TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning haven't been through struggles like this in many years. Three separate three-game losing streaks have left the back-to-back defending Stanley Cup champions with just six victories over the past month.
“It feels like every mistake right now is kind of ending up in the back of our net, so it’s tough not to get frustrated,” Stamkos said Wednesday night after a
It's creating the kind of adversity Tampa Bay has not experienced since getting swept out of the first round in 2019. Only this time around players hope they can get back on track and use the lessons from a rare rough month to make another long run.
Coach Jon Cooper knows only that he and his team will find out when the playoffs begin.
“We can only wait and see if it’s going to help or not, but it tests you mentally and physically,” Cooper said. “The boys have played a lot of hockey over the last couple years. And especially these last two months, we’ve asked a lot of them. Sometimes it becomes a little bit more than just the physical part of it.”
The immediate challenge is a visit from the Bruins on Friday night. The Lightning’s loss at the Capitals dropped them into a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, and while there are no easy matchups, it’s not a spot they want to be in without home-ice advantage.
Cooper called it a “pivotal” game, and a few more like it stand in the way before Tampa Bay can even try for the three-peat.
“The boys got to dig in here,” he said.
