GDT: 10/26/19 - 7:00PM EDT - Nashville vs Tampa Bay

[Master P]

Here's where I disagree, to completely change the team structure now screams panic move. We've already seen the Pens and Hawks win multiple cups with a similar style we play and in my opinion is the best style suited for the lightning. We're capable of winning that way, they've been to multiple game 7's on deep runs, the style of play works they just have adjust better in a deep series.

Cooper's biggest weakness isn't that he doesn't make changes it's that he isn't able to adjust in a small timeframe in the playoffs. His teams have always been structured, this new system won't fix his biggest weakness. No system is perfect, what happens when another coach adjusts to Cooper's new structure in games 5,6,7 like we've seen before?

I don't think he's making a complete change to the overall system, but rather drilling into the players a system that will succeed in the playoffs. We all wanted to see a change and now we're getting it. If it doesn't work then Cooper is gone, but I like what I saw last game and I think it will improve as players get more accustomed to it.

 

[Whoshattenkirkshoes]

How does our PK get that bad over a season? It's baffling. The 2 bench minors are unacceptable. And Kuch needs to play like he cares again.

Again the PK gave up the most high danger chances last year

 

[Rschmitz]

Again the PK gave up the most high danger chances last year

That makes sense though

 

[Rschmitz]

Hedman doesn't look like a top 3 D. McDonagh is not in beat mode. Vasy looks pedestrian. Until those three get going we won't see the same kind of success we saw last year.

 

[Master P]

Hedman doesn't look like a top 3 D. McDonagh is not in beat mode. Vasy looks pedestrian. Until those three get going we won't see the same kind of success we saw last year.

Hedman looked great last night. McD was fine as well.

 

[DFC]

I don't think he's making a complete change to the overall system, but rather drilling into the players a system that will succeed in the playoffs. We all wanted to see a change and now we're getting it. If it doesn't work then Cooper is gone, but I like what I saw last game and I think it will improve as players get more accustomed to it.

Maybe "complete" change is too strong, but it's a very big change. We're not really focused on the rush at all right now, minus Kuch.

I'm with you though. I think it will improve as our finesse guys learn to go to the net more effectively. Our 5v5 play, in terms of scoring chances anyway, has been pretty good since the Boston game. And we've played all tough opponents. Pretty sure we even out-changed Colorado, despite the score of that one.

 

[Master P]

Maybe "complete" change is too strong, but it's a very big change. We're not really focused on the rush at all right now, minus Kuch.

I'm with you though. I think it will improve as our finesse guys learn to go to the net more effectively. Our 5v5 play, in terms of scoring chances anyway, has been pretty good since the Boston game. And we've played all tough opponents. Pretty sure we even out-changed Colorado, despite the score of that one.

Yeah. Personally, I'm giving the team till about mid November. If they are out of a playoff spot then Cooper needs to go or something else needs to change. But as of right now I'm fairly optimistic.

 

[Rschmitz]

Hedman looked great last night. McD was fine as well.

Which is a big reason why we looked pretty good last night.

Let's see if there is some consistency to that.

 

[Boltswin]

Hedman looked great last night. McD was fine as well.

Agreed that last night Heddy looked good. Previous games this season not so much though

 

[The Macho King]

Hedman looked great last night. McD was fine as well.

McD was shit.

 

[Master P]

McD was ****.

I thought he was fine. He did great on the pk in OT as well.

 

[Letsgobolts21]

Whole team has been just average. Vasi's sv % is .907--that's just not going to get it done over the course of the season even though he's 5-2. Didn't spend the time correlating it, but our PK is 69%---28th in the league. I suspect they are related.

Doesn't feel like it, but we are middle of the pack in number of penalties taken so I guess that's improved somewhat.

 

[CupsOverCash]

Hedman doesn't look like a top 3 D. McDonagh is not in beat mode. Vasy looks pedestrian. Until those three get going we won't see the same kind of success we saw last year.

Id say that Kucherov is the production we are missing. He isnt sneezing multi point games anymore like last year. Just a ppg. Last year right now feels like we relied on Kucherov/PP to bail out the offense and Vasi to bail out the D. We got outplayed/outshot a lot last year. I think they are trying to play a different way where they dont have to rely on such things that can be hot/cold. I think its good they are going back to the board in how they want to play. They need to rely on good 5v5 play when the playoffs come around. I think that is what they have focused on. Its not fun to watch or pretty to see sometimes but I havent seen us get thoroughly outplayed like we used to see last year more than a 62 win team should.

 

[Sky04]

Id say that Kucherov is the production we are missing. He isnt sneezing multi point games anymore like last year. Just a ppg. Last year right now feels like we relied on Kucherov/PP to bail out the offense and Vasi to bail out the D. We got outplayed/outshot a lot last year. I think they are trying to play a different way where they dont have to rely on such things that can be hot/cold. I think its good they are going back to the board in how they want to play. They need to rely on good 5v5 play when the playoffs come around. I think that is what they have focused on. Its not fun to watch or pretty to see sometimes but I havent seen us get thoroughly outplayed like we used to see last year more than a 62 win team should.

Is this revisionist history? We were barely outplayed last year and most games were under our control due to dominant puck possession, last years team wasn't a run and gun team like some are implying due to our goals scored, it was excellent defensively as well. Sure we won some games through out skilling but that's what having skill does. The sweep has caused so much false narrative going around, we dominated 5 on 5 last year as well, lead the league in 5v5 goals, the most ES goals the team has scored in it's history. Just because we had a dominant PP doesn't mean we sucked as ES. Kucherov had 80 points at ES, Stamkos and Point were in the top-30, Johnson had like 28 ES goals.

This team right now is giving up the 3rd most shots against per game on par with Ottawa.

 

[DistantThunderRep]

Is this revisionist history? We were barely outplayed last year and most games were under our control due to dominant puck possession, last years team wasn't a run and gun team like some are implying due to our goals scored, it was excellent defensively as well. Sure we won some games through skilling the way through but that's what having skill does.

This team right now is giving up the 3rd most shots against per game on par with Ottawa.

Yeah, but last season I think (maybe wrong) we were pretty high in the shots against category too? Not as bad as this season, but I think we were in the bottom half of the league last season?

 

[CupsOverCash]

Is this revisionist history? We were barely outplayed last year and most games were under our control due to dominant puck possession, last years team wasn't a run and gun team like some are implying due to our goals scored, it was excellent defensively as well. Sure we won some games through skilling the way through but that's what having skill does. The sweep has caused so much false narrative going around, we dominated 5 on 5 last year as well, lead the league in 5v5 goals, the most ES goals the team has scored in it's history. Just because we had a dominant PP doesn't mean we sucked as ES. Kucherov had 80 points as ES, Stamkos and Point were in the top-30, Johnson had like 28 ES goals.

This team right now is giving up the 3rd most shots against per game on par with Ottawa.

I just thought the late second half of last year we saw the team get outplayed a lot and that led up to the playoffs. Early in the year and first half we dominated but the played declined going into the playoffs. I remember reading other teams after playing us didnt think we were all that good, just our stars bailed us out. I thought this was true in the second half. I think teams tightened up and that is where we have struggled. This is mostly true for the playoffs when the whistles get swalloed more. I thought we were a little overrated in the second half last year.

 

[Boltswin]

I just thought the late second half of last year we saw the team get outplayed a lot and that led up to the playoffs. Early in the year and first half we dominated but the played declined going into the playoffs. I remember reading other teams after playing us didnt think we were all that good, just our stars bailed us out. I thought this was true in the second half. I think teams tightened up and that is where we have struggled. This is mostly true for the playoffs when the whistles get swalloed more. I thought we were a little overrated in the second half last year.

We had many games that we barely won or shouldn’t have won last season.

 

[CupsOverCash]

We had many games that we barely won or shouldn’t have won last season.

Agree. I also remember reading the in game threads vs the contenders on the oppositions board and they would a lot of time say how they werent impressed with our team because they would outshoot us and carry play for periods of time. Now I have been one of the biggest guys out there saying the team flips a switch and that was my excuse. Well I think that was actually an excuse the team had too and I think they got lazy and didnt work as hard in some games because their skill just handled the score. During the regular season that is fine but the playoffs is where teams with poor habits die. I think its happened too much where we just get lazy and dont work hard enough. Then when we played evenly matched teams as far as talent goes we got outworked and I think this is what we are trying to eliminate this year. They also relied on the PP too much. I think that is also fine in the regular season but its not something you should rely on in the playoffs. We did several things right in the 62 wins and I think majority of that was that we had Kucherov and Vasi beasting their team to wins. We had dominating wins and I dont think you can win 62 games without that but I did think our team was overrated in the second half of last season. Or maybe they were just trying to keep their energy there for the playoffs. Either way, I think that habit crept in and another big reason to the sweep.

 

[Whoshattenkirkshoes]

Agree. I also remember reading the in game threads vs the contenders on the oppositions board and they would a lot of time say how they werent impressed with our team because they would outshoot us and carry play for periods of time. Now I have been one of the biggest guys out there saying the team flips a switch and that was my excuse. Well I think that was actually an excuse the team had too and I think they got lazy and didnt work as hard in some games because their skill just handled the score. During the regular season that is fine but the playoffs is where teams with poor habits die. I think its happened too much where we just get lazy and dont work hard enough. Then when we played evenly matched teams as far as talent goes we got outworked and I think this is what we are trying to eliminate this year. They also relied on the PP too much. I think that is also fine in the regular season but its not something you should rely on in the playoffs. We did several things right in the 62 wins and I think majority of that was that we had Kucherov and Vasi beasting their team to wins. We had dominating wins and I dont think you can win 62 games without that but I did think our team was overrated in the second half of last season. Or maybe they were just trying to keep their energy there for the playoffs. Either way, I think that habit crept in and another big reason to the sweep.

Agree with everything but I also think the sweep had bad luck, No heddy, horrible play or bad luck from Vasi