Speculation: 2024-2025 General Lightning Discussion: Preseason Edition

[DFC]

I'm not responding to all that at once. Stacking Guentzel with Kucherov isn't going to alleviate the even strength scoring problems of the other 3 lines. We had defensive issues because the other 3 lines both never sustained any pressure and the go to system was for the forwards to run a fly route back to the defensive zone unless Kucherov was on the ice.

This only works if Jake and Kucherov are split among 2 lines or you take Point off and pair him with Hagel and we try Cirelli with Jake and Kucherov. Otherwise you're running a TKO line redux and praying they don't get the kitchen sink thrown at them.

It's like you forget that Hagel also did 90% of his scoring 5v5 too. So adding Guentzel simply adds to our 5v5 scoring, whatever amount he is better than Stamkos. Which feels like a decent amount.

 

[These Are The Days]

It's like you forget that Hagel also did 90% of his scoring 5v5 too. So adding Guentzel simply adds to our 5v5 scoring, whatever amount he is better than Stamkos. Which feels like a decent amount.

I'm not saying Guentzel isn't going to help at even strength. He absolutely will like everyone is saying.

I'm saying stacking him with Kucherov and Point most of the time probably isn't the best idea to help the rest of our lineup be more productive at even strength. The only way it works (on one line married to Kucherov) is if Guentzel replaces Stamkos' powerplay production AND pops off for like 108 points because his even strength totals go up so high too. While that would be nice, it's liable to create 3 lines that don't do much of anything, especially if Atkinson is not up to par. I am hoping Cooper tinkers with the lines throughout the games like FP said. We spent way too many games with nothing happening without Kucherov on the ice. You can put Guentzel with Point and Kucherov. Send it. By all means. But don't marry it forever. You're not helping team 5 on 5 by making 1 super line. Our entire structure so often fell apart because we spent 40-45 minutes a night either electing to defend or just not creating any pressure whatsoever without Kucherov on the ice. We need to get away from that and take the pressure off our defense at large. All I want from Cooper is to mix it up. Please. I really don't trust Cirelli at 2C

Re: Hagel and Stamkos. It's chicken and the egg with both guys. Hagel doesn't get a whole lot of PP1 time (which basically stayed out the full 2 minutes) and does most of his scoring at even strength. Stamkos was always shackled to guys like Killorn, Paul, Filppula and Callahan minus the run he had with Miller and Kucherov. The fact he wasn't as productive at even strength as we'd have liked wasn't a surprise to me.

 

[Sky04]

Yeah adding Guentzel and bumping Hagel down won't help ES scoring at all.

"You're not helping the team 5v5 with one super line" uhh yeah when they play 1/3rd of the game you do

Neither does adding one of the best defensive defenseman in the league help I suppose. This team has massively improved over last year, almost gotta be dense not to see it.

Scoring was not the biggest 5v5 issue last year, it was defense. If by some stretch of the imagination you think the offense hasn't improved I'd love to hear an argument for how the defense hasn't.

Our opening night defense was this last year:

Hedman-Cernak
Sergachev-Raddysh
CDH-Perbix
Fleury

no improvement tho.