Stamkos these playoffs?

[The Macho King]

Correct me if I'm wrong, Tampa fans, but his linemates have changed from the first round, right? Seems like he's got his offence back since being put back on Filppula's wing. The times he looked really bad against Detroit he was playing with Killorn and Callahan, wasn't he?

Yeah he was moved to win with Killorn and Flip. He's been able to get a bit more room to skate, which is nice. However it does gut our bottom six without Flip as 3C.

 

[zeykshade]

Correct me if I'm wrong, Tampa fans, but his linemates have changed from the first round, right? Seems like he's got his offence back since being put back on Filppula's wing. The times he looked really bad against Detroit he was playing with Killorn and Callahan, wasn't he?

Yes. He's playing an interesting Wing though. If you watch the games where he's been on Filppula's right, he actually does the defensive assignments of a Center for the most part. It's not uncommon to see him behind Bishop helping out the D.

He's played a lot better as the playoffs have gone along. Cally has been mainly invisible since game 7 in DET.

 

[Anglesmith]

Yeah he was moved to win with Killorn and Flip. He's been able to get a bit more room to skate, which is nice. However it does gut our bottom six without Flip as 3C.

True, but not putting a playmaker on a line with Stamkos kind of guts your top 6, right? Boyle and Callahan should be able to make sure the bottom-6 doesn't get routed.

 

[JT Kreider]

True, but not putting a playmaker on a line with Stamkos kind of guts your top 6, right? Boyle and Callahan should be able to make sure the bottom-6 doesn't get routed.

When Boyle was out in Game 1, the Lightning's bottom six got abused.

 

[The Macho King]

True, but not putting a playmaker on a line with Stamkos kind of guts your top 6, right? Boyle and Callahan should be able to make sure the bottom-6 doesn't get routed.

Well I think the issue with Bolts fans is we have a certain playmaker that has shown chemistry with Stamkos that hasn't gotten a shot on his wing, but that's academic at this point. You're right, he needs a guy that can get him the puck. It just kind of peeves me that it takes one of our greatest strengths - arguably the best C depth in the league, and turns it into a weakness, or at best no longer a strength.

 

[blankall]

In game #2 Johnson was a top level sniper, but Stamkos was still doing lots of things that Johnson wasn't. Stamkos clearly has the more complete game. Stamkos was snakebitten in the first series, but it's hardly time to declare him DOA.

Stamkos has 12 points in 15 games, despite the slow start. It's an effect of small sample size. He had 3-4 bad games, and now his numbers are slightly behind.

 

[The Macho King]

In game #2 Johnson was a top level sniper, but Stamkos was still doing lots of things that Johnson wasn't. Stamkos clearly has the more complete game. Stamkos was snakebitten in the first series, but it's hardly time to declare him DOA.

Stamkos has 12 points in 15 games, despite the slow start. It's an effect of small sample size. He had 3-4 bad games, and now his numbers are slightly behind.

Ummm... no way does Stamkos have a more complete game than Johnson. Johnson is excellent defensively and an absolute stud on the PK - Stamkos is serviceable defender and never sees time shorthanded. If Stamkos isn't outscoring Johnson, Johnson is our best player.

 

[zeykshade]

In game #2 Johnson was a top level sniper, but Stamkos was still doing lots of things that Johnson wasn't. Stamkos clearly has the more complete game. Stamkos was snakebitten in the first series, but it's hardly time to declare him DOA.

Stamkos has 12 points in 15 games, despite the slow start. It's an effect of small sample size. He had 3-4 bad games, and now his numbers are slightly behind.

This post started off very poorly and rounded back into decent as it went along...kinda like Stamkos.

 

[pm88]

A few things:

Never the same after injury.
Non favorable line mates.
Added pressure from being Captain?

He's really not having a horrible playoffs, Johnson is just playing better and also playing with better linemates.

what injury did he have again?

 

[Doublechin]

Hey guys, I'll step out of the closet and say it.

Johnson has become the better player, through out most of this year and mainly the playoffs.

 

[bert]

Stammer has lost a step after injury. It is clear he can't do what he used to do easily. When you lose your wheels you are near the end in todays nhl.

Karlsson's skating is still improving, i know its not the injury but horrific injuries take a long time to get better from. Stamkos will continue to improve, I think its hilarious that anyone is writing him off after his bad season scoring 70+ points and 40+ goals.

 

[AlphaCatalyst]

what injury did he have again?

I am hoping this is sarcasm but just in case it's not.

 

[Sky04]

In game #2 Johnson was a top level sniper, but Stamkos was still doing lots of things that Johnson wasn't. Stamkos clearly has the more complete game. Stamkos was snakebitten in the first series, but it's hardly time to declare him DOA.

Stamkos has 12 points in 15 games, despite the slow start. It's an effect of small sample size. He had 3-4 bad games, and now his numbers are slightly behind.

Do you know who Cooper had on the ice in a 5 on 3?

Stamkos isn't half the 2 way player Johnson is

 

[Hoek]

Stamkos is no longer shockingly bad like he was at the start of the playoffs. Hopefully he keeps coming on stronger like we all know he can. The good thing is he's an honest assessor of his own performance, so I'm not that worried long term. I think he's also adjusting to having the C and is slowly growing into it.

 

[Flat Ronnie]

You know what I don't get from all my fellow Lightning fans is that they don't contribute a lot of Johnson's success to his linemates.

He is playing with the 3rd and 4th best weapons we have.

It's the whole line that creates such amazing opportunities.

We saw towards the end of the season when we had some injures that Johnson and others weren't clicking like they did when they are all together.

I love Johnson. He is an amazing talent, but I hate how our fan base has so quickly thrown Stamkos to the side as if he has somehow been dethroned.

Johnson has a long time before he accomplishes what Stamkos has (although his playoff performance this year has been second to none).

Remember, people were ready to throw Ovechkin away after his performance last year. Look how that turned out!

 

[blankall]

Do you know who Cooper had on the ice in a 5 on 3?

Stamkos isn't half the 2 way player Johnson is

Was referring to more complete offensive game. Johnson is a great finisher, but Stamkos is the better play maker and opportunity creator.

Johnson might put up close to 40 goals in a season, but he'll never put up 90 points.

 

[The Macho King]

Was referring to more complete offensive game. Johnson is a great finisher, but Stamkos is the better play maker and opportunity creator.

Johnson might put up close to 40 goals in a season, but he'll never put up 90 points.

He's doubling down on 16 folks.

 

[Bieber fever]

he has past his offensive prime

 

[DFC]

Karlsson's skating is still improving, i know its not the injury but horrific injuries take a long time to get better from. Stamkos will continue to improve, I think its hilarious that anyone is writing him off after his bad season scoring 70+ points and 40+ goals.

No one's writing Stamkos off. We're just being honest with what happened this year. He didn't look good. It wasn't physical. He looked downright confused on the ice sometimes. He passed the puck directly into the boards as if he'd just seen a ghost with a hockey stick. Multiple times.

Now, all that said, let me say again: No one's writing him off. We're just frustrated, and a little nervous because his contract is coming up. And very few people seem to realize that his play in these playoffs has been a mirror image of his play throughout the season. Good at times, great at times, but mostly mediocre and occasionally downright awful.

 

[The Macho King]

Fine...you win...Stamkos blows.

No one's saying he blows (well, I have from time to time). We're just saying your scouting report couldn't be further from correct. In fact, it's the exact opposite of correct.

I love the guys that have watched four Tampa games all season making statements about what type of player so and so is, and when corrected by the guys that have watched them for... well, coming up on 100 games now they get defensive about it.

 

[DFC]

You know what I don't get from all my fellow Lightning fans is that they don't contribute a lot of Johnson's success to his linemates.

He is playing with the 3rd and 4th best weapons we have.

It's the whole line that creates such amazing opportunities.

We saw towards the end of the season when we had some injures that Johnson and others weren't clicking like they did when they are all together.

I love Johnson. He is an amazing talent, but I hate how our fan base has so quickly thrown Stamkos to the side as if he has somehow been dethroned.

Johnson has a long time before he accomplishes what Stamkos has (although his playoff performance this year has been second to none).

Remember, people were ready to throw Ovechkin away after his performance last year. Look how that turned out!

No one's throwing Stamkos away. But you have to realize that this is how it works. Stamkos didn't score 60 goals playing with some bum on his right wing. He was playing with a great player who helped him get to that mark. Johnson's linemates definitely help him, but there are many reasons beyond simple offensive production as to why he was our best player wire-to-wire this year. Here's a big one: Stamkos made more mistakes in any given week than Johnson made all year.

 

[Sky04]

No one's writing Stamkos off. We're just being honest with what happened this year. He didn't look good. It wasn't physical. He looked downright confused on the ice sometimes. He passed the puck directly into the boards as if he'd just seen a ghost with a hockey stick. Multiple times.

Now, all that said, let me say again: No one's writing him off. We're just frustrated, and a little nervous because his contract is coming up. And very few people seem to realize that his play in these playoffs has been a mirror image of his play throughout the season. Good at times, great at times, but mostly mediocre and occasionally downright awful.

And to be fair to Stamkos, this isn't how he normally is in any other season. The types of decisions and plays he made this year were horrendously bad but they were pretty much isolated to this year, he has never been this bad at defense, passing and turnovers outside of this year, if this were 2-3 years ago he'd probably get a pass from the fans, but HUGE contract coming up, no more MSL and upcoming key players in need of a raise? Of course people are worried about his play.

 

[Bathcat]

I thought Stamkos looked dangerous once he was switched to RW. Maybe keep him there?

 

[Flat Ronnie]

Our fan base absolutely was ready to throw him away this year. All you gotta do is go back and look at all the game day threads and the rediculous crap people were saying.

He did have a bad year for his standards. I can't excuse the bone head plays he made. With that said, who else on the team would be able to produce what he did with the mosh posh of linemates he had? Killorn, Cally, Filppula etc. are great but none of them are as dynamic as Kucherov or Palat.

I lot of Johnson's success can be attributed to Palat and Kucherov. Hell, there was a thread before the playoffs that asked if you had to keep one of Palat or Johnson who would it be and the majority of people chose Palat.

That is the best line in hockey because they are ALL great. They click. It works, and they all feed off each other. Can't teach that.

Johnson is an exceptional talent and we are lucky to have him, but Stamkos is rare. Dude has been our star for 5+ year, breaks his leg, comes back and has one bad season and everyone craps on him.

Johnson may one day be better than Stamkos but he has to prove some longevity. He's off to a great start and is more valuable on special teams.

The negativity towards Stamkos this year has been kinda rediculous.

What have you done for me lately, I guess...

 

[supsens]

I have read all the Stamkos posts this season and didn't watch him till this series, first thing I noticed is that he is a lot better without the puck then I remember, second thing is he needs someone on his level to play with. He makes some nice plays that his team does nothing with and I don't see anyone handing him the puck all that often.
The problem with Johnson is that shooting % is going to come way down so I would expect some games with no goals.. at that point you will be happy to have Stamkos in the weeds