The popular notion of writing letters to Santa has been credited to illustrator Thomas Nast, who created an iconic image in 1879 depicting Santa Claus at his desk piled high with letters from the parents of naughty and nice children and then also drew an illustration of a child posting a letter to Santa. The Nast cartoons fueled the nation’s imagination, and the Postal Service soon became the vehicle for children’s most sincere Christmas wishes.
With Christmas just around the corner, many have sent letters and shared their wish lists for Santa. It seems fitting to look at what the Tampa Bay Lightning would wish for heading into the holiday season. So far this season, the team has had some inconsistent play that jeopardizes their long string of playoff appearances.
The Lightning concluded a West Coast swing with a respectable 2-3 record but return home where they will play five out of their next six games over the holiday season. They are currently fifth in the Atlantic Division, one point behind the Detroit Red Wings, who recently added Patrick Kane to their roster. They started strong in this stretch of games by soundly defeating the struggling St. Louis Blues 6-1 on Tuesday (Dec. 19).
Improve Team Depth
The Lightning has been plagued by inconsistent play this season, resulting in games in which the team jumps off to a quick start only to cough up the lead and take a loss. While Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, and the rest of the Lightning’s core have played well, the same cannot be said for others on the roster.
I am also not getting overly excited about the play of some of the bottom six in the win over the Blues. While Michael Eyssimont, Tyler Motte, Haydn Fleury, and Nick Paul did score for the Lightning, the overall play of the roster has led to games being lost that have been won in previous seasons. Poor puck movement that has led to an increase in turnovers has been one of the many issues that have hampered the team’s efforts to play up to their potential. It also has been good to see that Anthony Cirelli is starting to pull out of the little slump he has been in, as he is one of the key contributors to the team that needs to be playing to the level we know he can play at.
This has also led the team to look at some of their younger players. Recently, Mitchell Chaffee and Sean Day have been recalled from the team’s American Hockey League (AHL) franchise in Syracuse so that the team can get a look at what these young players can do in an NHL lineup. Whether this is to see if they can contribute right away to the team or for other teams to get a look at them for a possible trade, the Lightning need more consistent play from the entire lineup if they want to avoid missing the playoffs this season.
Avoid the Decline Like Recent Cup Winners
Before the Lightning won their 2020 Stanley Cup, the previous three teams that won the Cup were the Blues, Washington Capitals, and Pittsburgh Penguins. Of these three, the Blues have fallen the furthest, having recently fired their coach, Craig Berube, who led them to the Cup title just five seasons ago. The Blues have struggled this season, ranking 26th in the NHL in goals per game (2.82) and having the second-worst power play (7 for 83) at 8.4%, partly due to losing key players from that Cup-winning team.
The Penguins and Capitals are in a little better shape, mainly because they still have superstars like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Alex Ovechkin. However, both teams missed the playoffs last season, and both appear destined for the same in 2023-24. If the Lightning want to avoid joining this group, they must find players who will still complement the stars they have on their team, which is a tough task given the salary cap restraints they currently face.
Stay Healthy
It goes without saying that many will wish health and happiness to those they greet during the holiday season. But staying healthy for hockey is essential for playoff success. Gone are the days when the Lightning could afford to miss key players, such as in 2020 when an injury kept Steven Stamkos out of most of the action when they won the Cup that season. The salary cap over the past couple of seasons did not allow the team to keep key players, which gave them enough depth to withstand such injuries.
With that being said, the Lightning are now looking at losing one of their key blueliners for a while. Mikhail Sergachev was absent from practice on Dec. 21 and had a boot on his left leg and a scooter to prevent any weight from being put on his foot. The team leader in blocked shots left the game on Tuesday after taking a shot off his leg. He averages 21:30 of ice time per game, so the rest of the Lightning’s defense will have to step up and try to make up for his absence.
Related: Anthony Cirelli Bouncing Back for the Lightning
There is little doubt that this current edition of the Lightning has the talent necessary to qualify for the playoffs and also make a deep run in it. However, if many of the things mentioned in Santa’s wish list do not happen, then they will be watching the playoffs at home this year. If Santa can work some of his magic, this could be a team that emulates what the Florida Panthers did last season when they barely qualified for the playoffs but then put everything together and made it to the Stanley Cup Final. That would be a very nice gift for the Lightning this season.
