Through the first 17 games of the season the Bolts have found success against the best teams in the NHL, while struggling with those positioned towards the bottom of the standings.
The Lightning secured a much-needed win Tuesday night, rallying from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 in overtime. In Brayden Point's return to the ice he capped off the comeback with a game winning goal, his second of the contest. While the victory added two points to Tampa Bay's season total, it also highlighted a recurring problem: inconsistency against weaker teams.
The Bolts entered this game coming off of two big wins against a couple of the best teams in the league. They defeated the white hot Winnipeg Jets last Thursday night and continued the good play in a shutout victory against New Jersey on Saturday evening. Following these dominant performances, many fans - myself included - expected the team to turn a corner and start playing better on a consistent basis.
Tampa Bay Lightning need to find their identity
Coming into the game, Tampa Bay held a 67% points percentage against the top 16 teams, ranking fourth in the league. However, they've managed only a 38% points percentage against the bottom 16 - good for 31st, according to Data-Driven-Hockey.com. The Lightning have taken down powerhouses like Colorado, Carolina, and Winnipeg, yet they've stumbled against teams like Philadelphia and St. Louis, while barely squeaking by Pittsburgh last night.
Of course this unpredictability is a big part of why we love professional sports - any team can win on any given night. However, if the Lightning intend on having a successful season, Jon Cooper must address this issue that continues to plague the team. Is it overconfidence? Complacency? Or maybe just some really unfortunate puck luck against these weaker teams? Whatever it is, Coop needs to figure it out - and fast - as the Bolts take on another struggling team Thursday night.
They will face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and with the Jackets' struggles this season, it's tough to predict which Bolts team will show up. Following that, a tough Dallas Stars team will visit on Saturday. How they handle these contrasting challenges could be indicative of whether this is just an unfortunate stretch or a deeper issue that needs to be addressed moving forward.
