The Tampa Bay Lightning appear to be in a little bit of trouble, or at least by their standards, as they’ve now lost eight of their last 14 games after a 6-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night. While a 6-7-1 record doesn’t seem too bad, it’s not as great when only four of those six wins have come in regulation, and you’re trying to compete with three other excellent teams in your division.
But, this is the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions we’re talking about. They know how to flip the switch and get hot when they need to, and with there being practically no threat of losing their playoff spot, there isn’t the urgency to put in 110% and risk an injury with the playoffs right around the corner.
On Tuesday’s Daily Faceoff Show, Frank Seravalli and Mike McKenna talk about their level of concern for the Lightning on a scale of 1-10, and whether they think this is a team that’s struggling or coasting.
Mike McKenna: “I’m probably at a 6, 6.5 with the Lightning. It really is about flipping the switch for them, and the core belief of that club is who they have in goal, Andrei Vasilevskiy. He’s the X-factor that everybody knows can step up and steal games and drive that team forward, and to me he’s still played well over this span.
"The Lightning have just hit a lull. They haven’t been great, they’ve been okay, but okay’s not good enough. And I look at Vasilevskiy in the last ten games, and he’s allowed two goals or less five times, three or less eight of the 10 games. There’s been a couple blowups recently, and that can happen.
"For me with Tampa, it’s just when their head’s in the game. When there’s mental mistakes, when they’re turning pucks over, when they haven’t been hard enough to play against, that’s when they’ve lost. And you have to worry, are they complacent, or is it just a lull?
"And that’s where I think it’s just a lull. I think they have all the firepower and experience to be able to turn it back on. But they really need to get that going here, because the next thing you know, we’re going to be walking into the playoffs, and if you’re not playing well headed in, I don’t like your chances no matter what.”
Frank Seravalli: “Julien BriseBois has had the magic touch in Tampa, is there any chance they did a little bit too much tinkering? I think we all kind of universally liked their additions of Nick Paul and Brandon Hagel at the deadline.
"They paid a significant price for both of them, but you look at their returns, Mathieu Joseph leaves their team. I’ve been saying this forever with Mathieu Joseph, you can pencil that guy in for 25 goals when he’s given the opportunity. Taylor Raddysh goes to Chicago, he’s got five points in nine games. Those two guys that have departed are outscoring the guys that are incoming.
"And sometimes it can be hard to adjust to expectations on a new team, and fit in with a new group and find that chemistry right away. Is there any chance that the Lightning maybe did a little too much at the deadline?”
Mike McKenna: “I don’t think so, I don’t want to look at this with revisionist. I think with Joseph and Raddysh going to teams that frankly aren’t very good, they’re playing a lot of minutes in a lot of elevated positions that they would’ve had with a bad team compared to Tampa.
"And your factoring Hagel and Paul into similar roles. I think Hagel has had a bit of a tougher time, Paul to me has fit in a little bit better there, but there’s still a bit of runway there. And we have to remember it’s still been less than a month, a couple weeks.
"I think that’ll be fine, but I think that scoring output really is just indicative of the opportunity Joseph and Raddysh have had, and I’d expect Hagel to come along with the Lightning as well.”
Frank Seravalli: “I think the tough part that the Lightning gave up, obviously a fantastic contract in Hagel that they’re getting back, Nick Paul is a pending unrestricted free agent, but those guys that they gave up in Raddysh, and Katchouk, and Mathieu Joseph were all on unbelievable contracts that fit their group, and solid stout players, which is why those other teams wanted them. They see for an opportunity for them to continue to flourish and grow their game.”
You can watch the full video here…
More must-reads: