By Michael Wax
The Lightning have lost four consecutive games at home following a 3-2 OT loss versus the Buffalo Sabres. Here's how they stacked up with the return of Haydn Fleury:
Hagel-Point-Kucherov
Eyssimont-Cirelli-Chaffee
Stamkos-Paul-Sheary
Glendening-Motte
Hedman-Raddysh
Fleury-Cernak
de Haan-Perbix
Crozier
Vasilevskiy in goal.
Here are our two biggest takeaways:
Big Swede
What an absolute revelation Mitch Chaffee has been for the Lightning. For those who don't know the backstory, Chafee was signed to a two-way contract in the off-season following a horrendous knee injury in the AHL. Many saw him as someone who could bolster the Crunch but didn't anticipate that the 26-year-old would be able to make his way into the Lightning lineup or stay in the lineup. Instead, through hard work and happenstance, he became one of the highest producers on the Crunch and found his way into the Lightning lineup. Now, he's one of the bright spots on a team still looking to click in all facets.
Chaffee was rewarded for another excellent game with his third goal of the year. Chaffee started the breakout out of the defensive zone before finding lineman Anthony Cirelli as they were crossing the blue line. After Cirelli stopped up and Chaffee found his way to the front of the net, an Erik Cernak one-timer deflected off Chaffee's stick and past Sabers goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to give the Lightning a 2-1 lead in a period that was extremely uneventful.
Three goals and an assist in 15 games might not jump off the stat sheet, but most Lightning fans can see through his play on the ice that Chaffee has been one of the bright spots in a very up-and-down season. Quite the return from injury for the 26-year-old rookie.
Three Steps Back
Take it back to the start of the last homestead the Lightning had. Coming into the matchup against Colorado, the Lightning had a 17-5-4 record at AMALIE arena, something that was helping their playoff. Fast-forward two weeks later, and the Lightning have dropped four in a row after the win against Colorado and are now dangerously close to falling out of a playoff spot they've held for most of the season.
Over the past two weeks, the roles have reversed for the Lightning, where they looked really good on the road and struggled at home. With 70 points in 62 games played, they only sit six points in front of the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders for the second wildcard spot, and both have three games in hand. The Capitals, who have 63 points, have four games in hand and could potentially pass the Lightning if they win all of them. The Penguins, who have 62 points, have five games in hand on the Lightning.
With the trade deadline just over a week away, now isn't the time for a desperate move that can cause the team, both now and in the future. However, the Lightning need to put together some consistent performances to buoy themselves back into a comfortable playoff position. Not too long ago, the Lightning held the third spot in the Atlantic after their best stretch of the season. While unlikely to recapture that placement, a similar type of stretch of eight or nine wins in 10 games would greatly benefit a team still searching for their identity as the calendar flips over to March.
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