Tampa Bay Lightning focused on rebounding in 2011-2012 Regular Season –NHL Special
After reaching the 2011 National Hockey League (NHL) Eastern Conference finals, the Tampa Bay Lightning have faced a turbulent time in the 2011-2012 regular season so far and are now, nearly mid way through it all, are hoping to rebound to move up in the
divisional rankings.
Nearly halfway through the regular season, it seems like Tampa Bay is finally waking up as they see themselves sitting in the 13th number spot in the East, below a team like the New York Islanders, which certainly does not distinguish them as
being a championship club.
The Lightning ended off the month of December by having won three games in a row, which gave the impression that the club had made a resolution to change the tables around a bit, but it all became the same right when they entered January.
Tampa Bay lost seven straight without seeing a single win in the month, which was until their matchup with the defending Stanley Cup champions, Boston Bruins, came along on Tuesday, January 17, which out of the blue, gave them some confidence after recording
a 5-3 win.
The winning kept on coming for the Lightning as they followed up surprisingly with a win against Dallas Stars, 2-1, and another big win over Phoenix Coyotes a day later, 4-3.
Tampa Bay’s veteran goalie, Dwayne Roloson, turned out to be the major cause of their victory as he kept his team alive with some dynamic saves throughout the contest to avoid another slump in their record.
"I just tried to get over there as quick as I could and fortunately I was able to get the glove up", said Roloson, known for his low-key approach to media interviews. "You can't focus on anything other than the puck; you can't focus on if the guys are tired
or if they're not. That's out of your control. Just go out and give your guys a chance".
Steven Stamkos, the Lightning’s top rookie forward, has been showing slow progress as he picked up two goals in the last three games. He has 52 points (32 goals, 20 assists) in the last 47 games, leading the major league in terms of scoring and second overall
in points.
"A big win", Stamkos said after their third consecutive win. "We needed everyone on board, but Roli was the reason we got those two points".
The surprising part for Tampa Bay, which they might have or not realised as of yet, is that they can only win by actually working like a team and not just depending on one man alone, because that strategy has never worked for anyone.
Lightning’s 21-year-old superstar may be one of the best in the league, but there is only so much he is able to do, the rest has to be done by the other participants, otherwise it is not a team but a one man show.
Another issue being faced by the Lightning is their lack of regular players staying healthy as they have nine full-time players sitting out on the injured list at the moment.
Tampa Bay’s forward, Ryan Malone, went out on Saturday, adding to their woes after facing a rough hit and being taken out.
Tampa Bay Lightning certainly does have the capability of coming out as one of the biggest teams in the league like they did last season, which is something keeping their hopes alive of a better ending this time around.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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