LightningStrikes
Champa Bay Lightning
- Nov 24, 2009
- 26,261
- 10,126
It looks like we have Mike Smith in net so you might be right!This must be some sort of karma for how much I've shit talked the Oilers over the years. Now we are the Oilers.
It looks like we have Mike Smith in net so you might be right!This must be some sort of karma for how much I've shit talked the Oilers over the years. Now we are the Oilers.
Why not? Names was terrible in Tampa, now in Winnipeg 35gp 22p, +18. Why can’t the same thing happen with Sheary?Is a new coach gonna make guys like Raddysh or Sheary play better or something?
Great idea. Vinik should fire Cooper so that Conor Sheary can start producing.Why not? Names was terrible in Tampa, now in Winnipeg 35gp 22p, +18. Why can’t the same thing happen with Sheary?
But it's not just about Sheary. Every player except Kucherov is terrible. Even Point and Hagel can play better.Great idea. Vinik should fire Cooper so that Conor Sheary can start producing.
There are three first line players on this team. Kucherov, Hagel, and Point, that's it. Sure those two can be better, but we've seen both do worse in "better" years.But it's not just about Sheary. Every player except Kucherov is terrible. Even Point and Hagel can play better.
So if Tampa misses the playoffs, but the Flyers, Caps or Islanders don't, then it's about the roster? Do these teams have a better roster in your opinion? I'm 100% sure that bottom players can play better. for example, when Jeannot scored 24 goals, half of them were tips. Why doesn't Cooper use him in front of net?There are three first line players on this team. Kucherov, Hagel, and Point, that's it. Sure those two can be better, but we've seen both do worse in "better" years.
Cirelli, Paul, and Stamkos play like third liners. Two of them are. Good ones, but third liners. Farmer Fran (Jeannot), Eyssimont, Glendening, and Motte are NHL bottom six material. Even then, Eyssimont is the most dynamic and the others are dime a dozen. Sheary has played like an AHL call up 90% of his time. That leaves ABB, Watson, and if you count forwards that have appeared like Merela and Chaffee, what are they? They are AHL material. Watson is the best of those four and if that's our 13th forward, damn.
Over half the forward group are bottom six guys. Stamkos and Paul have passing grades because of their powerplay production. If neither were on the powerplay, they would be getting ripped nightly by this board. The saving grace for Paul is that he's legitimately a third liner and paid like it. He's playing over his head and that probably hurts more than helps because he's not top six. We have zero second liners. The depth has a huge divide. Chemistry doesn't bridge the gap either because nobody has an ounce of creativity to feed 91. Cirelli doesn't gel with anybody to create offense because he doesn't drive it. That's a 6M center set as our 2C. That's a huge problem. People can't justify "defense" and "he's good in the playoffs" if we don't even make it. Even then, he's paid that contract with potential to improve and offensively, he's not doing it.
Plain and simple, the personnel is doodoo. You've got a lot of tweeners and guys that would maybe even be the 13th forward on other teams playing 15mins a night and being asked to be the "solution" in the top six because we have no other options and right at the cap.
The biggest flaw from a coaching stand point is whoever the dumbass is that thought this defensive system was a good idea and the possible dumbasses, plural, that think it's going to pan out. We have the most hodge podge defensive unit right now and this seasons experiment has likely cost us a few games outright.
I'd say the Islanders are probably the closest. I think both Washington and Philadelphia are inferior. I don't get what you're arguing here because I never brought that up. Total strawman. There are always inferior teams on paper that make the playoffs. Especially when compared to the group we normally ice.So if Tampa misses the playoffs, but the Flyers, Caps or Islanders don't, then it's about the roster? Do these teams have a better roster in your opinion? I'm 100% sure that bottom players can play better. for example, when Jeannot scored 24 goals, half of them were tips. Why doesn't Cooper use him in front of net?
Bottom is bad, Cirelli is bad, Stamkos is bad, Conn Smythe winners are bad. Not a single player on the team performs above expectations. if all this happens at the same time, then you should ask questions to the coach.
I want to apologize to you, sincerely.Lmao
No worries, it's all good. Appreciate the humility and apology but I understand the passion as well. Nobody wants the mediocrity we are seeing and we all have bad takes in our posting history which is why I'm glad I'm not in JBB's shoes where a lot of people would hate my decisions, too. I know the fandom has different personalities and favorites here so everybody's opinions colliding take different paths but ultimately we want these guys to compete and win. If not another cup, at least be a proud team and have the effort like 2015.I want to apologize to you, sincerely.
Just disappointed with the current state of our Bolts.
Too many crown royals and not enough wins.
At the end of the day, we're all fans.
I appreciate your level headed outlook and insight.
I'll read more and post less.
No worries, it's all good. Appreciate the humility and apology but I understand the passion as well. Nobody wants the mediocrity we are seeing and we all have bad takes in our posting history which is why I'm glad I'm not in JBB's shoes where a lot of people would hate my decisions, too. I know the fandom has different personalities and favorites here so everybody's opinions colliding take different paths but ultimately we want these guys to compete and win. If not another cup, at least be a proud team and have the effort like 2015.
They're technically getting outplayed in most losses because they're not generating enough dangerous chances at 5v5. Their expected goals at 5v5 is like 21st in the league, about where they sit in the standings. So unless the work ethic on the forecheck greatly improves, or they start intentionally shooting for bounces off of bodies and in/get rebounds off those bounces, they're likely a below average teamMy take is that only in about 3 or 4 of our losses so far have we really been outplayed. The looses occur because their goaltender tends to be better than ours 3 out of every 4 games, and the team defense/goalie have the habit of dropping a deflating turd goal at the most inopportune times, and we don’t have the comeback ability from our forwards (save one) that we’ve had in the past.
Good points. That team also had Thomas and Gwozdecky as assistants, along with with Bones. That was a stout coaching lineup.2014 is a better example, team lost a top-3 player in the league and the top line consisted of 2 rookies, one of our pairings was Carle-Sustr, our leading scorer had 61 points and was traded at the deadline.
That team finished 2nd in the East with 101 points.
But then again, that's what superstar goaltending does for a team. Tampa had no business being as good as they were that year. Meanwhile this year we're sitting on a team with like 5 superstars and they can't put it together.
I missed this post before.They're technically getting outplayed in most losses because they're not generating enough dangerous chances at 5v5. Their expected goals at 5v5 is like 21st in the league, about where they sit in the standings. So unless the work ethic on the forecheck greatly improves, or they start intentionally shooting for bounces off of bodies and in/get rebounds off those bounces, they're likely a below average team
So unless the PP can operate at Oilers of last year level the rest of the season and the goaltending greatly improves, no playoffs for the Lightning. And I'm fine selling at the deadline based on the concerning trends that have been apparent all year. Most of the team looks complacent or exhausted, don't waste assets for fools gold, sell and retool so next year is more promising. Sad to waste one of the last years of elite Kucherov.
The Lightning have 3-4 natural points producers on their team. Stamkos, Point, Kucherov, and maybe Hagel. Hedman is showing age and Sergachev has regressed. No one else was a big time producer at draft age.I missed this post before.
I know that statistically we're doing poorly 5 on 5. But again, given the eye test, I'm seeing us gain the offensive zone, make some plays, do some good board work, get some lengthy zone time, but not score. Then, the other team comes down, does the same (or less) and the puck ends up in the back of our net. It's not like we're getting outshot or out-zoned 5 on 5. It's the result.
I still don’t get the trade Cirelli people. We have a solid offense, granted it’s being held up by one line, but it is what it is. We have a dog shit bottom 5 defense. The room for improvement for the offense is minimal and for the defense is immense, especially with how it would correlate to wins and losses.
And people want to trade away one of our best defensive forwards. Wut.
I also think Stammer is a bigger black hole of a linemate for Cirelli than the inverse. I’d rather see Sheary or Eyssimont on the 2nd line than Stamkos.
He's a 3C PK specialist whose 5v5 play consists of weak backhands and average at most everything else. Below average offensively right now.Cirelli hasn't added much defense this year either. So many times we see him lost and burned in the middle of the rink while his guy gets an easy tap in (that might be the "system" though). It's getting to the point of "what is it you actually do here?" other than that brief hot spell.