Where does Tampa go from here?

[illpucks]

I mean what if MTL beat Washington and won 8th place?

 

[phillyb]

It's the same question, people used to ask about Washington...

Congratulations to the 2024 Stanley Cup Winners, the Tampa Bay Lightning.

 

[SlickHands]

Tampa fans need to dial it down. Here's a quick tip, look through the list of President's Trophy winners. Most of them don't win the cup, but it is usually a signal that they are in their "window" and close to making it happen (even if getting close is the only thing that happens, ahem, Vancouver).

And Tampa still has several very strong pieces that will continue to be very strong pieces going forward. Definitely need to take a long look at the black box from this series and learn from it, but still a very formidable team going forward. The worst thing they could do is overreact and try to overly change the core.

 

[Kshahdoo]

Congratulations to the 2024 Stanley Cup Winners, the Tampa Bay Lightning.

I think, it will happen sooner.

 

[haveandare]

Fire Cooper but don't make any drastic overreactionary blow up moves. Everyone thought the Caps window slammed shut after they lost to the Penguins twice as the PT winners. They were rewarded for their patience.

Tampa IMO has to cut their dead weight and get better defensive depth and make moves like the islanders did with Komarov and Martin so they're hard to play against and not so one-dimensional.

Yeah I agree. Coach has to go because he’s clearly incapable of getting them ready to play in big games, or having any response to a team playing smothering hockey.

Roster wise lose people like Miller who are totally undependable and careless with the puck. Add a few big guys who are pains to play against.

Stamkos... I don’t know. He’s been really bad off the pp in the playoffs for a long time. Doesn’t help having one if your top guys be like that

 

[CallMeShaft]

Good teams can have an off week or two. They are still a good team and it'd be a mistake to make any major shakeups over a handful of games.

They need to get healthy and get pissed off. Come back with a vengeance for the 2020 playoffs.

 

[pb1300]

They reboot and try again, with a few tweaks in the off-season. And maybe not try to get to achieve irrelevant regular season records, instead of getting ready for the postseason.

 

[the_fan]

I said it all along, if you want the cup, stay away from the president's trophy, that thing is a curse

 

[The Shovel Penguin]

They don't have to reinvent the wheel. Make a few tweaks and do well enough to have a decent seed in the playoffs but hopefully not have a President's Trophy monkey on their back the next time around. Seems to me that most teams that win the President's Trophy struggle with the pressure and expectations that come with it.

 

[KCC]

The players on Tampa didn't want to play tough, gritty hockey. No wonder they lost. Gotta add more grit.

 

[Matty Sundin]

There about to enter cap hell. I honestly think the window was now ans they blew it

 

[FinnLightning26]

Tampa fans need to dial it down. Here's a quick tip, look through the list of President's Trophy winners. Most of them don't win the cup, but it is usually a signal that they are in their "window" and close to making it happen (even if getting close is the only thing that happens, ahem, Vancouver).

And Tampa still has several very strong pieces that will continue to be very strong pieces going forward. Definitely need to take a long look at the black box from this series and learn from it, but still a very formidable team going forward. The worst thing they could do is overreact and try to overly change the core.

The history of choking doesn't start with this series. We led 2016 and 2018 conference finals 3-2 and couldn't get it done. Last year we were shut out in two straight games after we went up 3-2. Our window is not opening just now. It's been open for a while now and soon it will be closing like every other teams' window has closed and we have nothing to show for it.

 

[SlickHands]

The history of choking doesn't start with this series. We led 2016 and 2018 conference finals 3-2 and couldn't get it done. Last year we were shut out in two straight games after we went up 3-2. Our window is not opening just now. It's been open for a while now and soon it will be closing like every other teams' window has closed and we have nothing to show for it.

Keep in mind, my perspective is one of someone who grew up watching the late 80s early 90s Wings. What you've experienced doesn't begin to compare to how many "this is finally IT" type moments the Wings blew. I don't disagree that you need some changes, but I would extremely caution against major changes unless they undeniably make you better. Everyone will spend the next calendar year saying nothing you do matters until the playoffs (which isn't necessary wrong), but now's the time you'll see whether or not your team responds. Kucherov and the younger guys have never faced this type of adversity. They've gone deep every time they've been in it. Now they need to learn not to take a single round off. It took a while for the Wings to learn that lesson, same with the Caps, and same with a number of really good teams.

 

[txpd]

Their challenge is to deal with the heartbreak and the embarrassment and then the pressure of the next playoffs. Its mostly mental. They cracked under pressure here. A fresh coach that can rebuild their self respect is what they need.

Some minor tweaking to the roster with playoffs in mind. Nothing more

 

[rocketdan9]

Trade Stamkos and fire Cooper

 

[The List Of Jericho]

They're roster still looks like an all-star team. So just stick to the plan and try again next season.

Small changes as you go, when needed, and hope the story is different next time. But one crazy series doesn't mean large changes are needed.

Can’t really stick to the plan when they have to pay Point, Stralman etc and already have guys on huge cap hits. This was their best shot and they blew it.

 

[boredmale]

 

[Hoek]

If they get real hot again next regular season, they need to cool off and lose a few games so they still have to play meaningful hockey in March before the playoffs, lol.

 

[Bertuzzzi44]

Fire Cooper. Get a coach that never lets them get comfortable during the regular season and shakes lines when they start playing too well to keep them honest and working hard. You coach a team in the regular season to prepare them for the playoffs.

 

[c9777666]

Fire Cooper. Get a coach that never lets them get comfortable during the regular season and shakes lines when they start playing too well to keep them honest and working hard.

So they should hire a Mike Keenan-type?

 

[TSA0402]

If Nicklas Lidstrom went on LTIR Detroit would have won much less Stanley Cups, Hedman down was a huge loss. Kucherov being AWOL didn't help.

Point will improve in postseason.

Tampa has a really good team, they aren't old I don't understand why people are talking about destroying this team...

 

[Bertuzzzi44]

So they should hire a Mike Keenan-type?

Someone more like Darryl Sutter or John Tortorella.

 

[WingsFan95]

Rebuild. No seriously.

This is an all-time embarrassment. Fire everyone except Yzerman and restart.

Again, not kidding.

The Wings had bought more than enough leeway after 97-98 and then after 02. These Lightning have proven absolutely braindead. Garbage.

 

[LightningStorm]

Fire Cooper but don't make any drastic changes as our talent is the reason for our success. Time for new leadership at the head coaching position though.

 

[koyvoo]

Where does Tampa go from here?