2018-2019 General Lightning Discussion

[HoseEmDown]

If it were up to me, 10/10 you put Stammer on the wing instead of Point. Stamkos on the wing is way past due anyways, no way would I handicap Points speed and creativity by putting him on LW.

If Stamkos embraces his skill set, he could resurrect his career with a guy like Point making plays for him.

Stamkos has been better on the dot, could be one of those where he just takes the draw but goes to wing after.

 

[Sky04]

If it were up to me, 10/10 you put Stammer on the wing instead of Point. Stamkos on the wing is way past due anyways, no way would I handicap Points speed and creativity by putting him on LW.

If Stamkos embraces his skill set, he could resurrect his career with a guy like Point making plays for him.

Too much pride, keeps thinking he's a playmaking center even though a guy significantly more talented in Ovechkin has realised he needed to adapt his game to stay effective even if it meant not being as flashy as he was before.

Nobody except Stamkos has a problem with him on wing.

 

[Steazy Doo]

Too much pride, keeps thinking he's a playmaking center even though a guy significantly more talented in Ovechkin has realised he needed to adapt his game to stay effective even if it meant not being as flashy as he was before.

Nobody except Stamkos has a problem with him on wing.

Why do you think this? I'm pretty sure everything about this subject in 2016 was speculatory.

 

[Lightning1995]

Man, Toronto and Boston are definitely a problem

 

[These Are The Days]

I'm starting to think Stamkos has himself convinced that he is no longer the same player he used to be and has to adapt his game to remain viable. Sure enough he is struggling to adapt

 

[The Gongshow]

Man, Toronto and Boston are definitely a problem

Boston really is only a one line team though, Toronto is scoring like crazy but that defence is a disaster waiting to strike, but both could be problems for us

 

[Sky04]

Why do you think this? I'm pretty sure everything about this subject in 2016 was speculatory.

I'm pretty sure there's a quote from Stamkos that says "I'm a center, I've played center my whole life" and that where the media exploded about him and Cooper being on "different pages". I don't think it's a coincidence he hasn't once been put back on wing since then either.

 

[Sky04]

Really like the McDonagh-Stralman pairing defensively, they've been averaging more minutes than Hedman a game and a big reason why our PK is at 100%, both are at almost 6mins SH/G.

Don't like Girardi with Hedman though, but Sergachev doesn't look ready on the right. Coburn-Sergachev is our weakest pairing right now, I feel like we could move on from Coburn since he isn't really bringing anything, Girardi could babysit Sergachev and Cernak should get a look.

 

[Rschmitz]

Really like the McDonagh-Stralman pairing defensively, they've been averaging more minutes than Hedman a game and a big reason why our PK is at 100%, both are at almost 6mins SH/G.

Don't like Girardi with Hedman though, but Sergachev doesn't look ready on the right. Coburn-Sergachev is our weakest pairing right now, I feel like we could move on from Coburn since he isn't really bringing anything, Girardi could babysit Sergachev and Cernak should get a look.

As much as I want to see Cernak up here, he didn't exactly cloak himself in glory last night and is playing very meh in Syracuse.

 

[DFC]

I'm starting to think Stamkos has himself convinced that he is no longer the same player he used to be and has to adapt his game to remain viable. Sure enough he is struggling to adapt

The real problem is he's not wrong. At some point he might settle for being a 30 goal trigger-man winger rather than an elite center. He just doesn't have the latter in him anymore, IMO. It's been a while since he's been our best player with any sort of consistency whatsoever.

I like him where he's at now. Point and Gourde can make things happen, and I think Stamkos can complement them, whereas the days of Stamkos and Kucherov complementing each other at ES seem long, long over.

 

[DFC]

As much as I want to see Cernak up here, he didn't exactly cloak himself in glory last night and is playing very meh in Syracuse.

That's kind of common for guys who believe they made, or at least SHOULD have made, the big club out of camp. We saw it with Connolly, Koekkoek, and Drouin off the top of my head. Maybe Erne. Guys who've impressed a lot in camp only to start off sluggish after a demotion.

 

[These Are The Days]

The real problem is he's not wrong. At some point he might settle for being a 30 goal trigger-man winger rather than an elite center. He just doesn't have the latter in him anymore, IMO. It's been a while since he's been our best player with any sort of consistency whatsoever.

I like him where he's at now. Point and Gourde can make things happen, and I think Stamkos can complement them, whereas the days of Stamkos and Kucherov complementing each other at ES seem long, long over.

I didn't see the game but I will take your word on it. I read the commentary and it's just more of the same we've seen with Stamkos. I gotta tell you, a 35 goal trigger man for $8.5 million is the going rate these days. If anything he should embrace it. I can think of far worse things. But for Stamkos I wonder if he feels it can't be worse. But at the same time we've been patiently waiting for him to find his way through the wilderness and sadly his buddy Kucherov could read the map but not guide him. Stamkos has time for now but he needs to find his niche by April. A stay at wing away from Kucherov is probably best. As for Johnson and Palat there's worse things than giving them arguably the top wing in the world

This team is too good to lose to Vancouver and look like they left a funeral. I hope these changes stick and we keep on winning.

 

[DFC]

I didn't see the game but I will take your word on it. I read the commentary and it's just more of the same we've seen with Stamkos. I gotta tell you, a 35 goal trigger man for $8.5 million is the going rate these days. If anything he should embrace it. I can think of far worse things. But for Stamkos I wonder if he feels it can't be worse. But at the same time we've been patiently waiting for him to find his way through the wilderness and sadly his buddy Kucherov could read the map but not guide him. Stamkos has time for now but he needs to find his niche by April. A stay at wing away from Kucherov is probably best. As for Johnson and Palat there's worse things than giving them arguably the top wing in the world

This team is too good to lose to Vancouver and look like they left a funeral. I hope these changes stick and we keep on winning.

It wasn't about this game so much as the last 3-4 years. All I'm saying is we, the fanbase, have to adjust our expectations, and the coaching staff has to use him in a role where he best helps the team, rather than sort of forcing him into the "Elite 1C" role. He's just not that anymore.

The same thing goes for Johnson and Palat: if Kucherov brings them to a different level, and he does, then we shouldn't run away from it. It's making the most of the assets we actually have, as they are, right now. It may or may not be a coincidence that all three of them played their best game of the young season last night.

If they can get even CLOSE to what they were in 2015, then we can be a better team than we were then, mainly because we have Brayden Point now, who's a C that meshes with pretty much every winger we've ever tried him with.

 

[Rschmitz]

For everyone who likes to rag on Stamkos.

Here is the dilemma, in order for him to be as effective as he's been in the past, he has to throw his body around to force turnovers and create space to get that shot away. When he plays like OV though he ends up on the IR. We as fans have to accept that his body won't let him do what he's done in the past, and he has to find a niche. I'm sure the fact that he barely hit his mid 20's and he became a shell of what he was capable of is tearing him up inside.

 

[DFC]

For everyone who likes to rag on Stamkos.

Here is the dilemma, in order for him to be as effective as he's been in the past, he has to throw his body around to force turnovers and create space to get that shot away. When he plays like OV though he ends up on the IR. We as fans have to accept that his body won't let him do what he's done in the past, and he has to find a niche. I'm sure the fact that he barely hit his mid 20's and he became a shell of what he was capable of is tearing him up inside.

I don't know. Aside from the broken leg, his injuries were kind of freakish.

I think we should just keep him in a spot where he doesn't have to handle the puck. I don't know if he has the speed to dart from open area to open area anymore, as evidenced by a complete and utter lack of rebound/chaos goals since the broken leg. He's now a great shot on the PP and next to useless at even strength. But he's still a skilled hockey player, so I think we have to adjust his ES role to take advantage of the strengths he still has. ...Which probably means sticking him permanently on the wing, next to a playmaking C who's also a threat to shoot. Luckily, we have one of those just lying around.

 

[Rschmitz]

I don't know. Aside from the broken leg, his injuries were kind of freakish.

I think we should just keep him in a spot where he doesn't have to handle the puck. I don't know if he has the speed to dart from open area to open area anymore, as evidenced by a complete and utter lack of rebound/chaos goals since the broken leg. He's now a great shot on the PP and next to useless at even strength. But he's still a skilled hockey player, so I think we have to adjust his ES role to take advantage of the strengths he still has. ...Which probably means sticking him permanently on the wing, next to a playmaking C who's also a threat to shoot. Luckily, we have one of those just lying around.

The leg injury was freakish too, the knee injury is the real problem. Both on his dominant right leg. It's a small sample size, but his hits are way down, along with his shooting percentage. He's definitely avoiding contact and trying to change his game up.

 

[LightningStrikes]

For everyone who likes to rag on Stamkos.

Here is the dilemma, in order for him to be as effective as he's been in the past, he has to throw his body around to force turnovers and create space to get that shot away. When he plays like OV though he ends up on the IR. We as fans have to accept that his body won't let him do what he's done in the past, and he has to find a niche. I'm sure the fact that he barely hit his mid 20's and he became a shell of what he was capable of is tearing him up inside.

Sounds a lot like Vinny’s story.

 

[Sky04]

For everyone who likes to rag on Stamkos.

Here is the dilemma, in order for him to be as effective as he's been in the past, he has to throw his body around to force turnovers and create space to get that shot away. When he plays like OV though he ends up on the IR. We as fans have to accept that his body won't let him do what he's done in the past, and he has to find a niche. I'm sure the fact that he barely hit his mid 20's and he became a shell of what he was capable of is tearing him up inside.

That's not an excuse for making the amount of dumb passes and turnovers the last few years since his passing has gone up, there have been enough chances where he's passed up a clean shot for me not to see that it's more a mental thing than a physical, he needs to get his head on straight because it won't be his body or his fitness that keeps him from being a more effective player.

The current Ovechkin is nothing like the preivous one, he's a pure triggerman who knows that, he's not trying to beat guys one on one like he used to, he's using his shot and the fear or his shot to create plays, Stamkos needs to find the same kind of self awareness.

 

[DFC]

That's not an excuse for making the amount of dumb passes and turnovers the last few years since his passing has gone up, there have been enough chances where he's passed up a clean shot for me not to see that it's more a mental thing than a physical, he needs to get his head on straight because it won't be his body or his fitness that keeps him from being a more effective player.

The current Ovechkin is nothing like the preivous one, he's a pure triggerman who knows that, he's not trying to beat guys one on one like he used to, he's using his shot and the fear or his shot to create plays, Stamkos needs to find the same kind of self awareness.

Yeah, one thing still going for Stamkos is how Ovechkin spent a few years in the wilderness, so to speak, before rediscovering his scoring touch.

 

[Sky04]

Yeah, one thing still going for Stamkos is how Ovechkin spent a few years in the wilderness, so to speak, before rediscovering his scoring touch.

Ovechkin's 2010-2012 seasons where very much like Stamkos's 2014-2016, after that he changed his game and it's still early enough for Stamkos to do so while still in his phsyical prime. I don't see anythign wrong physically with him, last year he was stronger than ever. Not sure how many people actually notice it but Stamkos is one of the strongest NHLers in the league, he's a legit tank now, shrugs off hits like nothing and it's been a few years since I can remeber anyone laying him out. He might actually benefit from Johnson's off-season training about getting more flexibile and less bulky.

 

[DFC]

Ovechkin's 2010-2012 seasons where very much like Stamkos's 2014-2016, after that he changed his game and it's still early enough for Stamkos to do so while still in his phsyical prime. I don't see anythign wrong physically with him, last year he was stronger than ever. Not sure how many people actually notice it but Stamkos is one of the strongest NHLers in the league, he's a legit tank now, shrugs off hits like nothing and it's been a few years since I can remeber anyone laying him out. He might actually benefit from Johnson's off-season training about getting more flexibile and less bulky.

I think there are physical issues to go along with whatever's happening mentally. His shot isn't what it used to be, and that's reflected in his shooting percentage. His response to that seems to have been, "trying to become a playmaker," and shooting a lot less.

Whatever's going on, I think everybody would agree "shooting more" would at least be a step in the right direction. Even if it's true his shot isn't what it used to be, it's still better than 98% of the league, so I think the goal should be to figure out how to use it more often, in ways other than just the one-timer.

 

[Rschmitz]

That's not an excuse for making the amount of dumb passes and turnovers the last few years since his passing has gone up, there have been enough chances where he's passed up a clean shot for me not to see that it's more a mental thing than a physical, he needs to get his head on straight because it won't be his body or his fitness that keeps him from being a more effective player.

The current Ovechkin is nothing like the preivous one, he's a pure triggerman who knows that, he's not trying to beat guys one on one like he used to, he's using his shot and the fear or his shot to create plays, Stamkos needs to find the same kind of self awareness.

Yeah, that's part of the problem. Stamkos isn't a set up guy, but he's trying to be since he knows he can't pot 60 in a season.

 

[The Macho King]

Really like the McDonagh-Stralman pairing defensively, they've been averaging more minutes than Hedman a game and a big reason why our PK is at 100%, both are at almost 6mins SH/G.

Don't like Girardi with Hedman though, but Sergachev doesn't look ready on the right. Coburn-Sergachev is our weakest pairing right now, I feel like we could move on from Coburn since he isn't really bringing anything, Girardi could babysit Sergachev and Cernak should get a look.

Part of that is Hedman taking a lot of penalties so far.

 

[LightningStrikes]

Yeah, that's part of the problem. Stamkos isn't a set up guy, but he's trying to be since he knows he can't pot 60 in a season.

Maybe it’s still something with his leg holding him back when shooting which ultimately makes him shoot less? Or wrist?

 

[RegularSznAllStars]

Ovechkin's 2010-2012 seasons where very much like Stamkos's 2014-2016, after that he changed his game and it's still early enough for Stamkos to do so while still in his phsyical prime. I don't see anythign wrong physically with him, last year he was stronger than ever. Not sure how many people actually notice it but Stamkos is one of the strongest NHLers in the league, he's a legit tank now, shrugs off hits like nothing and it's been a few years since I can remeber anyone laying him out. He might actually benefit from Johnson's off-season training about getting more flexibile and less bulky.

Stamkos gets manhandled in the corners and never walks away with the puck. He is certainly not one of the strongest players in the league.