GDT: 2/27/24 - 7:00PM EDT - Tampa Bay @ Philadelphia

[LightningStrikes]

Detroit beating Washington 8-3 with 4:30 left

Vegas beating Toronto 4-1 with 5:30 left

NJ also won. The wild card race is getting tight.

 

[Antiramie]

None of that matters if they fail to make the playoffs. 8th seed facing the Panthers will not be a very good result with the mess that this team is in. Sugarcaot everything if you want.

How is saying I doubt we'll make the playoffs or do jack shit if we make it in sugarcoating anything?

 

[Antiramie]

I think you're spot on but nobody envisioned Serge getting hurt like he did.

If we have a chance to make a trade for someone like Hanifin for say Cirelli + Perbix or something like that. I think you do it.

If Serge was healthy then yeah stand pat, but there is an opportunity here that I think could benefit the team going ahead.

I say Cirelli because I think he was given that contract with the hope that he would step up and contribute more offensivley, which hasn't happened. I love

him as a player but if we could somehow trade that contract while gaining a player like Hanifin, how do you not do that?


Of course this is all just speculation. If it turns out we were never in the running for him I wouldn't be surprised either.

I don't think there's a chance in hell we can get Hanifin for that return, and that's coming from someone who's higher on Cirelli than most. I still think he's being slept on some. He's our 4th best forward in ES scoring per 60, and he's had to deal with Stammer as a linemate for a chunk of the season. Maybe GMs think more of him than most of our fans though.

For their respective contracts, I think I'd rather keep Cirelli over Cernak. I think Cirelli still has room for growth, and Cernak has peaked...not to mention the ongoing injury concerns. I don't know if I'd be actively shopping the latter, but if I could get a solid return for him, I would definitely consider it.

 

[Sky04]

If he's still injured why are we riding him to death?

You can't have it both ways.

Don't try to use logic

 

[Stammertime91]

I don't think there's a chance in hell we can get Hanifin for that return, and that's coming from someone who's higher on Cirelli than most. I still think he's being slept on some. He's our 4th best forward in ES scoring per 60, and he's had to deal with Stammer as a linemate for a chunk of the season. Maybe GMs think more of him than most of our fans though.

For their respective contracts, I think I'd rather keep Cirelli over Cernak. I think Cirelli still has room for growth, and Cernak has peaked...not to mention the ongoing injury concerns. I don't know if I'd be actively shopping the latter, but if I could get a solid return for him, I would definitely consider it.

Can't believe there's still 7 years left on those contracts. What an oof.

 

[FinnLightning26]

What a god awful performance again by Vasy. Quit watching after that fourth goal but all were very stoppable, especially for a supposed best goaltender in the world. At least two of them were soft as f***.

This team heads to the right direction for a couple of games and then it just always unravels like this. We've definitely lost some of that leadership that made us so good and the current crop of leaders on this team aren't good enough.

 

[T REX]

It’s time to play JJ a bit more again maybe. Cooper needs to stop treating Vasi like an entitled divorce child. Play like shit? Sit one out or two and work out your demons.

boom

 

[Stammertime91]

What a god awful performance again by Vasy. Quit watching after that fourth goal but all were very stoppable, especially for a supposed best goaltender in the world. At least two of them were soft as f***.

This team heads to the right direction for a couple of games and then it just always unravels like this. We've definitely lost some of that leadership that made us so good and the current crop of leaders on this team aren't good enough.

Agreed. We reverted back to the core that couldn't get it done. Idk what goes on in there but the guys we lost certainly are missed.

 

[Rschmitz]

I think I would still rather have Vasy in net than JJ but the fact that it’s even debatable is horrible

 

[Hockeyville USA]

I know the game is mostly Vasilevskiy's fault, but it was the first game in awhile where Glendening, Chaffee, Eyssimont, & Motte looked actively bad. Shows that teams with a much more aggressive forecheck, with speed, can pin us down for most of a game.

 

[Tampa22]

The last games, even winning, we played extremely soft. Players don't seem to be interested in skate hard and make hits. No forecheck and a defense like cotton, expect something from Cernak if he's not injured.

 

[RussianGuyovich]

Looks bad, OP

 

[T REX]

Don't try use logic

It's not just on here but everywhere. I read about how he's still injured or recovering from his back surgery.

Then why are we playing him so much? Our local press folks are weak as hell and never ask any hard questions.

 

[Tampa22]

Our local press folks are weak as hell and never ask any hard questions.

A problem since I follow the Lightning. I always wonder why not even a hard question in those difficult times before 2000 or now if something doesn't work.

 

[aylib]

It's not just on here but everywhere. I read about how he's still injured or recovering from his back surgery.

Then why are we playing him so much? Our local press folks are weak as hell and never ask any hard questions.

He let in a ton of first shots during Tor series on the playoffs, he was definitely off and looking like his current, lost self. I’m sure surgery didn’t help, but this downside started prior to surgery.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

He let in a ton of first shots during Tor series on the playoffs, he was definitely off and looking like his current, lost self. I’m sure surgery didn’t help, but this downside started prior to surgery.

He played through injury, which is his fault for not communicating that he was hurt, and BriseBois's (and previously Yzerman/Al Murray) fault for not solving the backup goaltender problem with a reliable option far sooner so Vasilevskiy wouldn't have to play as much. Even when Johansson is decent, the problem is still there, as Alnefelt is teetering on bust/AAAA/back to European Pro territory now and there's nothing else that is promising in the pool in terms of goaltending.

 

[aylib]

He played through injury, which is his fault for not communicating that he was hurt, and BriseBois's (and previously Yzerman/Al Murray) fault for not solving the backup goaltender problem with a reliable option far sooner so Vasilevskiy wouldn't have to play as much. Even when Johansson is decent, the problem is still there, as Alnefelt is teetering on bust/AAAA/back to European Pro territory now and there's nothing else that is promising in the pool in terms of goaltending.

What was the injury and when did it happen?

 

[Hockeyville USA]

What was the injury and when did it happen?

Back injury, unsure when it started

 

[aylib]

Back injury, unsure when it started

I thought there was no injury until he hurt himself in the gym this offseason.

 

[Sky04]

Back injury, unsure when it started

It is unclear how Vasilevskiy initially sustained a herniated disc in his lower back, but it happened in August well before training camp started. Initially, an injection alleviated the issue, but Vasilevskiy felt pain again during his first practice of camp; a second injection, treatment and rest didn’t work.
The microdiscectomy procedure Vasilevskiy had on Sept. 28 is a minimally invasive surgery that removes the portion of the disc that is putting pressure on the nerves and generally, the disc itself remains largely intact.

“We have a lot of athletes with microdiscectomies who are in major professional sports who have gone back doing what they do, but then unfortunately, it is genetics to a large extent that ultimately will determine, and his disc, just where that will go,” Anand said. “Being a goalie, the load on the spine from squatting up and down is tremendous and actually even more than your regular hockey player.

“But he’s a professional athlete and extremely gifted and motivated and he can get back to normal. I feel confident that, as long as the surgery went well, he can get back to where he is and get back to the level he was at, as most professional athletes do.”

 

[RussianGuyovich]

Wow lots of people here that watch hockey but don’t understand toxic hockey culture.

do people actually think that vasy would tell coaches and players that he's too hurt to go? new levels of understanding my posting crew here. incredible.

 

[Sky04]

Add hockey culture as to why Vasi sucks this year to the list.

Got it. Incredible.

 

[RussianGuyovich]

sky has trouble parsing a post. news at 6

 

[Flat Ronnie]

Wow lots of people here that watch hockey but don’t understand toxic hockey culture.

do people actually think that vasy would tell coaches and players that he's too hurt to go? new levels of understanding my posting crew here. incredible.

A players not letting his coaches know how hurt he actually is has nothing to do with "hockey culture." LOL

Thats EVERY professional sport.

 

[Byrddog]

A players not letting his coaches know how hurt he actually is has nothing to do with "hockey culture." LOL

Thats EVERY professional sport.

Mmmmm don’t know bout that. If a MLB player has gas they are on the IR for a month.