Stanley Cup Playoffs 2018: Can Tampa Bay Lighting turn on the switch?

Can the Tampa Bay Lightning live up to their great expectations in the Stanley Cup Playoffs 2018?

What is it about strong, powerful teams that always makes them a mystery? It tends to be that somewhere throughout the season they slump. They hit a rough patch. It can be hard for them to stay motivated. For the Tampa Bay Lightning, they’ve been inconsistent for the better part of a month now. They’ve had one of their two three-game losing streaks (the other coming in January).

There are many factors that could go into this. However, first, let’s break down what seems to be the problems.

Upset Offensive Chemistry

Steve Yzerman worked his trading magic, acquiring New York Rangers’ captain Ryan McDonagh to upgrade his blue line and young wing J.T. Miller. But to do so, he gave up draft picks, prospects, and versatile forward Vladislav Namestnikov.

For the present, this seemed like a good trade. However, the Lightning haven’t been playing as well as anticipated since then. They’ve gone 11-5-1 since the trade, which is good. But the Lightning have been dominant as expected. To be fair, Miller has had to make some adjustments. He’s been tearing it up as of late though, which is good to see.

The Lightning had a lot of success in the first-half because they had all of their forward lines rolling. They haven’t had quite that level of competence as of late, so it’s something to keep an eye on.

Shaky Goaltending

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Coach Jon Cooper stated in an interview after the Lightning’s 4-0 defeat of the Boston Bruins that Andrei Vasilevskiy felt good about himself. There was a big difference between 4-0 and 4-1, and he was happy he got the shutout, setting a franchise record for most in a season (eight).

While that game did prove to be a great one for him, he followed it up with a less than stellar performance against the Buffalo Sabres. Giving up five goals on 32 shots is not how he intended to follow up a great night.

It’s been a tale of two seasons for Vasilevskiy. In his first-half, he had a .931 save percentage while allowing just 2.18 goals against per game. Since the All-Star Break, those numbers have risen to .904 and 3.29, respectively.

Vasilevskiy has started over 60 games for the first time in his career. That’s obviously a factor. But the Lightning don’t have a reliable plan B in case he can’t get the job done.

The Struggle For Momentum

It’s something not every analyst believes is extremely important. However, no one can deny the strong effect momentum can have on a team when they most need it.

It’s very hard for a team to “flip on the switch” starting Game One of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They need time and need to build up to it. The Lightning, though their record tells another tale, haven’t looked truly dominant in a while, excluding a few one-game flashes.

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The Answer

It’s anyone’s guess if the Lightning have it in them to turn on the switch. However, the way it looks as of now is that they don’t. And to be fair, it’s hard to stay motivated when you’re so focused on the playoffs. The Lightning will have to flip it quick, as they’re facing the New Jersey Devils, who they didn’t do well against in the regular season.

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