Lightning (13-9-1) at Blue Jackets (11-5-4): Game 24
Time: 7 p.m. Eastern time
Location: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Broadcasting/Streaming: Fox Sports Ohio/SUN
Opponent SBNation Site: The Cannon
Preview:
If you have been following the team, you will have noticed a bit of indifference in the Bolts fanbase towards the Bolts’ play of late. There have been calls to begin the transition of Andrei Vasilevskiy to starting goaltender (arguments that have some decent weight behind them) and also to sack the special teams play.
But as usual, the hockey optimist chimes that it is a long season full of ups and downs. Just ask Ben Bishop:
on Bishop “You play 82 games, so many ebbs and flows, the lows are not as low and the highs are not as high”, “keep going to work”
— Erik Erlendsson (@Erik_Erlendsson) November 27, 2016
And speaking of sportswriter @Erik_Erlendsson, he made this quip after the recent loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets:
You’re first two words explained it all, yet at 13-8-1 through 22 games is better than 10-9-3 mark from last year https://t.co/2jze01QVOv
— Erik Erlendsson (@Erik_Erlendsson) November 27, 2016
Yes, things have been shaky and we hope to see a bit of a turnaround on this road trip, but not all is lost.
What the Bolts need to do to get a win:
Confidence!
Am I in the locker room? No. Am I on the coaching staff? Not hardly. Is this the greatest analyst of what the team needs to do to be successful? Barely. But at times the team has been quite lackluster and sometimes I feel the team doesn’t understand its full potential as well as its recent successful past. The Bolts need to rely on each other and build upon team chemistry again. And if the Triplets could return to prime mid-season form, that could be helpful too.
The Bolts played Columbus just a few days ago in a 5-3 loss at home. Tampa Bay was able to overcome an early game deficit and tie it in the 3rd frame, yet the Bolts’ inability to clinch the win proved to be too much and the Jackets came away with it. The Lightning should look to have a faster start, attempt to put more shots on net, and try to play a more active, not reactive, game.
The Jackets:
The Blue Jackets have been off to an okay start to begin the season. Although there was turmoil regarding head coach John Tortorella and his stint with Team USA in the World Cup this off-season, Torts has been able to put that news behind him and has carried the Jackets to an 11-5-4 start, good for 4th in the Metropolitan division.
You can also go check out the The Cannons’ own view on how well the team has played up until now.
Tampa Bay Lightning Lines
Forwards
Alex Killorn – Vladislav Namestnikov – Nikita Kucherov
Brayden Point – Tyler Johnson – Ryan Callahan
Ondrej Palat – Valtteri Filppula – Jonathan Drouin
Cedric Paquette – Brian Boyle – J.T. Brown
Defensive Pairings
Victor Hedman – Andrej Sustr
Nikita Nesterov – Braydon Coburn
Jason Garrison – Slater Koekkoek
Luke Witkowski
Goaltenders
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Ben Bishop
Columbus Blue Jackets Lines
Forwards
Brandon Saad – Alexander Wennberg – Nick Foligno
Boone Jenner – Brandon Dubinsky – Cam Atkinson
Scott Hartnell – William Karlsson – Josh Anderson
Markus Hannikainen – Lukas Sedlak – Sam Gagner
Defensive Pairings
Zach Werenski – Seth Jones
Jack Johnson – David Savard
Ryan Murray – Markus Nutivaara
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky
Curtis McElhinney
Lines will be updated throughout the day
