Quote:
Originally Posted by Devil Dancer
I think the negativity is pretty well justified. The D and goaltending are both coming around, but this team still hasn't scored more than 3 goals in any game, hasn't won a game by more than one goal, is 13th in the conference, and is only scoring 2.25 goals per game. Meanwhile, Tampa looks like world-beaters, and has already opened up a 7 point lead in the SE.
More importantly though, they haven't looked like a good team in any of their games. They have, at times, looked competent, but not good for more than a period at a time, and never great.
I'd love to be optimistic about this team, I just don't have a reason to think that way yet.
|
In the interest of fairness, the Lightning are probably the team in the division that needs the least work in terms of "coming together" after a lockout with barely any training camp time and no preseason at all.
It's still early and I'm not really shocked that a team who's had to deal with three fairly different systems in the last season and a handful of games is struggling. I don't think anyone really should be.
One positive is that, offensively, I don't think the team's been terrible. I see play being carried with no reward. Periods where the team should pot 2-3 goals and end up with 1 or none. The penalties will hopefully come down as the season goes on, too. Those have killed momentum more often than they have not.
I'm just glad the team's back on ice.