Everyone was drinking the Kool-Aid and now we’re left with hiccups.
This phenomenon was not limited to Tampa Bay Lightning fans, as many pundits tabbed the Bolts a legitimate threat. It’s easy to see why, with a marquee player in each position, solid depth throughout the lineup and rookies that appeared impervious to pressure, the Lightning could defeat anyone.(Photos/Susan Ferlita)
Obviously that didn’t happen. But why?
Deep doesn’t mean good
This is particularly true with the defense corps. Victor Hedman is a top pair defenseman, but beyond that, it becomes very muddled. Players like Eric Brewer, Radko Gudas and Matt Carle are all excellent defenders with second pair minutes, but even a slight increase in ice time degrades their game heavily. Mike Kostka played well, but is no more than a third pairing guy. Mark Barberio and Keith Aulie, when in the lineup, were prone to rookie mistakes. Instead of 1-2-3-4-5-6, the Lightning’s talent is more akin to 1-3-4-5-6-6. The future looks bright, but the blue line is still a heavy area of concern.
Injuries
This pairs nicely with the depth issue. Not counting Steven Stamkos (even after his return) or Ben Bishop, it was clear that players like Valtteri Filppula and Tyler Johnson were not 100% at the end of the season. It’s safe to assume that those injuries carried over to the playoffs. Ondrej Palat missed time and while we have heard about the extent of some injuries (Ben Bishop’s dislocated elbow and ligament damage), there are likely many we’ll never hear about.
System allegiance
Everyone seems to be in agreement that Jon Cooper got out-coached in the series. While that may be true, there comes a point when the players playing the game have to do something different to make things happen. Montreal expertly took Tampa Bay’s game away from them and the players seemed unwilling or unable to adequately adjust.
In the end, the Lightning’s future is bright. The team is young and the franchise has developed a good pipeline of prospects. There is room for growth at all levels of the organization. It just hurts to see months of positive play go up in flames in the playoffs.
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