Most Lightning fans have had their heads, hearts and psyches put through the wringer over the past week. There was the unbelievable high of Martin St. Louis winning a gold medal, followed by the rumors of his discontent and finally, the confirmation of such. Is he a bad guy? Is he not? So many questions, so little time before the NHL trade deadline.
In the two games since returning, we’ve seen the Lightning take early leads and subsequently look lost while giving them up. Marty has contributed to these leads with four goals, but the success and failure of this team is much larger than one man.
Regardless of what is going on with Marty, this team needs leadership in the worst way. Despite being in the playoffs by a decent margin, there are no guarantees and the team simply cannot afford to keep dropping points. Whether it’s the man with the ‘C’ on his chest, the coaching staff or a fellow veteran…someone has to keep this team calm and guide them. They’ve been playing very well with leads all year and nothing is different now.
We’ve seen younger players step into the lineup and succeed all season and we’ve seen these same players succeed in elevated roles when injuries necessitate a change. It’s time now for more players to step up and guide their teammates. They cannot rely on one player to begin with and the Captain may be the last person to look to at this turbulent time.
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