GDT: 2/7/13 - 7:00PM EDT - Tampa Bay @ New Jersey

[jg39]

I've sent in a complaint 2 or 3 times in the past few years and have never gotten any sort of response. That's there as a pacifier, has no real purpose.

Sign your name as Scotty Bowman

Despite the refs tonight, another flat game from TBL. Can't blame them for horrible passing, missing empty nets, and giving up a SH goal.

I do not understand when the Lightning aren't playing well why the choose to complicate their play with more passing and attempts at cute plays. K.I.S.S.

Not a lot to be thrilled about tonight. Conacher needs to be cloned. I have to think Garon will be in the net vs Boston, not that it will improve the play in front of the goalie.

 

[Steazy Doo]

Two guys who actually looked good tonight were Hedman and Conacher. Hedman NEEDS more powerplay time. He's doing it all right now.

 

[Tampacuseforever]

The overreactions in this thread are amazing.

I thought this was the first bad game we played all year. A bounce here or there against the Rangers and the Flyers and we win. Either of those games could have gone either way. Tonight was a classic case of over coach the guys looked lost and confused. KEEP IT SIMPLE.

 

[Bolts265]

The overreactions in this thread are amazing.

After seeing the lack of guts in Philly you see anyone standing up to Lucic or Thornton or Marchand for that matter cause I sure don't at this point.

 

[AlphaCatalyst]

They lost by more than a goal? Time to blow it up.

 

[Coopers Gum]

Sign your name as Scotty Bowman

Despite the refs tonight, another flat game from TBL. Can't blame them for horrible passing, missing empty nets, and giving up a SH goal.

I do not understand when the Lightning aren't playing well why the choose to complicate their play with more passing and attempts at cute plays. K.I.S.S.

Not a lot to be thrilled about tonight. Conacher needs to be cloned. I have to think Garon will be in the net vs Boston, not that it will improve the play in front of the goalie.

Exactly. Devils had this game in the bag pretty much before the calls started going their way. We couldn't generate any offense at all. We've been absolutely horrible at that lately. We barely ever have a good forecheck going anymore. The first goal we had with Thommer was a good forecheck, more of a Devils error by committing too many men to Marty.

Van Massive**** can suck my dick. Two ****** calls, an icing call missed, and he expects Guy to remain calm.

Basically, we need to shoot more. We need to check harder. We need to get more people in on the forecheck. We need to gain entry into their zone with more ease. Every time I see play against us has no problem gaining entry. When we play, it is ALWAYS a struggle.

 

[Hockeyfan4453]

Can someone please explain to me what happened to the "structured system" that Boucher implemented a couple of years ago. As of right now, I just see a team that sits back, can't forecheck, sustain pressure down low, and play disciplined hockey.

I knew we got a bit lucky to start 6-1, but I feel we are a better hockey team than what we showed tonight. Should have won in Philly (they didn't have Hartnell, Simmonds, and lets be real are not the same Philly they were last year) and now we totally flop in 3rd tonight.

Boucher may have a great record, but he seriously better do his job and pick it up. I see no motivation from him. Malone looks dead, Conacher keeps falling, and Marty is making these blind passes, Stamkos won't shoot the damn puck, and Vinny has slowed down a bit.

Purcell has been our best offensive player. Without he and Salo we would be screwed.

We need a serious goaltending coach for our boy Lindback. Potential is obvious. Jersey commentators were talking about it, but why in the world is his glove so high. On the third goal, shot went low glove and he had no chance. The glove should have been down there already prepared to flip up for the high shot.

Frustrated fan

 

[Coopers Gum]

I thought this was the first bad game we played all year. A bounce here or there against the Rangers and the Flyers and we win. Either of those games could have gone either way. Tonight was a classic case of over coach the guys looked lost and confused. KEEP IT SIMPLE.

You thought we looked good against Philly? Were you watching?

 

[zeykshade]

Not burying chances is a plague at this point.

If you can't play simple road hockey, and you're essentially a turnover machine as a team, you're a pretender. I just wonder if Brodeur even needs to shower after that game.

I also wonder who is the puck possessor on our top two lines? Marty and Stammer are essentially playing for the other team in the O-Zone. MAB turns over pucks like it's his ****ing job. Everytime I see MAB + Marty + Stamkos take a draw in our own end, I just wait for the turnover and chinese firedrill scramble for 45s before a flaccid clear and line change.

 

[Stammertime91]

Here's my take:
-blind passes are a must apparently in our zone...
-flat
-giving away the puck so easily, primarily MSL and Stamkos
-Hedman played as good as he could
-MAB showed his presence whether it was good or bad, Im glad he got to play, same for Mikkelson
-Lindback played ok, 3rd was pretty bad but not entirely his fault, 4th goal- wtf Anders
-we lose nearly every battle along the boards
-we cant connect a pass if its further then 10ft, 10ft or closer, we hit the skates, that is the new tap-to-skate intuitive passing invented by the Lightning. No longer should a player put it on their tape, put it on their skate.

Piss poor effort really.

Not writing them off, just disappointed as this was a very bad effort and another game where we should've hung in there with them and won. Frustrating.

 

[Bleedred]

The division shouldn't even be in question. Sadly it is. Good luck and beat the Penguins.

Thanks! And you guys crush the Raggies this weekend please!

 

[Steazy Doo]

Can someone please explain to me what happened to the "structured system" that Boucher implemented a couple of years ago. As of right now, I just see a team that sits back, can't forecheck, sustain pressure down low, and play disciplined hockey.

I knew we got a bit lucky to start 6-1, but I feel we are a better hockey team than what we showed tonight. Should have won in Philly (they didn't have Hartnell, Simmonds, and lets be real are not the same Philly they were last year) and now we totally flop in 3rd tonight.

Boucher may have a great record, but he seriously better do his job and pick it up. I see no motivation from him. Malone looks dead, Conacher keeps falling, and Marty is making these blind passes, Stamkos won't shoot the damn puck, and Vinny has slowed down a bit.

Purcell has been our best offensive player. Without he and Salo we would be screwed.

We need a serious goaltending coach for our boy Lindback. Potential is obvious. Jersey commentators were talking about it, but why in the world is his glove so high. On the third goal, shot went low glove and he had no chance. The glove should have been down there already prepared to flip up for the high shot.

Frustrated fan

Really? Purcell? I don't know about that...

 

[Bolts265]

They lost by more than a goal? Time to blow it up.

Comment was made before the road trip we need 4 points to consider the trip a success. Realistically you see us beating the Bruins and Rangers back to back the way we are playing?

 

[Cigar City]

LAZZZYYYYY AND SOFT. Same as last year.

 

[Stammertime91]

Can someone please explain to me what happened to the "structured system" that Boucher implemented a couple of years ago. As of right now, I just see a team that sits back, can't forecheck, sustain pressure down low, and play disciplined hockey.

I knew we got a bit lucky to start 6-1, but I feel we are a better hockey team than what we showed tonight. Should have won in Philly (they didn't have Hartnell, Simmonds, and lets be real are not the same Philly they were last year) and now we totally flop in 3rd tonight.

Boucher may have a great record, but he seriously better do his job and pick it up. I see no motivation from him. Malone looks dead, Conacher keeps falling, and Marty is making these blind passes, Stamkos won't shoot the damn puck, and Vinny has slowed down a bit.

Purcell has been our best offensive player. Without he and Salo we would be screwed.

We need a serious goaltending coach for our boy Lindback. Potential is obvious. Jersey commentators were talking about it, but why in the world is his glove so high. On the third goal, shot went low glove and he had no chance. The glove should have been down there already prepared to flip up for the high shot.

Frustrated fan

I agree 100%.

Exactly. Devils had this game in the bag pretty much before the calls started going their way. We couldn't generate any offense at all. We've been absolutely horrible at that lately. We barely ever have a good forecheck going anymore. The first goal we had with Thommer was a good forecheck, more of a Devils error by committing too many men to Marty.

Van Massive**** can suck my dick. Two ****** calls, an icing call missed, and he expects Guy to remain calm.

Basically, we need to shoot more. We need to check harder. We need to get more people in on the forecheck. We need to gain entry into their zone with more ease. Every time I see play against us has no problem gaining entry. When we play, it is ALWAYS a struggle.

Yes, zone entry is a big problem, they usually have one guy trying to make a blatantly obvious chip or a pass, mainly to stamkos or MSL and the defenders block it everytime. Its a damn shame really. We have terrible gap control right now and everybody else is keeping us limited to 2 seconds of time on attack, our forecheck isnt even worth mentioning cause its absolute ****.

Frustrating as hell.

 

[zeykshade]

Purcell has been our best offensive player. Without he and Salo we would be screwed.

LOL, Purcell?! Yeah, he's our best offensive player if I'm a Chinese Jet Pilot.

 

[zeykshade]

Play like we did in Philly and NJ against the Bruins and Rangers, we're a .500 team coming back home...

Honestly, .500 may win the SE though, lol.

 

[Hockeyfan4453]

Really? Purcell? I don't know about that...

There has been no one better this season than skating the puck up, holding onto it, and gaining the zone that Purcell. He had a nice play tonight on the pass to Vinny on the missed open net. Marty is probably the best puck handler and best at getting zone overall, but I've been pleased with Purcell. His consistency has been a bright spot this year. I may have taken it a bit too far by saying he's been our best offensive player thus far, but he's definitely been very effective. Have not seen him miss too many empty nets, make blind passes, and turnover the puck. HES KEPT IT RELATIVELY SIMPLE...AND THIS TEAM NEEDS MORE OF THAT

 

[Steazy Doo]

There has been no one better this season than skating the puck up, holding onto it, and gaining the zone that Purcell. He had a nice play tonight on the pass to Vinny on the missed open net. Marty is probably the best puck handler and best at getting zone overall, but I've been pleased with Purcell this year. His consistency has been a bright spot this year. I may have taken it a bit too far by saying he's been our best offensive player this year, but he's definitely been very effective this year. Have not seen him miss too many empty nets, make blind passes, and turnover the puck. HES KEPT IT RELATIVELY SIMPLE...AND THIS TEAM NEEDS MORE OF THAT

I'm as big of a Purcell fan you'll meet, but Purcell and consistency don't belong in the same sentence. He had a good game tonight, though, I'll give you that.

If you haven't seen him turnover the puck, you haven't been watching closely. That all comes with being the best zone-entry player on the team, but he's been throwing some blind passes around.

 

[Zippy316]

I'm sorry, but the Devils strength is their size and their board play. The exact opposite of the Lightning's, for the most part.

I think everyone pretty much expected the Devils were going to dominate the boards and the cycle, that's where they excel and that's how they like to play. The problem is that the Lightning needed to push the pace and force the Devils to play their more wide open style of hockey, but they never succeeded in doing that.

The Devils weaknesses include their speed, especially defensively. If the Lightning pressed the issue and opened up the game, the Devils defense would've started to be exposed, but they were never able to do that. Then again, you have to give a lot of credit to the Devils for pushing the pace in their favor as much as you have to blame the Lightning for looking flat.

 

[Zippy316]

They showed a stat during the Devils game, and Brodeur has more wins than all of the 1992-93 expansion teams including the Lightning, and all the expansion teams following them.

It's on the main board, but how crazy/cool is that, especially considering that Brodeur didn't play in every game while the stats for the other teams include every game.

 

[Hockeyfan4453]

I'm as big of a Purcell fan you'll meet, but Purcell and consistency don't belong in the same sentence. He had a good game tonight, though, I'll give you that.

If you haven't seen him turnover the puck, you haven't been watching closely. That all comes with being the best zone-entry player on the team, but he's been throwing some blind passes around.

I've seen all of the games with the exception of first 2 periods tonight and the Rangers game. Admittedly, I haven't been looking too closely especially considering I'm a college fan in Boston surrounded by all these damn Bruin fans. I am also a big Purcell fan if you haven't noticed and I get what you mean. Just hope he could finally maintain consistency. It honestly has been so tempting watching him score 3 pts one night and be invisible the next. Atleast, he hasn't done that this year.

 

[Tampacuseforever]

Purcell our best offensive player ?? really ???

 

[bov]

After seeing the lack of guts in Philly you see anyone standing up to Lucic or Thornton or Marchand for that matter cause I sure don't at this point.

I was as disgusted by our lack of heart in Philly as anyone, but I'm not sure what you're getting at here as it relates to my previous post.

 

[LetsNotUseNames]

The call against Marty was a shame. As a lightning fan, I was disappointed for obvious reasons. As a hockey fan, the call took away from what could have been a much more exciting finish to the game.

I'd like to see the team spread out more through the neutral zone. It looks like the guys are almost tripping over each other at times. There is a lot of offensive talent on the team, why make it easier for teams to clog the neutral zone?