Lightning Strikes: Four Games in Seven Days

The Tampa Bay Lightning is looking to extend its lead in lead in the Atlantic Division, but it won't be an easy road ahead. The Bolts face the Florida Panthers on the road on Sunday night. The next three games are at home against the Calgary Flames, Dallas Stars and Montreal Canadiens.

1.) Sunday, Feb. 10 @ Panthers- 6 p.m.

The Lightning will take on the Panthers, who are looking to get back into the playoff positioning. This will be a game that features the first and third ranked power plays in the League. The Bolts have outscored the Panthers 14-8 in three game played this season and are 3-0-0 against them.

The Lightning Win If...

They play a solid even strength game and manage to stay out of the penalty box. The Panthers have allowed 125 even strength goals against this season, but have one of the best power plays in the League. The Lightning do have the second best penalty kill in the League, but they are only killing 80% of penalties taken on the road. The Bolts have played a solid even strength game all season and have outscored the opposition by 25 goals while playing 5-on-5.

Matchup of the Game

It will be interesting to watch the Panthers power play go up against the Lightning penalty kill. The Panthers power play is third in the NHL, which ranked them third in the NHL at 27%. The home power play is actually better at 28%. The Lightning penalty kill has improved immensely and is now second in the League (84.7%), but the penalty kill is not as good on the road (80%) as it is on home ice (89.5%). 

Game Prediction

The Lightning will win this game 2-1, which means the goalies are going to make some saves. It is an  important game for both team with the Lightning wanting to build on their Atlantic Division lead, while the Panthers are fighting to get back into a playoff spot. The Bolts goals will come from J.T Miller and Brayden Point with the Panthers lone goal being scored by Vincent Trocheck.

2.) Tuesday, Feb. 12 vs. Flames- 7:30 p.m.-ESPN+

The Bolts take on the Flames, who bring plenty of speed to this game. In the only game against this season, the Lightning managed to pull out the win in the shootout. These two teams each have the speed, talent and can put the puck in the net so this should be a fast-paced hockey game with some goals scored. 

The Lightning Will Win If...

They can manage to slow down the Flames' top line of Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm. The line has combined for 199 points so far this season. The line has a combination of speed, playing and finishing ability. The Lightning need to establish a good forecheck early in this game, get plenty of shots on net and make the Flames defend in their own zone. The Bolts should also try to limit their mistakes especially in the neutral zone with the Flames transition speed.

Matchup of the Game

The teams are very close in style, but the main difference has been the goaltending. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Louis Domingue have done a great job in stopping the puck for the Lightning this season. The goaltending duo of Mike Smith and David Rittich has had its problems this season. The goaltending has improved since Rittich has taken over the starting job, but they are still letting in soft goals. If the Flames want to win this game then the goalie needs to make the routine stops.

Game Prediction

The Flames will tie the game late in regulation to force overtime. The Lightning will lose 4-3 in the extra session. The Flames goals will be scored by Johnny Gaudreau, Elias Lindholm,  Sam Bennett and James Neal. The Bolts goals will go to Yanni Gourde, Mathieu Joseph and Steven Stamkos. 

3.) Thursday, Feb. 14 vs Stars- 7:30 p.m.-ESPN +

The Stars have been one of the more inconsistent teams because they lack a balanced lineup. The Stars are basically a one line team with the other three lines pitching in once every few games or so. The Lightning can't overlook this team or they will not get two points out of a very winnable game. The Bolts beat the Stars 2-0 earlier in the season on the road. 

The Lightning Will Win If...

The team gets off to a fast start and continues it throughout the game. The Stars have been outscored big time by the opposition in the first periods of games. It is almost like the Stars aren't ready for the start of the game, but get better as the game goes on. The Bolts have outscored the opposition in the first period but by less than 10 goals, so they want to improve on their starts.

Matchup of the Game

Tyler Seguin has been everything for the Stars this season after signing his contract in the offseason. He doesn't have as many points as the team would like, but he has really picked up his play of late. He leads the team in goals (22), assists (29) and points (51). Nikita Kucherov got off to a slower than usual start, but that hasn't affected his play this season. He leads the team in assists (59) and points (81) with Brayden Point, who just happens to be Kucherov's centerman, leading the team in goals (31). These two players have the potential to do some damage in the game.

Game Prediction

The Lightning manage to win this one because of its depth scoring by a score of 3-1. They'll get a late empty net goal to seal the win. The one Stars goal will be scored by Tyler Seguin with Alexander Radulov adding a primary assist. The three Lightning goals will come from Alex Killorn, Tyler Johnson and Brayden Point.

4.) Saturday, Feb. 16 vs. Canadiens- 7 p.m.- NHLN

The Montreal Canadiens have been on of the surprise teams in the NHL this season. They have three lines that have the potential to score and have gotten decent goaltending. The power play has probably been one of the down falls on this team and it is ranked 30th in the League (13.5%). This should be a good fast paced game that may very need overtime to decide the game.

The Lightning Will Win If...

They get plenty of pucks on net with traffic in front of the opposing goalie. The Lightning should want to take away the goalie's eyes especially if Carey Price is in net for the Canadiens. The Bolts should play with their speed to try to get to loose pucks and then make sure that they establish a forecheck early in the game. 

Matchup of the Game

One of the goaltenders if going to steal this game for his team especially if the starters are Carey Price and Andrei Vasilevskiy. These goalies can make the routine save and make highlight reel saves. Price has been playing well of late and Vasilevskiy has been playing decent since coming back from his broken foot. The teams are going to have to get the goalies moving from post to post and get plenty of traffic in front for deflections.

Game Prediction

The Habs are going to get some revenge for the two earlier loses to the Bolts this season by winning 3-2 in overtime. The two games have seen the two teams combine for 16 goals. The Lightning have 10 goals in the season series while the Canadiens have scored six times. The Canadiens goals will come from Max Domi, Tomas Tatar and Brendan Gallagher. The Lightning goal scorers are Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. 

Lightning Strikes Weekly Prediction

The Lightning will finish a tough week with a 2-0-2 record and grab six points in the standings. 

Shooting Stars: Weekly Preview 2/25/28-3/3/18

The Dallas Stars will look to gain some valuable points in the playoff race to get better positioning coming down the stretch. It won't be an easy week for the Stars, but the points are there for the taking.

The Stars will take on the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night. Dallas will need to have the lead entering the final period of play since they are only 1-18-1 when trailing going into the third period. The Stars need to get their power play going since the Flames have a mediocre penalty kill. Dallas wants to find a way to stop the top two lines of the Flames since they produce most of the points for the team. They should also try to get plenty of shots on goal to test the goalie of the Flames. The Stars will want to be smart with the puck and not have turnovers because the Flames have speed that can burn you especially in the transition game.

The Flames should try to have the lead entering the final period of the game since they are only 5-13-0 when trailing entering the final period. Calgary needs to finish the game better than they have been this year if they want a chance at gaining the two points. The Flames should play with some discipline since they do not have a very good penalty kill. Calgary will want to get a good game out of their goaltender since the Stars have some players that can really put the puck in the net. The Flames will need to play team defense in order to beat the Stars. 

The Stars need to get the first goal of the game to keep the home crowd in the game. They will also need to play a good defensive game including the forwards. Dallas will need to get off to a good start, set the tone early in this one and get the first goal of the game. The Stars are going to need to find a way to get their power play going because they have too many good players on it for it to be struggling. The goalie is going to need to have a big game to keep his team in the game.

The Bolts need to play with discipline since their one weakness has been the penalty kill this year. Tampa Bay should get the first goal of the game to keep the home crowd in the game and have the momentum. The Lightning want to win the special teams battle since both teams play a solid even strength game. The Bolts goaltender will need to make some big saves throughout the game and make the easy saves too. Tampa Bay is going to need to find a way to stop the balanced attack of the Flyers by making them defend in their own zone.

On Saturday night, the Stars week comes to an end with a game against the struggling St. Louis Blues. The Stars need to get off to a good start in the game, come out with some energy and be ready for a St. Louis team that has fallen out of a playoff spot. Dallas will want to win the battle at even strength since the special teams of both clubs are mediocre. The Stars should get some good goaltending with the goalie making saves and keeping them in the game. Dallas will need to have the lead entering the final period. 

The Blues absolutely need to avoid another slow start in this one and they need to be ready to play from the drop of the puck. If the Blues can get the first goal of the game then that should help the team's confidence a lot. They'll need to have the lead entering the final period of the game since they aren't the best team when trailing after the second period. The Blues goaltending is going to need to be good in this one since the Stars have a ton of offensive power. The Blues have too much fire power on their power play for them to be struggling the way they have so they should find a way to get the power play going. 

Lightning Strikes: Weekly Preview 1/28/18-2/3/18

The Tampa Bay Lightning are looking to continue the success that they've had all season long. They also look to get Victor Hedman back from an injury.

It won't be easy for the Bolts since they will have to be playing on the road in Canada. They will take on the Central Division leading Winnipeg Jets tonight. On Thursday night, the will take on the Calgary Flames, who are battling for a playoff spot. The Lightning will end the week with a visit to Vancouver to take on a struggling Canucks team.

The Bolts take on a Winnipeg Jets team who lost defenseman Jacob Trouba for the foreseeable future due to injury. The Lighting will need to establish a forecheck to get some offensive zone time and keep the balanced offensive lineup in their own zone. Tampa Bay needs to play a solid, 60 minute road game and everyone will need to pitch in since the Jets are 17-3-1 on home ice. The Bolts should try to stay out of the penalty box since Winnipeg has the second ranked power play in the League. The Lightning are going to need the goaltender to come up big.

The Jets will need to stop the balanced attack of the Lightning, who have four lines that can score. Winnipeg will need to have the lead entering the final period since they are only 1-12-1 when trailing after two periods. The Jets will need to get the first goal of the game and keep building from there. They will need to get off to a fast start, get plenty of pucks on net and get deflections. The Jets are going to need the goalie to come up with some big saves.

The Lightning will then travel to Calgary to take on the Flames on Thursday night. The Bolts need to be smart with the puck since the Flames can force turnovers. Tampa Bay will need to win the special teams battle since neither the Flames don't have a great power play and the Bolts have a weak penalty kill. The Bolts should get plenty of shots on goal and traffic in front of the net. The Lightning need to keep an eye out on the Flames defensive corps since they can put up some number offensively. Tampa Bay needs to stay out of the penalty box since they have a weak penalty kill.

Calgary should try to use their speed to create odd man rushes, and scoring chances. The Flames will need to be solid on the defensive side of the puck since the Lightning have a good offensive team. Calgary will need to protect the puck while making smart decisions to avoid turnovers. The Flames need to take advantage of the weak penalty kill of the Lightning, and get their own power play on track. They will also need to set the tempo of the game from the opening face-off, and not let the Bolts dictate how they will play the game.

On Saturday, the Bolts finish out the week against the Vancouver Canucks, who are struggling. Tampa Bay will need to play with discipline since the Canucks do have one of the better power plays in the League. The Lightning should try to get the first goal of the game and get off to a decent start. The Bolts want to get plenty of shots on goal since the goaltending has struggled at times this year for the Canucks. Tampa Bay will want to keep attacking and not sit back once they have the lead because the Canucks can score some goals.

The Canucks need to establish the forecheck and cycle game early to keep the Lightning in their own zone and defending. Vancouver will want to get plenty of traffic in front and shoot high especially if Andrei Vasilevskiy is in net. The Canucks should try to get more than just Brock Boeser, the phenomenal rookie, involved in the goal scoring. Vancouver will need to find a way to stay in the game and hope that they goaltending can come up with some big saves when needed. The Canucks need to get the first goal of the game and limit their mistakes with and without the puck.

Flying Forward: Weekly Preview 11/12/17-11/18/17

The Philadelphia Flyers have yet another week of facing Western Conference opponents. The early season has been filled with opponents from the West, and very little of the East.

 It won't be an easy week, but they somehow need to find a way to get into a grove since they are tied for last in the Metropolitan Division with the Carolina Hurricanes. The good news is that even with being in last place the team is only six points out of the top spot in the division. The Flyers will finish the back end of a home-and-home with the Wild in Minnesota tonight. They will then take on the Jets in Winnipeg, and may have some help back in Nolan Patrick, who has been out with an upper body injury. Philadelphia will then fly home and take on the Calgary Flames and Johnny Gaudreau.

The Flyers will need the secondary scoring to start showing up this season, and what better time for them to show up than tonight in Minnesota. The Flyers have been shut out four times already this year, so when the top line is shut down then there's a good chance the team will take a loss. Philadelphia will need to have a better start to the game and play a solid first 10 minutes by limiting their turnovers and better play in the neutral zone. Philly is going to need to find a way to get through the tight checking of the Wild, and that is where the stretch passes by the defense, specifically Shayne Gostisbehere, could help. The Orange and Black really need to get the power play back on track since it has fizzled after a hot start. It will be interesting to see how the new line combinations work out for the Flyers tonight, and how much chemistry they have.

The Wild just need to have a repeat performance of Saturday night to shut down the Flyers offensively. They did a really good job of taking the cross ice pass away from the top line, and the line just didn't adjust their game. Minnesota needs to get the first goal of the game since the Flyers are only 1-6-2 when their opponents score first. The Wild need to take advantage of a Flyers team that doesn't have the best penalty kill in the NHL so they should use their speed and force Philly into taking some unnecessary penalties. The Wild are going to need to stay out of the penalty box themselves because even though the Flyers power play has been struggling lately, there's always a threat of them scoring a goal.

On Thursday night, it could be a homecoming for Nolan Patrick, who hopes to return to the lineup when the Flyers face the Jets in Winnipeg. Philadelphia needs to get off to a fast start, establish the forecheck and cycle game early and often in the first 10 minutes of the game. Once they have established those two things then they'll need to keep it going for the remainder of the game, and not just play that way for half the game. The Orange and Black need to find a way to stop Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele, who are the two leading scorers for the Jets. Philly will need to take advantage of the horrible home penalty killing of the Jets so far this year, and just throw everything they can at the net. They will need to be crisp with their passes and avoid the turnovers in the neutral zone since the Jets can capitalize on mistakes.

The Jets need to stop the top line of Claude Giroux, Sean Couturier and Jake Voracek. Winnipeg needs to play a solid game, and not fall off in the second period where they are getting outscored by opponents by a wide margin. The Jets will need to get the first goal of the game to keep the home crowd in the game and they are a better team when they score first as opposed to their opponent scoring first. The goaltending will need to be sharp for the Jets since the Flyers will throw pucks at the net. Winnipeg is going to need to play a disciplined game and attack with speed.

The Flyers end their week with a visit from the Calgary Flames. Philly will need to stop the duo of Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan, who are the top two scorers for Calgary. A way to do that is to keep the puck in the offensive zone with a good cycle game. The Flyers will need to play a solid even strength game, and get some big & timely saves from their goalie. Philadelphia will look to get their secondary scoring going in this game, since they aren't doing much of anything right now. The Orange and Black need to get off to a good start and set the tone early in this game. Philly needs to get someone in the front of the net for rebound chances.

Calgary will need to attack the Flyers with their speed so the Flyers defensemen can't stand them up at their own blue line. The Flames need to take advantage of a weak penalty kill and get their own power play going. Calgary will need to watch out for the Philadelphia defensemen since they like to join the play in the offensive zone, and will make the pinch along the boards to keep the puck in the offensive zone. The Flames will need a good game from their goalie since the Flyers have been getting pucks to the net.