Tampa Bay Lightning: How Does The Team Get Back On Track?

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In this week’s edition of the Bolts By The Bay Round Table, we take a closer look at the struggles the Tampa Bay Lightning have been going through and what’s needed to get back on track.

The 2016-17 season has definitely been everything other than what the Tampa Bay Lightning and their fans expected when the first puck dropped on October 13, 2016. In the beginning, the Lightning was believed to be the team to beat when it came to winning the Stanley Cup this season.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before an insane amount of injuries began to plague some of the key members of the team. One by one, it seemed as if half of the team has spent at least a couple of days on the Lightning’s dreaded injury list. In fact, injuries have essentially claimed the Lightning’s entire leadership core.

While there have been some glimmers of hope throughout the course of the season, like the team’s amazing 5-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on January 24^th at the United Center in Chicago, there have been plenty of nights where Lightning fans have thrown their hands in the air in disbelief.

It is the latter moments which have left Lightning fans bewildered and asking themselves, what does the team need to do in order to get back on track and have any hopes of salvaging the season? This particular question is essentially the most difficult question facing the team right now.

Why is it so cumbersome, you may ask? Well…the answer is simple. If this were a simple fix, people like Tampa Bay Lightning Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman and/or Lightning Head Coach Jon Cooper would’ve come up with the solution a long time ago.

While no one here at Bolts By The Bay professes to know more than Steve Yzerman or Jon Cooper when it comes to what is good for the team, sometimes an outside opinion can create the spark needed to formulate a plan; one that just might work.

So, in this week’s edition of the Bolts By The Bay Round Table, we are going to take a closer look at the less-favorable moments of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s season thus far and give our take on what we believe the Lightning must do in order to get back on track and have any chance of salvaging their season.

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

By: Tasha St. Pierre – Bolts By The Bay Site Expert

The Tampa Bay Lightning has definitely had their ups and downs this season. Unfortunately, it is the downs that seem to have taken hold in the minds and hearts of both the Tampa Bay Lightning and their fans.

The 2016-17 season is shaping up to be one of the worst seasons in recent history. The injuries continue to pile up and the team can’t seem to put together a decent winning streak of their life depended on it. The main reason this is so disturbing is the pure amount of raw talent the Lightning have in their system.

Players like Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov, Ondrej Palat, and Alex Killorn have all played at the highest level in the National Hockey League, while players like Slater Koekkoek, Luke Witkowski, and Brayden Point have all just tasted the higher level action. What is it that connects all these players…talent and a desire to win.

So, why have the Tampa Bay Lightning been experiencing the deep-rooted issues they have this season, and what does the team need to do in order to get back on track. From where this Lightning fan is seated high on the terrace level of the Amalie Arena, the answer is quite simple.

The biggest detractor from the success of the Tampa Bay Lightning this season has been consistency. Out of the 51 games the team has played thus far, the Lightning has allowed their opponents to score first a whopping 32 times. This means 62.7 percent of the time, the Lightning allows their opponents to score first.

While this may seem pretty consistent, mainly for the wrong reasons, it is actually a staggering blow. The Lightning tends to find themselves in one of two categories. They either come out of the tunnel with a vicious aggression only to fizzle out somewhere in the second period or they come out of the tunnel very lackadaisical and find themselves chasing their tails in the third period hoping to wrestle a win away from their opponent.

In order for the team to find their center, get back to basics, and most importantly, start winning games, the team simply must find some semblance of consistency. How can they accomplish this? Well…

The first thing will be to come out of the tunnel prepared to win a game. While we would hope this is a no-brainer for a player, sometimes it seems as if they need to be reminded.

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The second is to set the tone very early. They don’t want to set the bar too high in the beginning as to not burn themselves out around the halfway point in the game. At the same time, the team wants to establish some sort of dominance or their control of the pace of the game will be quickly taken away.

The third, and this is more than likely the most important aspect of the entire plan, they need to continue to play at this pace for a whole 60 minutes. There have been far too many times this season when the Lightning has gotten off to a magnificent pace only to put on the brakes in the second or third and watch as their lead dwindled away to nothing.

The only thing more heartbreaking than a loss is a loss in a game you should’ve won.

Another thing the Lightning needs to do in order to get back on track is to be much more aggressive with the puck. As the old saying goes, “the best defense a team can have is a strong offense.” In other words, if the opponent doesn’t have control of the puck, they can’t very well put it in the back of the net, can they?

There have been far too many times this season where Lightning netminders Ben Bishop and Andrei Vasilevskiy have been hung out to dry by their teammates. While the goalies have made 40+ stops in any given game, the Lightning’s offense has had trouble mustering 1-2 goals.

The netminders seem to always catch the brunt of the negativity when it comes to a loss, but the simple fact of the matter is, the goaltender can make 60+ stops every single game, but if the offense can’t manage to put the puck in the back of the net, they have absolutely zero chance of bringing home a victory.

Despite the injuries to the team, the Lightning has everything they need in order to be successful at their disposal right now. It will be on Jon Cooper to put the puzzle pieces in the right order, and it will be on the players to lace up their skates and get the job done.

If both sides can handle their little piece of the puzzle, the Lightning may have a chance of salvaging the season. If even one piece of the Lightning’s well-oiled machine falters, it could prove to be the end of the line for the once dominant Tampa Bay Lightning.

By: Chase Kimball – Bolts By The Bay Contributor

It’s no secret, the Tampa Bay Lightning is in a bit of a slump right now. Actually, it’s a bit more than a slump. If the Bolts don’t get it together, they could go from contending for the cup to missing the playoffs in one disappointing season.

The Lightning has lacked consistency all season long. Aside from injuries, a lack of consistency has been what has killed the Lightning so far. One game they might play like it’s Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final while the next night they’ll play like they haven’t won a game in a month.

Because of this, the Tampa Bay Lightning haven’t been able to get in a groove and play their game hardly at all this season.

In order to win on any given night, the offense, defense, and goalie must be playing the best they can and work together efficiently. This seems obvious, but it’s much easier said than done.

There have been games where Ben Bishop or Andrei Vasilevskiy have played their heart out and the defense has been his defense, but the offense wasn’t able to get on the board. Likewise, some games the defense has absolutely left the netminders out to dry, making even the most miraculous of comebacks impossible.

If one link in the chain isn’t performing, the entire thing falls apart.

Lately, it seems that something hasn’t been clicking on one front or another for the Lightning. Consistency has to be found. The Bolts have to fall in some groove or another so they can plan around the way they are playing. If the Lightning can’t find some kind of consistency in their play, they are facing an unceremoniously early end to their season.

By: Michael Troy – Bolts By The Bay Contributor

The Tampa Bay Lightning have had a tough season. But, the damage done is fixable.

If the back-to-back series against the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks are any indicator, the Bolts can hold their own defensively. If they can continue to shut down high-powered offenses, when the scoring returns they’ll be a force again.

Ben Bishop has been stellar minus his two mental lapses in both games, the one in Anaheim costing the Lightning a 1-0 win. If he can dial in emotionally and keep playing well, he can single-handedly bring the Bolts back into contention.

Once the speedy Brayden Point returns, the Lightning should become dynamic offensively again. I don’t think a trade is necessary at this point in the season. Only if the defensive woes continue should the Bolts make a deal for a defenseman. If the back-to-back turns out not to be a fluke, they have a good chance to make the playoffs.

I’m not in panic mode about this season yet. We know the potential the Lightning have, and they haven’t reached it so far. I believe this road trip can be a spark to propel the Bolts into the playoff picture if they keep playing well.

Now is not the time for rash decisions, but to let the team work once the injuries subside. If they have a consistent lineup, the Lightning can make a run at the postseason. And if they manage to make it, everyone in the league had better be ready.

Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /

By: Tasha St. Pierre – Bolts By The Bay Site Expert

Judging by what the Bolts By The Bay Staff had to say on the matter, it seems as if consistency – whether it be offensively, defensively, or pace-setting – is going to be key to the Tampa Bay Lightning’s success moving forward.