10-Game Segment Three: This was a tough one for the Lightning. They entered the Game 21-30 Segment one point off playoff pace. After absorbing a 4-6-0 record during the segment, however, they are now five points back of playoff pace.
No matter how you want to view the standings, the Lightning are in a precarious spot. Their point total puts them in the mix of teams bunched around the two Wildcard spots, but their points percentage is well below many of the clubs around them. Meaning that those other teams have games in hand on Tampa Bay.
As detailed in last month’s Musings column, the just-completed segment was going to be a challenging one for the Lightning. And it was. They played seven of the 10 games on the road, and the contests took place in four different time zones. They won two of the three home games but dropped five of the seven road contests.
The schedule for Games 31-40 includes an even split of five home games and five road contests. They’ve been an excellent home team so far this year, so a strong finish to their current road trip could set them up for success in this upcoming segment.
Continuing Defensive Struggles: Unfortunately, this has been an ongoing issue for the Lightning. They are allowing too many goals. Entering play on Wednesday, the Lightning rank 30th in team defense. Only the New Jersey Devils and San Jose Sharks have a higher goals allowed per game average than Tampa Bay.
There hasn’t been just one reason for this problem, although turnovers have cost the Lightning dearly in many of their games. In addition, there’ve been coverage breakdowns, goals allowed in bunches, and at times, some bad luck. More recently, the penalty kill, which started the year quite well, has been leaking oil. During their current five-game trip, the Lightning have allowed at least one opposition power-play goal in each of the first three games.
Simply put, the Lightning need to reduce their GA/G number. The good news is that they’ve demonstrated an ability to defend well. Ironically, it was in the rough Game 21-30 segment that the Lightning delivered three of their best defensive performances of the season: an 8-2 win at Carolina, a 4-0 victory over Dallas, and a 3-1 triumph against Pittsburgh. In those contests, the Lightning checked hard, avoided costly turnovers, protected the front of their net, and limited opposition scoring chances.
So they are capable of it. Now they need to go out and do it. Consistently.
Kucherov’s Brilliant Season: While it has been an uneven opening 30 games for the Lightning as a team, it has not been an uneven campaign for their leading scorer. In the words of Jon Cooper, Nikita Kucherov is playing better now than he did in his 2018-19 MVP season. That’s when he led the league with 128 points. This year, with 47 points through 29 games (he missed one game due to illness), he is on pace to surpass that mark.
Kucherov has been dominant, especially since the beginning of November. That was a month in which he amassed 28 points in 14 games. Not only does he currently lead the NHL in points, power-play assists, power-play points, and shots on goal, he also ranks among league leaders in overall goals, overall assists, and power-play goals. Opposition defenders are keying on him; it hasn’t made a difference.
Throughout his career, Kucherov has been one of the best players in the league. Incredibly, he has reached an even higher level this season. That’s a testament to his immense skill and dedication to his craft.
