**OFFICIAL 2019-2020 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL Season Thread**

[Alpha]

Nice win.

The parity in the league is amazing. The Bolts are in a real fight. Sure...some teams are gonna slide but the Panthers are NOT one of them. With Quinville and Bob...they are for real. OTT is playing well. MON. BUF. NYI are on FIRE. WAS. PIT.

There are no easy games.

The defense is starting to gel. Stammer AND Kuch injured...and we still put up a 4 spot. Not bad.

This is gonna get good. All season.

[Alpha]

Outplayed ALL NIGHT. That said:

Vasy is back.

PK is coming around.

PP is still fire...even without Stammer.

Tonight they did what they should do against a struggling team.

Next 3: BUF. StL. WAS. The 2 top (points) teams in the NHL.

I think the D is starting to gel, finally. The next 3 games will give us a clue as to where we really are in terms of "league standing". Win 2 of 3. We're near the top. Lose 2 of 3...and we have problems. In a league where parity is a REAL thing...this matters.

[Jason Bourne]

Wow 2 shorties in 49 seconds for the lightning ...

[Rocker]

Wow 2 shorties in 49 seconds for the lightning ...

:blink:

[Alpha]

Another nice win against a struggling team.

This team is DEEP. Especially on defense. Shattenkirk has added an offensive element that might really help down the stretch. I'll have to look at the numbers but scoring really seems to be evenly spread among all 4 lines. It also looks like Sergachev is taking notes on putting shots ON NET, from the point.

I guess we'll see how it goes. I really wouldn't mind the Bolts being a 4/5 seed come playoff time. Funny how I'm just wanting the season to end so we can get to the REAL season.

FLA, in my view is the team that won't fade. BUF and MON don't concern me. FLA is gonna be a tough out in the playoffs.

TOR is a team to keep an eye on, as well. There's a LOT of **** coming out about Babcock's time there. A new coach could help them realize their potential. I don't like their defense but they should be able to out-score most teams consistently. Especially when Marner comes back.

[Phantom Phenom]

Yeah... every time the Lightning win. G- string is nowhere to be found.


Keep that way


Go Bolts

[SixStringSamurai]

This team can’t close out games...it’s almost December and for every step they take they take 2 steps back.

[Alpha]

Been out of town for the Holiday. I come back and see G-string has the last comment in the thread. I immediately thought that there was some positivity and encouragement coming!

No. Not really.

Here's the deal:

RIGHT NOW, this is a slightly (very slightly) above a middling team. This is just a fact. You are what your record says you are! (copywrite Denny Green)

Honestly...I'm not sure what to think. I prefer accentuating the positives (improving defensive play, more balanced scoring, Palat playing like a rookie again) but one simple deficiency can't be over-looked.

Vasy is playing like a league-average goalie and has been all year. And I'm not sure why. There is seemingly no reason for it. He has yet to "win a game". To take it on his shoulders and make a stop that wins us a game that we really had no business winning.

The team is actually playing quite well...and the advanced metrics back this up. Even in both losses to St. Louis and Washington...they're preforming well enough to win those games. Every once in a while, you need your goalie to be your best player and THIS YEAR...Vasy has yet to be that player. We are actually losing games that we could and even SHOULD be winning.

Tonight, it's the PK. Well guess what? Your best penalty killer is your GOALIE. Last game against StL...we have a double minor. We kill the penalty for 90 seconds. You NEED your goalie to step up. And Vasy was a no-show. GWG for StL.

The good news is that the mediocre teams are starting to fall back (BUF/MON, et. al.) while the Bolts are just "hanging around". Neither falling back OR making a move up. I really think they are gonna get it together soon and really start to ramp it up.

BUT ...if Vasy isn't the main part of that...then this is what we're gonna get. Even WITH Vasy playing like JAG...this team is talented enough to win more than they lose. They're STILL a playoff team...and IF they're playing a lot better in March than they are NOW? I'll be ok with that and today will look like 5 years ago...

[SixStringSamurai]

Encouragement? No, this team knows what it’s capable of and can’t get it done. The roster really hasn’t changed all that much but we can’t offense, we can’t defense and the goalie is looking subpar.

Maybe losing a bunch in the first half is a good thing.

[SixStringSamurai]

All I know is this team is talented...So, uh lets go.

[Buc2]

They just need more time.

[Alpha]

Encouragement? No...

I'm not surprised I have to spell this out for you but that was...wait for it...


























Sarcasm.






Look it up. It'll be next to "Douchbag", accompanied by your picture.

[Phantom Phenom]

Predators held Lightning to ONE SHOT 5 mins power play


ONE ****ing SHOT?!?!

[Alpha]

Predators held Lightning to ONE SHOT 5 mins power play


ONE ****ing SHOT?!?!

This was one FUCKED UP game by the Bolts.

The defense was outstanding. Something that's been over-looked this year is how good the D has been. They seem to be gelling quite well. Even WITH the rotation.

I'm not sure what's going on here. I think we need...and the Bolts need...to lay an ass-whipping on someone. They seem to play exactly as well as the opponent they're playing. This has led to a LOT of 1 point games recently. Mostly losses. Tonight. A win.

One thing to keep in mind is the QUALITY of opponents recently.

It's December. Time to make hay...or **** the bed. By the end of the month, we should know where this team stands. We have so many games in hand, we SHOULD be in 2nd within a couple of weeks. If we are where we are NOW...there's a problem.

[Alpha]

Callahan was on NHL Tonight earlier and he had an interesting insight into the Bolts start:

He said (paraphrasing) that the Lightning were implementing a new style of play. More defensive minded. More playoff oriented. And that their early-season sluggishness was due to their learning how to play this way. he feels that they're fine and as good as they've always been and that, come playoff time, they'll be the better for it.

He also described Stamkos as a "lead by example" Captain and had some really glowing things to say about his work ethic. (First one on, last one off).

[Phantom Phenom]

Damn. Bad game by Vasky

[Alpha]

Damn. Bad game by Vasky

Hardly.

The D hung him out to dry.

He didn't help but the D fucked him hard. Seriously...4 of their goals were shots taken from the slot, UNCONTESTED. What do you expect him to do? Sure...it would've been nice for him to make a great save but FML...most were point blank shots!

Maybe this is who we are? Just a mediocre team. A 90 point, miss the playoffs, team.

I guess we'll see. I don't believe we are but the results are what they are.

[Alpha]

Hard to figure out this team. It APPEARS as if they're trying to figure out a way to play a tighter, more defense-oriented, "playoff-type" game.

And it appears as if they're struggling to do so.

Not sure how this goes. The funny part is that they appear to be a more talented team than last year. Across the board. Yet they seem to struggle mightily during stretches...like they're still trying to figure it out.

Look at how many 1-goal games they've lost thus far. 6. 7?

Why does this feel like the team from a few years ago that missed the playoffs by 1 point?

[Phantom Phenom]

Islanders tonight.

Let go Lightning