Bobby Taylor Q&A: Maintaining elite level of play is Lightning's top goal
TAMPA, Fla. -- They're back in the playoffs, but shouldn't more be expected?
They've earned the right to dance past the regular season, but shouldn't their sights be set higher?
The Tampa Bay Lightning clinched another playoff berth with an emotional victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Monday at the Bell Centre. The night brought out the best in them: They played fast, mad, inspired. Then a loss to the sinking Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday revealed a weaker side: They played flat, without a spark, worse than predicted.
Entering Thursday, four games remain in the regular season. There's plenty at stake in the final nine days: Favorable seeding within the Eastern Conference and possibly an Atlantic Division title. But maintaining an elite level of play should be their top goal.
They must be playoff-ready when the puck drops on the NHL's second season. They must be postseason-strong when a grueling chase for the Cup begins.
Sun Sports analyst Bobby Taylor touched on that topic and more in a recent question-and-answer session.
FOX SPORTS FLORIDA: The Lightning clinched a playoff berth for the second consecutive year. How important is that development for the franchise?
TAYLOR: "It's great. I think the way they played this year, I think they were looking for a little bit higher than just clinching a spot. I think the team basically thought it would make the playoffs. I think the thing of it is, 'Where are we going to finish and who are we going to play in the first round?' That's the key. They don't want to be just one and done like they were last year. That's kind of been the battle cry for the whole season. It really didn't sit well with them when they had to go out in four straight in Montreal, and I think they were kind of saying, 'Well, we want to make sure it doesn't happen this year.' It's cool that you're in the playoffs again, but I think they're really anxious to make sure they don't go through what they did last year once they made it."
FSF: How key is it for the Lightning to receive a favorable matchup, such as Detroit instead of Boston, in the first round?
TAYLOR: "I'm not sure if the players really pay attention to it. I'm sure they think about it. We in the media, we look at a matchup against Detroit (as being) a lot better than it would be against Boston, because we've struggled with Boston for three years. We've only beaten them once in three years in regulation, and that was just the last time, so I think that doesn't sit well. ... Detroit, we've had a pretty good run with them the last couple years now. We've done a pretty good job with them. So I think for me, it would be nicer to go against a club that you have a better record with. You'd feel a little more comfortable so you can get through that first round. And to me, that's the next step you've got to get. You've got to get through that first round so you just keep going as a team. They've got a good team."
FSF: The Lightning have sustained a number of injuries to their defensemen recently, including one to Jason Garrison, who could be out a month. How big of an impact may that be?
TAYLOR: "In the playoffs, it's huge. As (coach Jon Cooper) was saying, I think Jas was our best defender, especially in the penalty kill. That's huge. He was able to move the puck quickly. I think we were all pretty excited about having him and (Braydon) Coburn as a pairing, and then you have Victor (Hedman) and (Anton) Stralman back together again. So you had four really top defensemen. And Matty Carle and either (Mark) Barberio or (Andrej) Sustr would be the third pair. So that's what they were really looking forward to, and Garrison takes that cheap shot from (Red Wings winger Justin) Abdelkader."
FSF: The Lightning earned an emotional victory over the Canadiens on Monday and then had a letdown against one of the Eastern Conference's worst teams in the Maple Leafs on Tuesday. Should anything be read into that?
TAYLOR: "They've got to be able to rally. They've got to be able to put more than one game together. That was a big game for them in Montreal, and they missed a lot of guys, and they came out like champions. They just absolutely dominated the Canadiens with a depleted lineup. ... Brian Boyle could easily be our most valuable player this year. He has been that good for us and that versatile. And for me, you could feel (the letdown in Toronto) coming. We're going into Toronto, we don't play well. Think about it -- we've only lost five games in regulation against Atlantic Division foes, two of them to Toronto. I mean, come on. I think that's a matter of they're still young enough that they don't understand that you still can't take days off in this game. It probably goes unnoticed when you're playing your 35th game or your 45th game. But when you're going into the playoffs, does that mean that, let's say you win one game, that means you're going to take the second game off? That's the point. Not that they played badly (in Toronto), but they had no passion."
FSF: With four games left in the regular season, what do you want to see from the Lightning before they enter the playoffs?
TAYLOR: "Just the consistency and the passion. That was a huge game (against the Canadiens). When they swept Montreal, believe me, they played really well. And then the next day, they were flat. You could see it coming. I want to see the next four games, you've got to come with that same passion, that same sticktoitiveness, that same simple thought: Play the right way, just stay with what they've been teaching. Every time they play the way the coaches want them to play, they're very successful, very successful. When they get away from it, when they don't really pay attention, when they kind of do their own thing, they struggle."
You can follow Andrew Astleford on Twitter @aastleford or email him at aastleford@gmail.com.
