DrMartinVanNostrand
Kramerica Industries
So, for the Lightning so far this postseason, here's some numbers:
Even strength goals for: 19*
Power play goals: 14
Shorthanded goals: 1
Empty net goals: 2
Even strength goals against: 16*
Power play goals against: 8 + 1 goal allowed 5v6
Shorthanded goals: 0
Empty net goals: 1
*subtracting the empty net goals scored in both cases
During the regular season, the Lightning averaged 2.44 GF at even strength per game. They allowed an average of 2.02. The postseason numbers, unsurprisingly, are down for both. 1.9 GF and 1.6 GA.
What do these numbers mean? I dunno, draw your own conclusions. I brought these up blind, not knowing what hid behind the curtain. Obviously the power play goal discrepancy, especially in this series (6 vs. 3) has been significant in terms of where we are now. And, obviously, the Lightning are icing a roster with Kucherov now which they weren't during the regular season. For whatever it's worth, they averaged 2.4 goals at even strength in the 2020 playoffs. I guess what I'm suggesting, and hoping for, is that there is room for improvement at even strength, which we can probably expect to happen, and that they have gotten where they are without firing close to all cylinders 5v5 is a great sign in itself. At the same time, they scored 17 PPGs last year and are already at 14 in less than half the games this year. Again, they do have Stamkos this year, which helps, but as I've said several times, no team runs a 41% power play for an entire postseason. McDrai was 27.59% this year to lead the league, so you know that number will go down eventually, so we're going to need at 5v5 improvement to happen soon enough. We might get past Carolina as things currently are, but getting past NYI/Boston and Las Vegas/Colorado after will be very tough without it.
Even strength goals for: 19*
Power play goals: 14
Shorthanded goals: 1
Empty net goals: 2
Even strength goals against: 16*
Power play goals against: 8 + 1 goal allowed 5v6
Shorthanded goals: 0
Empty net goals: 1
*subtracting the empty net goals scored in both cases
During the regular season, the Lightning averaged 2.44 GF at even strength per game. They allowed an average of 2.02. The postseason numbers, unsurprisingly, are down for both. 1.9 GF and 1.6 GA.
What do these numbers mean? I dunno, draw your own conclusions. I brought these up blind, not knowing what hid behind the curtain. Obviously the power play goal discrepancy, especially in this series (6 vs. 3) has been significant in terms of where we are now. And, obviously, the Lightning are icing a roster with Kucherov now which they weren't during the regular season. For whatever it's worth, they averaged 2.4 goals at even strength in the 2020 playoffs. I guess what I'm suggesting, and hoping for, is that there is room for improvement at even strength, which we can probably expect to happen, and that they have gotten where they are without firing close to all cylinders 5v5 is a great sign in itself. At the same time, they scored 17 PPGs last year and are already at 14 in less than half the games this year. Again, they do have Stamkos this year, which helps, but as I've said several times, no team runs a 41% power play for an entire postseason. McDrai was 27.59% this year to lead the league, so you know that number will go down eventually, so we're going to need at 5v5 improvement to happen soon enough. We might get past Carolina as things currently are, but getting past NYI/Boston and Las Vegas/Colorado after will be very tough without it.
