Quick Strikes for Saturday, April 18

• Thursday’s loss was necessary, it woke you up. Yes, you, Tampa Bay Lightning fans. The NHL playoffs aren’t the regular season, so dial things back a bit thinking the path forward was going to be paved with gold. [Tampabay.com]
• And to keep that dose of cold water nice and cold and sobering, let’s take a moment to catch Wings fans reflecting with a smile on their face as things went right on Thursday night. [Winging it in Motown]
• A simple tactic change in store that you knew was coming after the results on Thursday: make life hell for Petr Mrazek tonight. More pressure, limit vision, decaf coffee. Hellacious. [Tampabay.com]
• From the other end, Mrazek is feeling pretty darn good after standing up and putting on a show Thursday at the Amalie. [The Detroit News]
• One thing that most fans are calling for is Ben Bishop to step up after allowing far-too-many goals on so few shots. [en-Lightning NHL Perspective]
• Bad performance by Bishop and frustration from Mzarek’s great play, it’s important to stay positive. [TBO.com]
• Jonathan Drouin is especially one to be tasked with remaining positive; he was the only healthy scratch Thursday night. He was disappointed but he doesn’t make decisions – that’s up to his coach. [Tampabay.com]
• Ah, another end-season rite of passage has begun in hockey. The NHL playoffs, the NHL draft Lottery is today, but even more of a rite (and relevant to Tampa Bay Lightning fans) is the Syracuse Crunch annual game-worn jersey auction! [Syracuse Crunch]
• The Lightning has a short history in the hockey world and few players who went on to coaching and stuck. One who did and who is on an upward climb is Sheldon Keefe. Keefe was named the season’s best coach in the Ontario Hockey League with the Soo Greyhounds. [Sportsnet.ca]
• And a place Keefe could end up a candidate for a higher-level head coaching gig if he wants it, is Philadelphia. The Flyers have relieved Craig Bebrue of his coaching responsibilities (nice way of saying “fired”). [Broad Street Hockey]
• Gary Bettman is happy with the NHL playoffs after realignment. The Toronto Sun invokes the NHL point system needing to be changed, maybe, to give more reward for regulation wins. I say kill the loser point, because a loss is a loss. Accept the status-quo. [Toronto Sun]
• The 2015 NHL draft lottery is at 8 PM tonight, odds can be found here as well as the amusing-but-I’d-love-to-see-a-shocker-like-this idea of the Los Angeles Kings winning the rights to the 1^st overall pick. [Jewels from the Crown]
• The upheaval in the AHL continues as more franchise affiliation switches have been announced – the Colorado Avalanche are affiliating with the San Antonio Rampage, the Columbus Blue Jackets with the Lake Erie Monsters, and the Arizona Coyotes with the Springfield Falcons. Is the movement over? What about realignment? [AHL.com]
• Has the Lake Erie Monsters new look for their new backyard affiliation been found already the day the news came out? [The Dark Blue Jacket]

The 2015 Stanley Cup Champion shall be….