The Tampa Bay Lightning are 2-0 after two thrilling overtime wins this week against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night and the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night.
Yes, they are 2-0 in the second half of the season. And that’s how you approach things as the final 40 games commence.
Brandon Hagel, who had a goal and an assist in the victory on Tuesday night, summed it up this way: “It’s just kind of a new season. Obviously, we can deal with the 41 games that have already happened. We are where we are. But it starts now. No one talks about how you started; it’s how you finish. For us in this room, it’s kind of a fresh start. We’ve got 41 games to make that push.”
Saturday night is another opportunity for the Lightning to get another two points as they take on the Anaheim Ducks. In a game, the Bolts should put in the win column.
Lightning History Indicates A Strong Finish To The Season
The Lightning finished the first half of the season a disappointing 19-17-5 and are on the verge of missing the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons.
In 2004 and 2020, when the Lightning won the Stanley Cup, they were also mediocre in the first half of the season.
In 2004, the Lightning were 19-15-6-1 at the midpoint of the season before going on a winning streak that got them back in the playoff race.
And in 2020, the Bolts started the season 17-13-4 before going on a 10 game winning streak. That season ended with the Lightning hoisting the franchise’s second Stanley Cup.
After 42 games this season, the Lightning are in the same position as those two teams from yesteryear that brought Stanley Cups to Tampa. They are 20-17-5 and have been written off by many on making the playoffs.
It’s not how you start the season that people remember; it’s how you finish that everyone will remember and talk about.
The Lightning have been mediocre and sometimes painful to watch up to this point in the season. The team has been inconsistent with an incredible game one night, and then they look like a team that has never played together the next night.
So, what do the Lightning need to do to go on a run and get into a good playoff position?
Three Things That Must Improve In The Second Half Of The Season
Better play defensively.
I understand the injuries to Sergachev and Cernak and having some blue-liners learning the NHL game on the fly.
But even before the injuries, this team was a disappointment defensively. The system employed by Jeff Blashill has been a disaster some nights, and guys are still struggling to learn where to be on the ice.
This will have to improve in the second half of the season for the Lightning to make a serious playoff push.
Get more balanced scoring.
Most of the scoring comes from the top six of Kucherov, Stamkos, Point, Hagel, and Nick Paul on any given night.
That has to change moving forward. If your top six gets into a scoring slump and your bottom two lines cannot provide any production, that won’t get you into the playoffs.
It was nice to see Nick Perbix with the game-winner on Tuesday in OT and Darryn Raddysh get the OT game-winner on Thursday. But Alex Barre-Boulet, Tyler Motte, Luke Glendening, Tanner Jeannot, and the rest of the bottom six have to produce more scoring.
Better goaltending.
We have not seen the Vezina-winning Andrei Vasilevskiy yet this season. Vasi began the season recuperating from off-season back surgery and has had to play himself into game shape without the benefit of training camp or preseason games.
We may not see Vasileviskiy 100 percent this season. He is letting in many goals that he would have stopped in the past. Vasi has to improve if the Lightning are to go on another deep playoff run.
The Lightning began the second half of the season with two wins and are 2-0, with Anaheim on Deck Saturday, followed by a visit from the Minnesota Wild next week.
Despite winning three out of four, the Lightning are still one point out of a playoff spot. The Lightning must be sharp and play with playoff intensity every night because every game is a playoff game starting now.
That is a lot to ask, but that is the situation the Lightning have put themselves in.