Tampa Bay Lightning G Ben Bishop: ‘Nobody Is Going To Feel Bad For Us’

After dropping an ugly loss to the visiting Vancouver Canucks on Thursday, the Tampa Bay Lightning took another step back and goaltender Ben Bishop shared his thoughts following the game.

There is going to be a point when something needs to be said about the current state of the Tampa Bay Lightning and what direction the team is going in. The question at the moment is, “When is enough, enough?” I’m not sure what the feeling is in the locker room, but I can imagine that question has been thrown around and I’d think everyone in there has had enough.

If we look back through the first quarter of the season, one could say the Tampa Bay Lightning had its ups and downs, and the team as whole “just survived.” Sure, the Lightning won four in a row on the road after captain Steven Stamkos went down with an injury last month and most fans thought that streak was the sign of a turning point, or a glimmer of hope, after a slow and inconsistent start to the year.

Now, Tampa Bay Lightning is in the midst of another ugly stretch of games and the team is on the outside looking in, by the thinnest of margins, though. However, if this team continues to slide and only strings together a couple of wins at a time for the rest of the season, the chances of making the playoffs will decrease by the day.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Currently, the Lightning sit only two points behind the Boston Bruins for third in the Atlantic Division, which is the same position the team was in before the game on Thursday. Fortunately, the Lightning didn’t slip in the standings following the loss against the Vancouver Canucks, but the team could quickly if things don’t start to change.

At the moment, only five points separate the Lightning and the last place team in the division, which is the Toronto Maple Leafs. Some teams can get hot and make up the difference in the matter of a few games, and if the Tampa Bay Lightning continue to go in this direction, this downward spiral, who knows where they’ll be come April.

I don’t mean to sound negative, but I know this team can do better, much better. Sure, we can blame the injuries for some of the inconsistency and poor play as of late, but right now, only two of its main starters are out. One of those players, Ryan Callahan, will be back in the lineup as soon as next week.

Yes, this team is missing Stamkos, but there’s no excuse. The Tampa Bay Lightning is loaded with depth on the main roster and in the AHL with the Syracuse Crunch. Several players from the Crunch have been called up and filled in nicely in lieu of the injured starters.

Goaltender Ben Bishop, who suffered his 10th loss of the season last night, spoke about the game and mentioned that “it’s time for us to step up here. Nobody is going to feel bad for us.”

He’s right. No one is going to feel bad about what the Lightning is going through right now. It has been an inconsistent season for Tampa Bay’s top netminder and the rest of the team, and the hope is that the team will turn the page in the next few games (I honestly feel like a broken record saying that).

Looking back to last weekend, the Lightning took down a former division rival and one of the NHL’s elite teams in the Washington Capitals on Saturday, and it looked like one of its best games of the season. The Lightning earned a 2-1 shootout victory over the Capitals and then traveled to North Carolina to take on the Carolina Hurricanes the next day. In a way, it seemed like the team finally figured things out, especially after that dismal four-game losing streak.

Tampa Bay fell in overtime and dropped a 1-0 decision to the Canes. The Lightning would get a much needed three-day break before its next game at home against Vancouver. And as you may have heard, the team lost 5-1 to one of the league’s lowest scoring teams. It was not pretty.

It’s not like the Lightning didn’t come out hard or anything, but going down 0-2 in the first period isn’t great and that has been a consistent theme over the course of the season thus far. Slow starts and early deficits have plagued Tampa Bay and those things are telling signs in the team’s overall record.

Related Story: Lightning Fall Hard To Canucks

When all was said and done, the Tampa Bay Lightning put up a season-high 41 shots on opposing goaltender Ryan Miller and the Canucks but could only manage one goal. At times, Miller looked unstoppable and he put on one of his best performances of the season last night. The offense may have been trying, but the early deficit hurt.

Meanwhile, we saw some suspect defense on the ice and the last second goal to end the period, scored by Canucks forward Jayson Megna, may have been the worst. It was lazy and inexcusable, and the Lightning should never have allowed a 2-on-1 like that to end the period. Megna’s goal put Vancouver up 4-1 and it basically put the game away, though it felt like the game was over before that.

Before I go too far, I just want to say that something needs to change. A change in philosophy, a change in preparation, a change in something. Heck, maybe a trade needs to happen. Whatever works. The schedule doesn’t get any easier, as the reigning Stanley Cup Champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins, will be in town tomorrow for an Eastern Conference Finals rematch. The Penguins will no doubt be fired up and want to extend the four-game win streak its on right now.

Next: Tampa Bay Lightning Fall Hard In Loss To Vancouver Canucks

I’m aware that the Tampa Bay Lightning has played on the road quite a bit already, and there will be another quick trip coming up next week in Western Canada. But, despite that fact and everything surrounding this team, there needs to come a point when the men in that locker room say “enough is enough.” Can we expect a different outcome and performance on Saturday? I don’t know, but I sure hope so.