Sam Hitchcock: New Year's Resolutions for the Lightning

How many goals do the Bolts score tonight? I say we surpass our most goals in a game this year which is 8. Should be fun.

Good blog, nice change of pace.

On Miller lets hope he is not out too long as they are saying week to week. What I like about Miller is he can play every line and every position on the lines. He has struggled scoring goals but he has been pulled off the top PP and now playing on the third line his role kinda shifts and I feel he has been playing well on that line and still on pace for close to 60 points.

Stralman is an interesting case, it seems like he is still playing injured. I will with hold judgement and lets see how it goes down the stretch.

Personally I think Point is doing the same thing that Stamkos was doing when playing with Kucherov and that is always deferring. They switched Stamkos with the intent to make him the shooter and it has worked. I agree Point needs to go back to his style which is attacking with controlled speed and stop deferring when entering the zone.

How many goals do the Bolts score tonight? I say we surpass our most goals in a game this year which is 8. Should be fun.
- Bolts91

lol

lol
- Pie

Despite the Bolts not taking your team seriously, they still pulled out a win. No one will stop this team.

Letting in 4 or 5 goals per game is not going to fly in the playoffs. We better tighten up the D.

Agreed, giving up 5 goals won't win you many games. Been lucky in the last two.

Right now we are just overwhelming the opposition with our offense. We are scoring our way out of trouble. The first time we run into a contender that has an elite goalie and a deep blueline, we are going to be screwed.

Right now we are just overwhelming the opposition with our offense. We are scoring our way out of trouble. The first time we run into a contender that has an elite goalie and a deep blueline, we are going to be screwed.
- GalacticStone

I think they will adjust. Look at the third period last night. The Habs were shut down (6 shots on goal only 1 high danger chance) and the Bolts came on and took the game away. Plenty of time to start to tighten down always happens in the second half of the season.

Lol imagine criticizing your top line for looking for royal road passes and offensive decisions when one leads the league in points and passes completed to the slot.

Lol imagine criticizing your top line for looking for royal road passes and offensive decisions when one leads the league in points and passes completed to the slot.
- Feds91Stammer

Tampa fans have the luxury of female doging about all kinds of things.

Like, it's 82 goddamn degrees outside today. This feels like friggin early summer and it's almost January. That is just wrong.

See?

Tampa fans have the luxury of female doging about all kinds of things.

Like, it's 82 goddamn degrees outside today. This feels like friggin early summer and it's almost January. That is just wrong.

See?
- GalacticStone

LOL

For me I would like to see Point take it to the net more with his speed like McDavid does. Point isn't McDavid but he is fast enough to do it. Really can't say much about a team putting up over 4 goals a game offensively.

Now defensively there is room for improvement.

LOL

For me I would like to see Point take it to the net more with his speed like McDavid does. Point isn't McDavid but he is fast enough to do it. Really can't say much about a team putting up over 4 goals a game offensively.

Now defensively there is room for improvement.
- stammerman

What really impresses me about Point is how tenacious he is. Now, that in and of itself is not impressive. Lots of 4th-line energy players have that tenacious quality. But, Point has that 4th-line energy mindset, with the hands and vision of a near-elite 1st-liner.

And the scary part is, he is still a "kid" and has not peaked yet. He has the potential to be a 100-point player at his peak, given his current trajectory.

Man o' man, he is due for major pay raise. Point and his agent are going to the bank.

And, let's take this opportunity to again pay respect to the top-notch scouting, development, facilities, and staff that Yzerman built. Finding draft steals like Point, Palat, Kucherov, and undrafted gems like Johnson and Gourde. The scouts deserve a lot of credit and hopefully Briesbois will keep the House that Yzerman Built intact.

yzerman gave brisebois the keys to a (frank)ing ferarri and said don't crash. the lightning system is stacked and the current nhl roster is insane. the organization is thriving at all levels like a well oiled machine . i have confidence he will do a great job, but time will tell ! yzerman had a lot of characteristics brisebois might not have, like his patience and his stubborness. maybe he does have them. I think the main thing yzerman taught him was that he must do what will benefit the team. does not matter the situation or the emotions, keep the main thing the betterment of the TBL and make every decision with that mindset.