GDT: 1/18/18 - 7:30PM EDT - Vegas vs Tampa Bay

[JoVel]

Well that sucked. The first game after the bye week is usually deadly though. Hopefully we improve from that. If we don't then this road trip could be ugly.

 

[Steazy Doo]

Well I guess we can assume that this game is over. We have been poor for the last few weeks.

-Vasy has been terrible,
-Defence has been shocking way to many turn overs from the team( this is around the 5 game where we have kept doing so.
-Killorn has been non existent.

Something needs to change, if that be either through trades or calling up some players from the crunch.

Have I missed anything else?!

The gap control from our defence was awful. Koekkoek was always in the wrong spot it seemed, Stralman had a rough go too. Just a really dumb game from the D.

 

[Fabiobest]

Bad loss...
See u saturday.

 

[Hint1k]

Vasy had a couple of soft goals, but taking into account how many HD chances our defense "created" for Vegas, I would not blame any goalie for this kind of loss. The whole team was bad from start to finish.

 

[JoVel]

Vasy had a couple of soft goals, but taking into account how many HD chances our defense "created" for Vegas, I would not blame any goalie for this kind of loss. The whole team was bad from start to finish.

I wouldn't blame the goalie for a loss if the team only scores one goal. Vasy wasn't good but he wasn't getting any help from either defense or offense.

 

[Hint1k]

I wouldn't blame the goalie for a loss if the team only scores one goal. Vasy wasn't good but he wasn't getting any help from either defense or offense.

Yep.

 

[Stormbreaker]

 

[TeslaCoilFan]

One of the few losses and the first truly crappy game I've attended this season.

Sloppy/stupid passing, shaky goalkeeping, erratic defense, faltering offense (1 PPG does not an offense make).

Hopefully Saturday will be better?

 

[LightningStrikes]

Is why I want Erne up here

But isn't Erne out injured currently (DTD)?

 

[FinnLightning26]

The suck is on.

 

[Maelmoor]

Sloppy/stupid passing, shaky goalkeeping, erratic defense, faltering offense (1 PPG does not an offense make).

Yeah the whole team was playing badly, from goaltending, defense to offense. They better pick it up, sucks to have two bad home games in a row, 2 goals scored in those and, what is it 9 goals allowed? Not good enough.

I agree that some call-ups could help to boost some energy.

 

[CupsOverCash]

Team better get going if they want to win the division. Boston is playing really good hockey right now. They could take our spot soon. I know there is still a lot of hockey to go and a lot could change. I just expect a better effort going forward, especially with Hedman down right now.

 

[The Macho King]

The gap control from our defence was awful. Koekkoek was always in the wrong spot it seemed, Stralman had a rough go too. Just a really dumb game from the D.

KK is always skating in the wrong direction. I just don't think he has the brains to be an NHL player.

 

[rangerrat]

The gap control from our defence was awful. Koekkoek was always in the wrong spot it seemed, Stralman had a rough go too. Just a really dumb game from the D.

I think the worse game of the year for Stralman, Sergy, Kk running around all nite out of position in our end! Wake up boys, time to step up in #77 absent!!

 

[The Macho King]

I think the worse game of the year for Stralman, Sergy, Kk running around all nite out of position in our end! Wake up boys, time to step up in #77 absent!!

Stralman has earned enough good will to write off a bad game. Sergachev is 19 years old and we're going to expect some growing pains, but he brings enough elsewhere that he's still a net positive in the lineup.

KK is fighting for his job, and his been a pro hockey player for like four seasons now. If we're not going to move him to wing, I'd just move him.

 

[These Are The Days]

I'm optimistic after knowing there was a players only meeting after the game. I'm not surprised we got laid out like that seeing as we're playing the first game after a bye week and our first time without Hedman. But the good news is that we can at least report that the team cared enough about their performance that they held a meeting. Historically we play well after we do that so I say look on the bright side for now.

It won't be time to panic until we lose the whole team to injuries or somehow pull the most astronomical choke job not seen since the Dodgers played in Brooklyn and we are ever so close to missing the playoffs entirely. In THIS division and the start we had to the season I'm not overly concerned.

Just as long as we screw our heads on straight and play no worse than. 500 I'm happy. I mean really, we've got bigger things to be upset about than not winning the President Trophy curse, Atlantic Division and probably drawing Pittsburgh in the process.

Let someone else deal with that crap. It's only the end of the world if we fall out of the playoffs completely. Otherwise we spiral out of control and quite likely draw the Leafs

 

[These Are The Days]

Remember Lightning fans, calm within the storm is the way to success and our team is unlikely to be any different because I think everyone knows by now that athletes don't play better when they're all psyched out.

I hope Girardi in particular had a chance to speak because he and all those Rangers have seen and been through adversity before and another voice of experience is helpful. Same for Kunitz

 

[CupsOverCash]

I think even with Hedman going down, I thought our worst stretch would be best to have between now and mid to late February. Hopefully we don't have one that long obviously or even one at all.

My point is that if we were to have it better now than later. Also it is a long season. Our division is at least pretty set on who will make the playoffs. At this point it is all about staying healthy and then playing our best when March and April roll around. It's not about who's playing best right now it's all about later. If we have a bad stretch now and before then I will be ok as long as we turn it on when it matters and then stays on.

 

[Brie]

This wasn't what I was hoping to hear when I woke up this morning. I hope that the meeting and what sounds like a really intense practice today will help them turn things around, especially since they all seem to want things to change, they now have to bring it out on the ice. Saturday is gojng to be interesting.

 

[J T Money]

All they have to do is make the playoffs and then we'll see what the team is really made of. They missed out last year and are adamant about making it in this year.

 

[RussianGuyovich]

KK is always skating in the wrong direction. I just don't think he has the brains to be an NHL player.

I’m not trying to change your mind on this, since everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but young defenseman take awhile to learn the game. Usually 300 games is the standard. You using the four seasons in your other comment is kind of disingenuous, since he hasn’t really gotten the games (he’s at 64 GP in the NHL). All our young defenseman have been bad at times, including the golden boy serge, but kk is the only one that hasn’t been given a real chance. Hasn’t been given the games. Hasn’t been given the ice time.

This is his chance, and he had a bad game, but so did the whole team.

We’ll see, but I’m not ready to cut him off

 

[Cmac66]

Read somewhere that the sens and another team were interested in taking SK, what would the return have been?!. Dotchin has been dreadful recently and it shows how bad he is when he doesn’t have Hedman. Cernak deserves a chance as does Erne, Peca and I would even consider calling volkov up some of the team have been nothing short of embarrassing. Have some tough games coming up.

 

[These Are The Days]

It's better we just hung on to Koekkoek. I struggle to think of a less valuable player that we have playing for us. I'm sorry but prospect or not the kid has played 64 career NHL games and the bulk of his defensive draft mates in the 1st round are well over 300 games played. Others drafted after him like Severson, Maata, Ceci and Parayko are better than 200 games played.

Late bloomer, draft bust, doesn't matter what you wanna call him. It's 5 1/2 years and all we've gotten is 4 goals and recent comments about a receding hair line because it's the biggest thing we have going on with him. If we had a potential trade it was probably for like a 6th round draft pick that we didn't need.

 

[Sky04]

Sens and Bruins made an offer on KK, there is interest I'd rather keep him if he can crack the top-6.

 

[HoseEmDown]

It's better we just hung on to Koekkoek. I struggle to think of a less valuable player that we have playing for us. I'm sorry but prospect or not the kid has played 64 career NHL games and the bulk of his defensive draft mates in the 1st round are well over 300 games played. Others drafted after him like Severson, Maata, Ceci and Parayko are better than 200 games played.

Late bloomer, draft bust, doesn't matter what you wanna call him. It's 5 1/2 years and all we've gotten is 4 goals and recent comments about a receding hair line because it's the biggest thing we have going on with him. If we had a potential trade it was probably for like a 6th round draft pick that we didn't need.

It's been 4 1/2 years and all we have is 3 goals in 26 games from Erne. We take our time with kids unless they're too good and the only ones to really do that were Kucherov and Point. Those other defenders were also on teams in need of instant help. We had Hedman, Carle, Brewer and Coburn at points so hard to get in the lineup. Koekkoek can still turn out better than those, except Parayko but he was an overager, as Ceci is struggling a bit, Maatta has health issues and Severson is having a down season. At least he's not Griffin Reinhart.