interested to see if they can make a playoff run this year.
As a Kings fan the lightning were the best team I’ve seen this season on Saturday. They looked like the Soviet Union red army team. Then again, I think this Kings team is fools gold. We are all being played.
Seems like it’s a combo: they overlooked Montréal ahead of the road-trip to the West Coast, got snakebit, then ran into some hot goalies and defenses. But they might have had time-delayed issues from the hurricanes coming to the fore now as well. Wait and see how things are after the Blackhawks two games and one Wings game between the 24th and 28th before saying they are falling.
Every team seems like they are playing a 1-3-1 zero-deep-forechecker system against the Lightning in the neutral zone when they break out cleanly. A big problem with the Lightning's breakouts is that they are predictable and always reverse and go behind the net at the first whiff of pressure (not a good strategy with Nick Perbix back there), and teams are onto it, as a result they are too slow getting out of their zone (not an issue when they were dominant a couple years ago), the other team just has to have one forechecker pressuring in order to load up in the neutral zone defensively. Almost all of the goals the Lightning are giving up are off turnovers, either on the sloppy backwards breakouts or trying to force the play through the wall of defenders in the neutral zone.
I think the east is in a transition where the older teams (Boston, TB, FLA, TML) are getting replaced (albeit at variable pace), by the younger teams over the next 1-5 yrs. The parity is a sign that we are transitioning where the younger teams have improved and approaching the older teams talent
This team has such a high ceiling when the top guys are going as shown by the last month or so, but when the best players aren’t scoring. Nobody else is there to pick up the slack. The lightning could really use another productive middle six forward. Our 4th line is incapable of scoring and Chaffee, goncalves, Atkinson, and although he gets a ton of chances Connor Geekie all really struggle to put the puck in the net. For my sanity we need another solid bottom pairing defenseman to save us from experiencing the Lilleberg Perbix pair
And Eyssimont. I love his forecheck and grit, I just wish he were a more accurate passer and could put the puck in the net now and again for all his hard work.
The kings and Sharks games were weird where they played pretty damn well but those two teams also played incredibly well to the point where the gamesw were 50-50
The Eastern conference is vicious this year. It is possible a team will make the playoffs with less than 90 points. No team can afford a losing streak, I can't believe I am saying this but I will be cheering for Boston.
As a Tampa fan I'm not really that concerned they really haven't been playing bad And I have faith in the coaching and leadership of this team. I have faith Cooper will shake things up and get the boys playing better. I would be amazed if they didn't make the playoffs.
I see the last four games as hilarious head scratchers. I say that because, the lightning out shoot all these teams somehow these medicore goalies somehow went beast mode the entire game especially Kamper.
They have 5 goals for in their last 4 games while still being 1st in goals for per game in the league. Im not too scared about it, you can’t go from the best to the worst that quick.
It's simple, Lightning have one of the best top5 (maybe top6 with Paul) forwards in NHL and one of the worst bottom 6 in NHL. Top6 can't score, and somehow the team who has the best offense in the league (around 4 goals per game) can't score. For Lightning top6 forward before trade deadline is MUST HAVE. Otherwise Kucherov will get double shifts again as we've seen before. Defense is great except for Lilleberg-Perbix line. If they can find (and afford) to get bottom pair d-man, that would be awesome.
I think lightning will be ok, ducks and sharks are a lil better then people give them credit for. Also the break might of threw them off, and then also being on road doesn’t help either coming all the way from Florida. Not a lightning fan but man that team is fun to watch!
The goaltending numbers from the California teams vs both the Lightning and the Devils says it all. The teams all played hard and the goaltenders played great, tough to beat even the 'worst' teams on paper when they're being backstopped to a .970.
I predicted at the beginning of the season that Tampa would barely miss out on the the playoffs - as in it would come down to the last couple games of the season. While we are still quite a ways off from that point, should it come to pass, we can look back on this stretch of games as the tipping point. I desperately want to be wrong, though.
Its weird that to me that other Tampa fans think our bottom 6 is that bad. I don't think there's a team in the league that has a bottom 6 that has a PPG player that's played all season, but for some reason all Tampa fans think that's what they should be doing. We will never be able to replace the productivness of the bottom 6 from our 2 cup wins. Those lines were unbelievably good, and the depth that season was unrealistic.
I wouldn't be too concerned for Tampa. A 4 game losing streak isn't good, but it's just 4 games. Plus, two of those losses are to pretty hot teams in Montreal and LA. They've got several games in hand over everyone around them in the standings. They'll be fine as long as this streak doesn't get silly.
Meh, not worried a bit. They've got games on hand against BOS and PIT, and don't want the President's Trophy. They'll be fine when the playoffs come around, and nobody will want to play them in the 1st round!
@@SvanMagic yes but they are quite depleted compared to years past and its kind of understandable at why it would given all the depth they've lost the last 2-4 years and ofc losing their franchise icon last summer has i think had their mental effects on those still there and they're still trying to turn the pages into the new reality
Don’t worry- they play Carolina today, and Carolina won last game which means they’ll take the night off tonight. If you want a good team to play when struggling so you can bounce back in resounding fashion, Carolina is it. TBL 8 - CAR 0 tonight, calling it
Still surprised that Tampa keeps Jonas Johansson as 2nd goaltender, but he’s far from being the main reason the Lightning dropped a few games this season. No top dogs are underperforming, but the drop in stats is steep once you get passed Nick Paul in the forward group, i expected a lot more from Atkinson and Geekie, as for the rest of the bottom you guys can’t expect much from that little of the budget left. Maybe if you guys were slightly better at development or if you prioritized guys like Barre-Boulet over goons back in the days, kid was scorching the AHL but the longest stint he got was 36 games in Tampa.
as a tampa fan i gotta say it’s been frustrating watching the bottom six contribute almost absolutely nothing offensively, if the bolts want to be true contenders they must find a way to get more out of those guys whether it be through trade or lineup changes. also lilleberg-perbix is an AHL pairing. i expect tampa to have a huge deadline
they have lost a lot of depth recently obviously guys like maroon, perry, colton, killorn, palat, namestnikov, gourde, paquette, goodrow, callahan, girardi, stralman, etc all had such crucial roles in those long playoff runs in years past and it's been difficult for them to find suitable replacements for their previous roles. Ofc losing their franchise icon and savior Stamkos last summer has taken its toll on them mentally as well but their top 6 is still decent it is the bottom 6 that is problematic.
The Bolts and Bruins are WEAK SAUCE this year. Boston might miss playoffs. Leafs in FIRM control of the Atlantic and the East in general. Tampa and Boston are no longer a threat
I think Shannon if You wanted to show the real problem of this team, you had to talk about depth scoring. Because top guys are not a problem. The problem is the gap between top6 and bottom6.
Bottom six won't cause them to fall out of the playoffs. www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/tampa-bay-lightning/line-combinations Nick Paul is a pretty good third line center. There are good players in that bottom six.
Moser being out has stunk, but the D overall has been decent and JoJo has really stepped up his play. Vasy has looked back to his old self. This recent skid looks more like a speed bump than a trend. The last 3 games, Moneypuck had Tampa firmly on the deserve to win side.
Ottawa, Detroit, Jersey, and now Tampa all had a very rough trip in California. The hilarious thing is that Buffalo of all teams managed to sweep their own CA trip 🤷
Just Buffalo things
Tbh I kinda figured the lighting would struggle to score at some point this year. They were shooting ridiculously well for a while. I think the break kinda threw them off. Only a matter of time before they find the scoring again imo.
Their defense and goaltending still continue to look really good. This recent 4 game stretch they just cannot put the puck in the back of the net lol. That would be the last thing I’d think this team struggles with, so the level of concern isn’t extremely high atm
I'm right there with you. I'm not too concerned rn. It's just the ebb and flow of the season.
Their third d pair is abysmal
@bhags38 once moser is back I think the d pairs will be more balanced and lilleberg and perbix will do solid
Looking forward to Moser coming back - and perhaps picking up a winger at the trade deadline.
Moser being out has stunk, but the D overall has been decent and JoJo has really stepped up his play. Vasy has looked back to his old self. This recent skid looks more like a speed bump than a trend. The last 3 games, Moneypuck had Tampa firmly on the deserve to win side.
The Lightning have the best goal differential in the Atlantic Division and 4th best in the NHL. Tough recent stretch, but it happens to every team. Interested to see if they can make a playoff run this year.
Tampa fan. Not worried. Scoring has always been this teams strong suit and defense is miles better than last year. They'll pick it back up.
Thanks for the video! Good info, details, and insights!
Vasilevskiy and EVEN JOJO are playing some of their BEST hockey and all of a sudden they are slipping. Weird times
remember when that sabres reporter called johansson the worst goalie in history? i can't not think of that whenever i see his name
@ Grubauer is the worst backup goalie in the league besides knight
As a Kings fan the lightning were the best team I’ve seen this season on Saturday. They looked like the Soviet Union red army team. Then again, I think this Kings team is fools gold. We are all being played.
Keumper posting a .970 helped a lot.
Seems like it’s a combo: they overlooked Montréal ahead of the road-trip to the West Coast, got snakebit, then ran into some hot goalies and defenses. But they might have had time-delayed issues from the hurricanes coming to the fore now as well.
Wait and see how things are after the Blackhawks two games and one Wings game between the 24th and 28th before saying they are falling.
Not really worried. Still multiple games played behind everyone else. Still being in a playoff spot with that isn’t that worrying
Not to mention for whatever reason Tampa usually has a bit of a slump around the new year
@@TheJerseyNinjahappens every year like clockwork
Every team seems like they are playing a 1-3-1 zero-deep-forechecker system against the Lightning in the neutral zone when they break out cleanly. A big problem with the Lightning's breakouts is that they are predictable and always reverse and go behind the net at the first whiff of pressure (not a good strategy with Nick Perbix back there), and teams are onto it, as a result they are too slow getting out of their zone (not an issue when they were dominant a couple years ago), the other team just has to have one forechecker pressuring in order to load up in the neutral zone defensively. Almost all of the goals the Lightning are giving up are off turnovers, either on the sloppy backwards breakouts or trying to force the play through the wall of defenders in the neutral zone.
they still have the puck a lot, even against possesion doominant teams, most of the goals are turnovers in the neutral or O zone and bad rush defense.
I think the east is in a transition where the older teams (Boston, TB, FLA, TML) are getting replaced (albeit at variable pace), by the younger teams over the next 1-5 yrs. The parity is a sign that we are transitioning where the younger teams have improved and approaching the older teams talent
lol by Ottawa and Columbus or Montreal I needed a laugh
Tampa was lights out before these 4 games. Lots of games in hand. No issues seen.
This team has such a high ceiling when the top guys are going as shown by the last month or so, but when the best players aren’t scoring. Nobody else is there to pick up the slack. The lightning could really use another productive middle six forward. Our 4th line is incapable of scoring and Chaffee, goncalves, Atkinson, and although he gets a ton of chances Connor Geekie all really struggle to put the puck in the net. For my sanity we need another solid bottom pairing defenseman to save us from experiencing the Lilleberg Perbix pair
And Eyssimont. I love his forecheck and grit, I just wish he were a more accurate passer and could put the puck in the net now and again for all his hard work.
Not a fan of Essymont.
@@robertr997 You're not really going to find a better bottom six winger with his skillset for what they're paying him.
The kings and Sharks games were weird where they played pretty damn well but those two teams also played incredibly well to the point where the gamesw were 50-50
Thats quite a set of teams to have a losing streak against
The Eastern conference is vicious this year. It is possible a team will make the playoffs with less than 90 points. No team can afford a losing streak,
I can't believe I am saying this but I will be cheering for Boston.
As a Tampa fan I'm not really that concerned they really haven't been playing bad And I have faith in the coaching and leadership of this team. I have faith Cooper will shake things up and get the boys playing better. I would be amazed if they didn't make the playoffs.
great dive brother
I see the last four games as hilarious head scratchers. I say that because, the lightning out shoot all these teams somehow these medicore goalies somehow went beast mode the entire game especially Kamper.
Considering three of those goals in California two of them were by defenseman so yeah I'm a bit concerned but they should get their mojo back
It was insane how close theyve been to a divisional spot most of the season with 3-6 games in hand on every team all season
If they had won any of the last 4 they would have jumped Boston until the Bruins got a point yesterday (Boston has also lost 4 in a row)
The Hurricane gave them all those games in hand for those who don’t know. It was not the NHL schedule.
@@alexschannel8636 ya seems like everyone in that race wins and losses at the same time
@@robertr997 only one game was delayed, they would still only have 38 games played had the hurricanes not happened
Sign of a problem that needs some line mixing imo. Worried we're gonna lose the next 6 of 7
They have 5 goals for in their last 4 games while still being 1st in goals for per game in the league. Im not too scared about it, you can’t go from the best to the worst that quick.
Youre not saying theyre in any kinda trouble YEAH BUT IT CERTAINLY FEELS LIKE IT😂
It's simple, Lightning have one of the best top5 (maybe top6 with Paul) forwards in NHL and one of the worst bottom 6 in NHL. Top6 can't score, and somehow the team who has the best offense in the league (around 4 goals per game) can't score.
For Lightning top6 forward before trade deadline is MUST HAVE. Otherwise Kucherov will get double shifts again as we've seen before.
Defense is great except for Lilleberg-Perbix line. If they can find (and afford) to get bottom pair d-man, that would be awesome.
JJ Moser is on LTIR, he's solid top 4
You should do a video on how the Wild has a historic road record going.
I think lightning will be ok, ducks and sharks are a lil better then people give them credit for. Also the break might of threw them off, and then also being on road doesn’t help either coming all the way from Florida. Not a lightning fan but man that team is fun to watch!
The goaltending numbers from the California teams vs both the Lightning and the Devils says it all. The teams all played hard and the goaltenders played great, tough to beat even the 'worst' teams on paper when they're being backstopped to a .970.
"One of the victims of the habs" best THG quote ever
I think they overtake the Bruins as the season goes on. I think Boston is only ahead because of their coach bump, they've settled back in now.
NJD also
Why does Tampa have so many games in hand vs the rest of the league ? Found it a bit odd.
Hurricane
Also the schedule makers for the NHL have been hooked on crack for the past few years.
Games were cancelled due to hurricanes earlier in the year.
It's been a while since the wild card races have been this close with so many teams. Any of the 8 teams could realistically make it
"Aw."
-Redwings fans
I predicted at the beginning of the season that Tampa would barely miss out on the the playoffs - as in it would come down to the last couple games of the season. While we are still quite a ways off from that point, should it come to pass, we can look back on this stretch of games as the tipping point. I desperately want to be wrong, though.
the top six is maybe the best in the league, i doubt they miss
The sound volume is so low
You left off the islanders from the standings list which I’m sure was done intentional
I ran out of room.
@ my life is complete the man the myth the legend, The Hockey Guy relied to me
East is having a mid-off. So many teams around 0.500 right now.
Its weird that to me that other Tampa fans think our bottom 6 is that bad. I don't think there's a team in the league that has a bottom 6 that has a PPG player that's played all season, but for some reason all Tampa fans think that's what they should be doing. We will never be able to replace the productivness of the bottom 6 from our 2 cup wins. Those lines were unbelievably good, and the depth that season was unrealistic.
W last night
You know ducks and sharks you guys are alright sometimes.
I wouldn't be too concerned for Tampa. A 4 game losing streak isn't good, but it's just 4 games. Plus, two of those losses are to pretty hot teams in Montreal and LA. They've got several games in hand over everyone around them in the standings. They'll be fine as long as this streak doesn't get silly.
Meh, not worried a bit. They've got games on hand against BOS and PIT, and don't want the President's Trophy. They'll be fine when the playoffs come around, and nobody will want to play them in the 1st round!
About time the Bolts struggle 🤣🤣
Don't get used to it. They're still a good team
Fr
@@SvanMagic yes but they are quite depleted compared to years past and its kind of understandable at why it would given all the depth they've lost the last 2-4 years and ofc losing their franchise icon last summer has i think had their mental effects on those still there and they're still trying to turn the pages into the new reality
@@ethanparker7900 way better this year than last year, depth wise.
And they can improve at the deadline to grab more depth.
Hiccup
Marner is the best 2-way forward in the game ...well above Cerelli
Don’t worry- they play Carolina today, and Carolina won last game which means they’ll take the night off tonight.
If you want a good team to play when struggling so you can bounce back in resounding fashion, Carolina is it.
TBL 8 - CAR 0 tonight, calling it
Still surprised that Tampa keeps Jonas Johansson as 2nd goaltender, but he’s far from being the main reason the Lightning dropped a few games this season.
No top dogs are underperforming, but the drop in stats is steep once you get passed Nick Paul in the forward group, i expected a lot more from Atkinson and Geekie, as for the rest of the bottom you guys can’t expect much from that little of the budget left.
Maybe if you guys were slightly better at development or if you prioritized guys like Barre-Boulet over goons back in the days, kid was scorching the AHL but the longest stint he got was 36 games in Tampa.
as a tampa fan i gotta say it’s been frustrating watching the bottom six contribute almost absolutely nothing offensively, if the bolts want to be true contenders they must find a way to get more out of those guys whether it be through trade or lineup changes.
also lilleberg-perbix is an AHL pairing. i expect tampa to have a huge deadline
they have lost a lot of depth recently obviously guys like maroon, perry, colton, killorn, palat, namestnikov, gourde, paquette, goodrow, callahan, girardi, stralman, etc all had such crucial roles in those long playoff runs in years past and it's been difficult for them to find suitable replacements for their previous roles. Ofc losing their franchise icon and savior Stamkos last summer has taken its toll on them mentally as well but their top 6 is still decent it is the bottom 6 that is problematic.
@@ethanparker7900 the top six is probably top 3 in the league, its the bottom six that drags them down even if they're solid defensively.
@@isamarchambers exactly yes it's kind of like an identity crisis you could say cause a part of the team is top tier while the other part is mediocre
The Bolts and Bruins are WEAK SAUCE this year. Boston might miss playoffs. Leafs in FIRM control of the Atlantic and the East in general. Tampa and Boston are no longer a threat
I think Shannon if You wanted to show the real problem of this team, you had to talk about depth scoring. Because top guys are not a problem. The problem is the gap between top6 and bottom6.
Bottom six won't cause them to fall out of the playoffs. www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/tampa-bay-lightning/line-combinations
Nick Paul is a pretty good third line center. There are good players in that bottom six.
Last 10 games-top 6 has 14 goals, and bottom 6 had 7. It's not that bad
Moser being out has stunk, but the D overall has been decent and JoJo has really stepped up his play. Vasy has looked back to his old self. This recent skid looks more like a speed bump than a trend. The last 3 games, Moneypuck had Tampa firmly on the deserve to win side.