Mishkin's Musings: Lightning look to regain the defensive form they’ve displayed for most of the season

Following the Olympic break, it’s been a difficult restart for the Lightning. After beating Toronto, they’ve dropped three straight in regulation. Prior to the current skid, they went 22 games with only a single regulation loss.

Even more troubling is how they’ve lost these games. The Lightning have yielded 16 goals during the losing streak, the most they’ve allowed in any three-game stretch this season. They’ve been out of sync as a group, and it’s resulted in leaky defensive play. Simply put, they’ve given up too many scoring chances and too many goals. 

During our daily Power Lunch show on Lightning Radio, Greg Linnelli and I have fielded comments and questions from concerned fans. That’s understandable, given the team’s recent performances. But there’s no reason to believe that the defensive problems can’t be corrected.

The Lightning have already undergone such a correction this year. As Jon Cooper noted a few days ago, this stretch reminded him of the start of the year, when many regulars didn’t get lots of reps during the preseason. Then, just like now, the team was out of sync. By the end of October, however, the Lightning reached a defensive standard that they maintained for the next several months. Following their 1-4-2 start, they went 15-3-0. Although they began December with four consecutive losses and went 2-6-1 over nine games, the record was tied to a lack of offense and not porous defense. When the offense picked back up just before Christmas, so did the winning.

Ultimately, the Lightning need to regain their defensive form. This task is paramount to any future success this year. But it’s a form they’ve displayed for most of the season.

A quick note on the playoff picture. Even with the three-game skid, the Lightning remain in first place in the Atlantic Division, with games in hand on the teams chasing them. Several clubs have closed the gap, including the Buffalo Sabres, who are just two points behind Tampa Bay. But in terms of playoff pace (reaching 96 points after 80 games), the Lightning remain in excellent shape. They have one game left in this 10-game segment, and they’ve already banked eight bonus points for the next one. By comparison, there isn’t one team below the playoff cut line currently on pace to reach 96 points after 80 games. In other words, the Lightning’s sensational work over the past months has given them a standings cushion in case things went awry. Now the challenge is to get back on course.