Playoff Race/Standings

[These Are The Days]

Healthy lineup we beat them 7 - 3. We lose to them in overtime with 6 starters missing and all of a sudden they are better than us. People have lost their mind.

And given the fact that the Leafs are paying something like $8 million a year to Babcock they better have some good coaching.

 

[Kramerica Industries]

Why all the hate on Cooper. Yeah I get it he's not Babcock. But Coop has done really well with this club and I think deserves a little bit of credit. Last year the bolts made it to the game 7 of the ECF with a broken team most of the year. The year before that the club made it to the big show. The year before that we still made it to the playoffs but got swept by Montreal. So if you look at all of Cooper's (full) years with the Lightning he's done a pretty amazing job.

A large part of those troubles last year lie on Cooper's shoulders. That team regressed 11 points from the previous season, and did so in the weaker of the two East divisions, at that. They went as far as they did in part of facing the de facto #8 seed in the first round. I'm not gonna credit Cooper for an underachieving team when he was a significant reason why.

I had no problem giving him credit last postseason either, btw, but, to me, the bad clearly outweighs the good by this point.

 

[PaulGG]

We wouldn't be doing any better with Babcock considering all the injuries. He is a good coach but doesn't walk on water. He has only been to finals twice in his career and won once.

 

[PRZ45MD]

Message boards would be a boring place if everyone were even keeled, patient and thoughtfully introspective...

They'd be much more pleasant, but pretty boring.

 

[DFC]

For the last time:

We were not a good hockey team BEFORE the injuries started. Even before Stamkos went down we were a negative possession team. Stop blaming everything on injuries because we were mediocre when healthy.

I'd love to see our numbers with Stralman vs. without. Seems like our turnaround in possession started exactly when Stralman returned.

 

[CupsOverCash]

I'd love to see our numbers with Stralman vs. without. Seems like our turnaround in possession started exactly when Stralman returned.

Our PP was better with Stamkos. People cannot seriously think that injuries haven't hampered this team and that we wouldn't be a better team without them. It's not excuse, it's just truth.

 

[DFC]

Our PP was better with Stamkos. People cannot seriously think that injuries haven't hampered this team and that we wouldn't be a better team without them. It's not excuse, it's just truth.

I think it's somewhere in the middle. We under-performed when healthy, and then the pile up of injuries and the most travel-heavy schedule in the league combined to give us a glimpse of disaster.

But I don't think it was ever as bad as it looked. The worst we looked was when we were icing 5-6 AHL forwards, and our record was at its worst when we hadn't played nearly as many home games as road.

And I think those games without Anton Stralman hurt our possession numbers a lot. We no longer have a player capable of filling in for him.

 

[The Gongshow]

Buffalo did us no favours dropping two in a row to Boston.

 

[DFC]

Buffalo did us no favours dropping two in a row to Boston.

Ottawa's in tough today vs. Washington, in Washington. If the Caps can do us a favor, Ottawa's within reach.

 

[Maelmoor]

Despite all problems we had (have..), division lead is "only" 8 points away

 

[The Gongshow]

Boyle leading the team to victory

 

[Flat Ronnie]

Boyle leading the team to victory

Him and Hedman have been our MVPs for the past month.

Btw...Hedman has really picked it up on the PP.

 

[Five Alarm Fire]

1/3 Jets
1/5 Preds
1/7 @Flyers
1/8 @Pens (B2B)
1/12 Sabres
1/13 Blue Jackets (B2B)

Plenty of winnable games, but the tail ends of those back to backs are brutal matchups.

 

[MattM92]

1/3 Jets
1/5 Preds
1/7 @Flyers
1/8 @Pens (B2B)
1/12 Sabres
1/13 Blue Jackets (B2B)

Plenty of winnable games, but the tail ends of those back to backs are brutal matchups.

At the point where we need to win 5 of those games. So hard to make up ground in this league. Even just a few points takes some work. Just because we win doesn't mean everyone else loses.

 

[DFC]

Ottawa lost to the Caps, so they blew one of their two games at hand. They're still two points up. The Flyers are kind of within reach now too, for the Wild Card, with three more points, but us with a game at hand. Bad news is the Leafs are streaking upward, and are still just one point back of us, two games at hand.

So:

2. Ottawa -- 37 GP; 44 PTS
3. Boston -- 39 GP; 44 PTS
4. Tampa Bay -- 38 GP; 42 PTS
5. Toronto -- 36 GP; 41 PTS

And Philly, holding onto the final Wild Card position: 39 GP; 45 PTS

It's also worth noting that we're slightly ahead of where we were last year at this time.

 

[DFC]

NJ clinging to a one goal lead, halfway through the game vs. Boston.

 

[Todd1a]

NJ clinging to a one goal lead, halfway through the game vs. Boston.

Come on devils

 

[DFC]

2-0 nj

 

[DFC]

NJ wins, OP updated, we've now gained a point on Boston over the last three games.

Tonight's game is a chance to actually make up big ground.

Can't believe I'm gonna say this, but I hope Callahan's back. We could use the extra PP he brings.

 

[Hoek]

The extra PK even more...

 

[DFC]

The extra PK even more...

It was a "Callahan dives" joke.

But yeah. We could use him right about now, whatever it is he has left. And 27-51-24 isn't a bad second line, on paper.

Hoping to see Erne make his NHL debut tonight. Our AHL-watchers have said his play has turned around over the last few weeks.

 

[PRZ45MD]

It was a "Callahan dives" joke.

But yeah. We could use him right about now, whatever it is he has left. And 27-51-24 isn't a bad second line, on paper.

Hoping to see Erne make his NHL debut tonight. Our AHL-watchers have said his play has turned around over the last few weeks.

Cooper confirmed it. Cally is probable and Erne will be playing tonight.

 

[The Gongshow]

The Toronto Maple Leafs are now ahead of us in the standings.... god help us

 

[DFC]

We need Edmonton to beat Boston.

 

[Kramerica Industries]

Yet another loss at home to a team the Lightning had every expectation to beat coming in. Colorado, Vancouver, not Winnipeg. Good job, guys.