TAMPA BAY, FL (WFLA) – The Tampa Bay Lightning have lost four of their last five games, including a 4-2 defeat at the hands of the San Jose Sharks Tuesday night. As a result, the Bolts woke up on the wrong side of the standings for the first time in over a month.
“We’re outside (the playoffs) looking in. That’s not what you want,” stated defenseman Anton Stralman.
Tampa Bay (30-22-4) has 64 points; tied with Pittsburgh for eighth-most in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins have a game in-hand.
“It’s disappointing,” explained goaltender Ben Bishop after an optional practice Wednesday morning. “There’s nothing to be happy about right now… But with as poorly as we’ve been playing we’re still right in it, so I think if you want to look at the glass as half full instead of half empty, you could kind of look at it that way.”
“Maybe it’s a wake-up call for us,” suggested forward Erik Condra. “We need to fix what’s going on in here and worry about ourselves.”
After Tuesday’s loss, the Lightning coaches put an extra emphasis on playing sound defense. The Bolts have given up 18 goals in their last five games.
“I think we have a lot better in us,” posited defenseman Anton Stralman. “We’ve proven that in the beginning of the season. We were in the top-five in the league in goals against, and in the last five games it’s been pretty terrible.”
“It’s getting our game back and not cheating the game,” added Condra when asked what needed to be fixed. “Play in our system but having some urgency. You’re not just going to throw your stick out there and win the game.”
“If you start changing things, you start getting in your own head,” declared Bishop. “So (we have to) stay the course, work as hard as you can, and eventually the law of averages… You’ll start getting the bounces.”
The Lightning host the Winnipeg Jets Thursday night.