Five Things The Tampa Bay Lightning Need To Do To Get Back On Track

Oct 29, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA;Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91) skates with the puck as Colorado Avalanche defenseman Francois Beauchemin (32) defneds during the second period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

3. Be Unpredictable

When a player charges down the ice with the puck and their teammates are bringing up their flank, the onus of making the stop ultimately falls on the defense and the goaltender to make the stop. At the same time, the onus of putting the puck in the back of the net falls on the sticks of the team charging down the ice into the offensive zone.

Unfortunately, where things get a little difficult for the team charging down the ice is when their execution is quickly halted by the opposing team. How does something like this happen so easily? It is when the team (the Lightning for example) are entirely too predictable.

One of the main reasons the Boston Bruins had the Tampa Bay Lightning beat dead to rights on Halloween Night at the Amalie Arena is because they were entirely too predictable. Play after play, the Lightning would continue to set things up directly in front of the net. After the first couple of times, the Bruins knew exactly what they were going to do and when they were going to do it. This made their job like taking candy from a baby.

One of the best things a team like the Tampa Bay Lightning can do to blow through their opponent’s defenses and beat even the most elite of goaltenders is to be completely unpredictable. What does this mean, you may ask? This means making the ugly goals, coming at the net from all sides, and taking the shot that absolutely no defenseman would ever believe they would take.

In addition to this, when they shoot the puck the Lightning need to be ready and waiting for the rebound. A goaltender like Montreal Canadiens netminder Carey Price or Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford may be able to make the initial stop, but when the puck continues to come at them like a flurry of bullets in an all-night battle of Call of Duty, one of them is bound to make their way into the back of the net.

Next: 2. More Bombs From The Blue Line