The Tampa Bay Lightning's Rebuild On The Fly Is A Mirage

ken campbell

Thu, Jan 23, 2025, 11:21 a.m.·1 min read

Zemgus Girgensons has two points – both assists – in 46 games played for the Lightning.<p>David Kirouac-Imagn Images</p> — Zemgus Girgensons has two points – both assists – in 46 games played for the Lightning.
David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper is an all-time great NHL bench boss, in part because he's armed with a pretty good sense of perspective. Even when his team plays badly, he doesn't overreact.

But you could almost see the steam coming out of his ears Monday night when his team lost 5-3 to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Cooper is folksy and engaging at the best of times, but his demeanor was all business after that game. He talked about how the way the Lightning played "is a recipe for disaster."

Another recipe for disaster is having a group of bottom-six forwards that give you almost no chance of scoring. It's hard to believe that even a coach as good as Cooper could coax out of this group what they have been unable to give.

If you shut down the Lightning's top six forwards, you win the game. It's as simple as that. And in the playoffs, when the checking gets tighter, and the infractions get called less frequently, that's more likely to happen. And if it does, the Lightning don't have the depth to respond.

Which is why another early playoff exit for this team is all but a given. Here's more in today's video column:

(Don't see the video? Click here.)

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