Let's face facts

[John F]

The Lightning are plummeting right now and I think it's time to face some very hard facts. Not very hard but difficult to swallow in some lights and definitely debatable.

The team is on the cusp of losing out to other teams on a playoff spot. Forget the Southeast title but the playoffs themselves are in question unless the Lightning starts playing better. To play better the entire roster needs to contribute offensively and yet the only offensive output lately seems to be Vincent Lecavalier.

This is a one line team.

We shouldn't be shocked at the Lightning falling back to earth. They have been an on-and-off team all season. They started ice cold, for instance, with Ryan Craig as the key cog on offense. They heated up and put themselves in the playoff hunt when it mattered the most (January) and Jay Feaster did the fans and the franchise a favor by trading for long term help instead of a final big-name for the playoff push.

One big name was not going to put the Lightning over the top, and yet gutting the roster (as Feaster threatened) wasn't something that needed to be done either. The core is still there, but there does need to be changes.

Goaltending is still suspect. In comparison to John Grahame and Sean Burke last year, I am thrilled with Lightning goaltending. I am not, however, thrilled with the plus/minus of many on the Lightning roster (with Vaclav Prospal and Corey Sarich being culprits #1 and #2 ).

Will the Lightning make the playoffs? If the team finishes like last season - no way. Too tight in the east for a half-hearted effort to put the Lightning into the playoffs. Even if they DO turn things around and make the playoffs (and convincingly) the Bolts are still in trouble with defenses attune to Lecavalier as the Lightning's offensive threat. Shut down Vinny and you shut down the Bolts... Oh, and the Lightning don't have the shoot-out to help them along like they did during the season.

While I'm doom-and-gloom at this point, I'm not entirely pessimistic about the Lightning's chances in the future. They didn't rob Peter to pay Paul at the deadline... They didn't sell off their defensive prospects and added strength at the blue line too. I want to see Egener, Smaby and Rogers getting face time in Tampa next year (instead of Jay Feaster going out and spending on FA defensivemen to take the place of Sarich and others).

[John F]

Open mouth, insert foot.