GDT: 3/26/18 - 7:30PM EDT - Arizona vs Tampa Bay

[The Macho King]

Alright this game is boring. I'll cehck the score in the morning.

Laters.

 

[T REX]

This started in January...this isn't some late season swoon.

We all SEE it with our own eyes. Until those playoffs start we have no f ing clue.

 

[DrMartinVanNostrand]

Yes. They look like hot garbage.

Florida came back from 2-0 down in the 3rd against Arizona last time out but the difference between Florida that night and Tampa tonight is startling. Florida ended up with 45+ shots on goal. They had been a fair bit unfortunate not to score sooner. The Lightning are at 17 shots with 13 minutes remaining. The quick spurt after the first Arizona goal was the only time the Lightning looked threatening all night. Been a no-show outside of that.

 

[These Are The Days]

Yes. They look like hot garbage.

I'd be more worried if this had lasted all year and we didn't immediately play arguably the most dominant 3 months of hockey this team has ever had in the Jon Cooper era after that stinker against the Panthers and a team meeting. If that warranted a meeting and this doesn't then it says everything we need to know about how worried the guys are about this. At what point is this really about just getting to the playoffs?

 

[Todd1a]

When palat comes back our defense will be better but didn’t know we would have no offense ?

 

[JoVel]

You guys might remember in 2015 where the Lightning didn't have a losing streak of three games or more literally the entire season (...until the final three games of the playoffs...), so that team was a hallmark of consistency from start to finish. This team is, and has been for some time now, sputtering to the finish and looking awful. I remember feeling confident in 2015 that they could make a run to the Final (that is not revisionist history). This team? I've lost all confidence in that. There's clearly 1-3 teams that would be favored to beat them in the East and there's little we could do to say it isn't merited.

The team looked like hot garbage going into the playoffs the season after that but looked like completely different team when the puck was dropped in game 1. That season was a good example of not caring about the regular season as long as you make the playoffs. They also took the Pens to game 7 without Bishop, Stamkos and Strålman looking like Sustr since just coming off an injury.

 

[Master P]

Florida came back from 2-0 down in the 3rd against Arizona last time out but the difference between Florida that night and Tampa tonight is startling. Florida ended up with 45+ shots on goal. They had been a fair bit unfortunate not to score sooner. The Lightning are at 17 shots with 13 minutes remaining. The quick spurt after the first Arizona goal was the only time the Lightning looked threatening all night. Been a no-show outside of that.

Well Florida was fighting for their playoff lives.

 

[Powerplay17]

Give me a break. Did you watch Boston last night v the Wild? They were missing half their team. You didn't see them playing like TB or anything close to it. It's called taking some pride in what you do.

Good luck convincing some these guys. It’s all rainbows and unicorns. This team has been treading water for weeks. Basically since January.

But somehow the cure will be the playoffs where magically this group will kill penalties, win face offs, and actually play full 60 minute game. And if none of that matters, how about making sure any game sevens are played here.

 

[dechire]

I can't believe we're being dunked on by the Arizona Coyotes. Even if that one doesn't count.

 

[JoVel]

Pretty sure he didn't even touch Domingue.

 

[T REX]

I'd be more worried if this had lasted all year and we didn't immediately play arguably the most dominant 3 months of hockey this team has ever had in the Jon Cooper era after that stinker against the Panthers and a team meeting. If that warranted a meeting and this doesn't then it says everything we need to know about how worried the guys are about this. At what point is this really about just getting to the playoffs?

WHat do you feed your unicorn? Do you feed it a special diet or just let it wander around the backyard?

 

[DFC]

...That looked like a good goal to me. A lot better than a lot of what we've been seeing called goals lately.

 

[DrMartinVanNostrand]

How many breakaways have the Coyotes had tonight? That's not something that can, or should be, just be chalked up to "waiting for the playoffs". Blowing assignments, getting caught out of position, stuff like that, creates bad habits and aren't just fixed by painting Stanley Cup logos under the ice. That's perilous thinking at best.

 

[T REX]

That's a good goal

 

[dechire]

Okay that's truly a terrible GI call even if it's in our favor lol

 

[AlphaCatalyst]

Good luck convincing some these guys. It’s all rainbows and unicorns.

 

[DrMartinVanNostrand]

Well Florida was fighting for their playoff lives.

And the Lightning, while not fighting for their playoff lives per se', sure are fighting for home-ice in the East and facing a wild card rather than facing Toronto in the first round.

Or so you would want to think. Maybe they just don't give a sh/t.

 

[LonLon Lei]

wow
and we gettin shut down??

 

[DFC]

They have to overturn this one.

 

[T REX]

Total ass kicking. Put a postage stamp on this one.

 

[JoVel]

Good luck convincing some these guys. It’s all rainbows and unicorns. This team has been treading water for weeks. Basically since January.

But somehow the cure will be the playoffs where magically this group will kill penalties, win face offs, and actually play full 60 minute game. And if none of that matters, how about making sure any game sevens are played here.

It might be just me, but I think past experience is a better argument than unicorns. But don't take my word for it, I'm probably alone with this.

 

[DFC]

And the Lightning, while not fighting for their playoff lives per se', sure are fighting for home-ice in the East and facing a wild card rather than facing Toronto in the first round.

Or so you would want to think. Maybe they just don't give a sh/t.

The actual silver lining in this is it's clear TB does not care whatsoever about this game.

 

[AlphaCatalyst]

Still winnable

 

[Lightning1995]

If we lose to the Leafs round one, who are the high level candidates to replace Coop?

 

[DrMartinVanNostrand]

The team looked like hot garbage going into the playoffs the season after that but looked like completely different team when the puck was dropped in game 1. That season was a good example of not caring about the regular season as long as you make the playoffs. They also took the Pens to game 7 without Bishop, Stamkos and Strålman looking like Sustr since just coming off an injury.

That also feels a bit like revisionist history. They were resting some players because they were more-or-less locked into their playoff position (#2 in the Atlantic and not really in position to catch any teams above them on points in the East) and they gave Hedman a game or two off, Stamkos was out as well as Stralman, Johnson got hurt in the final game, stuff like that. While Stamkos is out tonight, this is far from the first time where the Lightning have played entirely uninspired hockey lately, and their injury list has featured, I dunno, one key player out at worst? Which isn't ideal but when you see the Bruins continuing to get results with half their regular lineup out then it's really small beans to complain about missing Palat or missing Stamkos here or there. Because if they can continue to play like they're worth a damn, then what's our excuse?