Victor Hedman expects struggling Lightning to switch into 'playoff mode'

LOS ANGELES – The Tampa Bay Lightning were a popular Stanley Cup prediction before the season. Those were the days when Steven Stamkos was healthy and everyone was feeling pretty good about their goaltending tandem.

But a lot has changed over three months. The Lightning find themselves six points out of both a Atlantic Division playoff spot and the Eastern Conference wild card, without Stamkos and dealing with not one, but two struggling goaltenders. They limped into the break with a 3-7-2 record in 12 games this month.

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Nobody expected this level of struggling, especially after the Lightning came within a game of reaching last season’s Stanley Cup Final, and even after they battled through injuries.

“We put high expectations on ourselves. We don’t look too much on rankings and stuff before the season,” said defenseman Victor Hedman during NHL All-Star Media Day. “We know what we can do. We’ve had some tough injuries but we’ve had it in the past too and we were able to battle through it, but his year it’s been a little bit different. We expect ourselves to be in the playoff race, fighting for the top spot in our division. It’s obviously different for us this year, but as a team I think it’s good to go through that, but obviously every one wants to turn it around and make the playoffs is our main goal. We’ve just got to keep having that focus and take it game-by-game.”

It’s going to have to be game-by-game after going through up and down spells after 50 games. The Lightning have won consecutive games only once since mid-November, which was when they last saw Stamkos on the ice and when they found themselves in a nice little playoff spot.

Hedman noted a lack of consistency and Tampa getting away from the game plan that made them so successful in the past. Preparation and work ethic aren’t the issue, but the longer that inconsistency lasts the more points they give up, allowing divisional and conference opponents to take advantage. That also makes it tough to not look at the standings on a daily basis.

“It’s tough to watch but you live in reality,” he said. “You’ve got to know what’s at stake and you’ve got to know where you’re at. You can’t hide from it. You’ve got to accept it and you’ve got to make sure that as a team and as an individual make sure that you’re switching to playoff mode right now. That’s where we are right now. We’ve got to find a way to climb back into the playoffs and it’s up to everyone to make sure that they bring everything for the remainder of the season.”

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After entering the All-Star break with a six-game road trip, the Lightning will kick off the second half with four games at Amalie Arena, which includes two against Boston and Ottawa, two teams they’re chasing in the Atlantic. It’s an uphill climb that Hedman is eager to begin.

“I’m never surprised with the way our team rises to the occasion,” he said. “I expect us to go on a hot streak here when the break’s over.”

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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Sean_Leahy