GDT: 2/18/15 - 10:00PM EDT - Tampa Bay @ Anaheim

[DFC]

I don't know on the fence with this, and it seems you are also. Coop has limited Callahan's mins since he no longer is on the PK, so to get top line mins is likely Coops plan. When Stamkos is having a really good game we get those multi point games from him and Callahan and they click. I see a lot of good and potential but the line has not been 100 percent because of Stamkos' inconsistency this season. I feel the best option is to keep a top 6 forward on that line. Since flip is centering the 3rd that leaves Callahan . I also think killorn on there has fixed those getting pinned in the d zone moments. That line is a plus 3 since its been together for 3 games now and has scored 3 goals now as well.

Coop won't be Changing anything yet, that line scored and had good looks all night from all 3 players.

What it comes down to is Flip/Callahan > Stamkos/Callahan. Top 6 doesn't even really mean anything on a team that has Filppula centering its 3rd line.

 

[Leonardo87]

What it comes down to is Flip/Callahan > Stamkos/Callahan. Top 6 doesn't even really mean anything on a team that has Filppula centering its 3rd line.

Killorn also seems to step up his game when he is with Callahan. Which is likely why that KFC line was good. But now since Killorn is with Stamkos and Callahan it's a huge opportunity for him and it's been working.

Thing is the top line is producing now and not giving up goals you cannot really ask more from them right now.

 

[Kramerica Industries]

Not for nothing, Carpe; I say this with all due respect, but one thing that you could really stand to do less is the "yeah, but" comments. I don't exactly pop in here on a day-to-day basis; I rarely participate in the GDT's (too easy to overreact and say something stupid, and if I'm doing that I'd rather do it on Twitter) and don't always read them afterwards, but it seems like every game, in this case the W's, there's always some kind of "yeah, but" comment you have.

This game, for instance. You can call it a 20 minute effort. I think that's unfair since they took over the play as the first period progressed, but that's beside the point. They held a three-goal lead entering the 3rd on an opposing team's ice. That's not a situation where you're going to be widely outplaying the opponent. This is where the #fancystats concept of "score effects" comes into place, anyway. After a few uneven minutes to start off the 3rd, I felt TB did a fine job of absorbing pressure, keeping Anaheim stuck to the outside, and limiting the quality of their chances (their best chances came while SH down 4-1; go figure). It would be nice to continue the blood-letting but that's not particularly realistic, especially against a good team.

I'm not going to label you as being negative since I think a lot of notions and beliefs get lost in the world of internet translation, but I do think it would help a bit if it didn't seem like most good things that happen for the Lightning aren't immediately met with a "yeah, but" comment afterwards. Just an observation; you don't have to take a single word I said seriously if you don't want to.

 

[CarpeNoctem]

Not for nothing, Carpe; I say this with all due respect, but one thing that you could really stand to do less is the "yeah, but" comments. I don't exactly pop in here on a day-to-day basis; I rarely participate in the GDT's (too easy to overreact and say something stupid, and if I'm doing that I'd rather do it on Twitter) and don't always read them afterwards, but it seems like every game, in this case the W's, there's always some kind of "yeah, but" comment you have.

This game, for instance. You can call it a 20 minute effort. I think that's unfair since they took over the play as the first period progressed, but that's beside the point. They held a three-goal lead entering the 3rd on an opposing team's ice. That's not a situation where you're going to be widely outplaying the opponent. This is where the #fancystats concept of "score effects" comes into place, anyway. After a few uneven minutes to start off the 3rd, I felt TB did a fine job of absorbing pressure, keeping Anaheim stuck to the outside, and limiting the quality of their chances (their best chances came while SH down 4-1; go figure). It would be nice to continue the blood-letting but that's not particularly realistic, especially against a good team.

I'm not going to label you as being negative since I think a lot of notions and beliefs get lost in the world of internet translation, but I do think it would help a bit if it didn't seem like most good things that happen for the Lightning aren't immediately met with a "yeah, but" comment afterwards. Just an observation; you don't have to take a single word I said seriously if you don't want to.

I won't say your comments are unfair or inaccurate but that's the paradigm shift that occurs once the regular season ends. Look, we're a pretty good regular season team, and I'm very high on our group of forwards, but we're average at best on D (and that's with everyone healthy), our PP is terrible and our goaltender play hasn't been as good this season as it was last. With this same roster, we're simply not likely to be successful this post-season and we may only have 1-2 years before the cap breaks our team up. Yzerman has shown a propensity to perhaps be overly patient. He's the GM, sure, does he know more than me? Sure. Of course. But everyone has their own blind spots, and I just hope this one isn't allowed to be fatal to our season.

 

[Rschmitz]

I won't say your comments are unfair or inaccurate but that's the paradigm shift that occurs once the regular season ends. Look, we're a pretty good regular season team, and I'm very high on our group of forwards, but we're average at best on D (and that's with everyone healthy), our PP is terrible and our goaltender play hasn't been as good this season as it was last. With this same roster, we're simply not likely to be successful this post-season and we may only have 1-2 years before the cap breaks our team up. Yzerman has shown a propensity to perhaps be overly patient. He's the GM, sure, does he know more than me? Sure. Of course. But everyone has their own blind spots, and I just hope this one isn't allowed to be fatal to our season.

I think the D and tending is fine, probably above average.

Our PP is an atrocity. With how much firepower we have they should accidentally be producing at a 20% clip.

 

[IdealisticSniper]

I won't say your comments are unfair or inaccurate but that's the paradigm shift that occurs once the regular season ends. Look, we're a pretty good regular season team, and I'm very high on our group of forwards, but we're average at best on D (and that's with everyone healthy), our PP is terrible and our goaltender play hasn't been as good this season as it was last. With this same roster, we're simply not likely to be successful this post-season and we may only have 1-2 years before the cap breaks our team up. Yzerman has shown a propensity to perhaps be overly patient. He's the GM, sure, does he know more than me? Sure. Of course. But everyone has their own blind spots, and I just hope this one isn't allowed to be fatal to our season.

The defense is the second best shot suppression team in the NHL. Meaning they allow the second least amount of shots in the entire league. Defense, as a whole, is good.

The main problem has been when there is a brain fart, the goaltending doesn't bail the team out as often as last year. But frankly if you expected last year Bishop, you were always going to be disappointed.

This team even remotely fixes the PP. Say, scoring at a 1 out of 6 chances clip, they will go deep in the playoffs.

And Yzerman getting an addition to the defense will only help that cause.

 

[Coopers Gum]

I think the D and tending is fine, probably above average.

Our PP is an atrocity. With how much firepower we have they should accidentally be producing at a 20% clip.

As funny as this statement is, it's pretty much true. And we've all been harping on it, but I literally have no idea why our PP sucks so bad this year. If we didn't start off so hot, I have no doubt we'd probably be the worst in the league regarding the PP. So much power, and no fire.

 

[Leonardo87]

As funny as this statement is, it's pretty much true. And we've all been harping on it, but I literally have no idea why our PP sucks so bad this year. If we didn't start off so hot, I have no doubt we'd probably be the worst in the league regarding the PP. So much power, and no fire.

Three things...

1.) Getting set up, anytime the puck is cleared they take forever to get set back up, take a very long time to retrieve the puck which is wasting time, and when they attempt to cross the blue line they have a hard time doing that as well

2.) Shots on goal, or towards the net, cant even remember the last time we saw a point shot, it is just pass pass pass, then pass out of the zone and have to get set up again

3.) Sustaining pressure, our grinders on the boards have been fine, but the bad passing has resulted in the puck going out to the neutral zone, and worse resulted in short handed opponent scoring chances.

I've also noticed 3 players are the only ones really scoring PP goals which are Callahan, Stamkos, and Johnson, all our neck in neck with PP goals, but the 4th player, has a huge drop off. Granted those 3 players should be in double digits by now, Which is also why I think Cally's and Stammer's goal totals are down from their norm, both cash in a lot of their goals production on the PP.

 

[Brie]

I was looking back at some of our PP goals and there wasd this one that stood out, in the 2nd goal against the rangers (on nov. 26) when the team had a 5 minute PP they as they have done a lot, dropped the puck out of the offensive zone but instead of having one player take forever to get the puck back the whole unit moved down into our zone and moved up together:

Now you don't really want to find yourself having to do this but if you do then you're setting up a very scary moment when you have five players moving into the zone ayt the same time and the other team don't know who to cover (like a PP version of the flying-V)

 

[DFC]

The defense is the second best shot suppression team in the NHL. Meaning they allow the second least amount of shots in the entire league. Defense, as a whole, is good.

The main problem has been when there is a brain fart, the goaltending doesn't bail the team out as often as last year. But frankly if you expected last year Bishop, you were always going to be disappointed.

This team even remotely fixes the PP. Say, scoring at a 1 out of 6 chances clip, they will go deep in the playoffs.

And Yzerman getting an addition to the defense will only help that cause.

Of the shots we allow though, we have either the highest or second highest scoring chance per shot ratio in the NHL, which isn't good, and comes (my guess) because of those gaffes. Which is (again, just a guess) probably because of youth. And yeah, 100% agreed on Bishop. There was no way he was going to duplicate last year.

Part of why Bishop's save % is a little low is because, of the shots we do give up, they're a higher quality than just about any other goalie in the league faces. That's not a complete death nail, but I think we should try to fix it.

...And the PP.

But every team is flawed right now, especially in the east. MTL is basically the Carey Price show. NYI can't kill a penalty to save their lives. Pittsburgh's PP is even colder than ours (0-fer-February).

 

[DFC]

I was looking back at some of our PP goals and there wasd this one that stood out, in the 2nd goal against the rangers (on nov. 26) when the team had a 5 minute PP they as they have done a lot, dropped the puck out of the offensive zone but instead of having one player take forever to get the puck back the whole unit moved down into our zone and moved up together:

Now you don't really want to find yourself having to do this but if you do then you're setting up a very scary moment when you have five players moving into the zone ayt the same time and the other team don't know who to cover (like a PP version of the flying-V)

...And then there's a giveaway and the other team goes on a 4 on 0. That moment is probably still giving Jon Cooper nightmares. Looks like miscommunication at its finest. Sheesh.

 

[2020 Cup Champions]

...And then there's a giveaway and the other team goes on a 4 on 0. That moment is probably still giving Jon Cooper nightmares. Looks like miscommunication at its finest. Sheesh.

I was thinking the same thing (especially against the Rangers).

 

[IdealisticSniper]

...And then there's a giveaway and the other team goes on a 4 on 0. That moment is probably still giving Jon Cooper nightmares. Looks like miscommunication at its finest. Sheesh.

Wasn't miscommunication. It was a set play, a new wrinkle in the PP to try to get a spark. They had this same formation for about three games straight. Did it against Ottawa as well.

 

[DFC]

Wasn't miscommunication. It was a set play, a new wrinkle in the PP to try to get a spark. They had this same formation for about three games straight. Did it against Ottawa as well.

We need to hire a new PP guy.

 

[CarpeNoctem]

Three things...

1.) Getting set up, anytime the puck is cleared they take forever to get set back up, take a very long time to retrieve the puck which is wasting time, and when they attempt to cross the blue line they have a hard time doing that as well

2.) Shots on goal, or towards the net, cant even remember the last time we saw a point shot, it is just pass pass pass, then pass out of the zone and have to get set up again

3.) Sustaining pressure, our grinders on the boards have been fine, but the bad passing has resulted in the puck going out to the neutral zone, and worse resulted in short handed opponent scoring chances.

I've also noticed 3 players are the only ones really scoring PP goals which are Callahan, Stamkos, and Johnson, all our neck in neck with PP goals, but the 4th player, has a huge drop off. Granted those 3 players should be in double digits by now, Which is also why I think Cally's and Stammer's goal totals are down from their norm, both cash in a lot of their goals production on the PP.

You're simply right on all accounts. It's pretty simple most of the time, we're failing at the basics by being overly fancy.