Backcheck
Team diagnostic
2025-26last seasonAs of Sun, Sep 20

Tampa Bay Lightning

5-on-5 · model-estimated

Lightning: a outshot/run-and-gun team (0.0% 5v5 xG) with league-average goaltending, flagged for regression (1 signals).

How to read this

This is one team through the publication's three layers. The identity row separates process — the chances a club creates and allows (, ) — from luck, which is what measures. Process predicts the future; luck predicts a correction.

Everything below follows that split: regression flags mark places where results have outrun (or trailed) the underlying play, talent tiers and the player table rank the roster by a model-estimated , and roster needs compare each position group against league average. The proxies rank things usefully but share credit with linemates — read orderings as solid and exact magnitudes as approximate.

PROCESS
chance creation and possession — xG%, Corsi. The repeatable part.
RESULT
goals, wins, special-teams conversion. What the standings see.
LUCK
PDO, finishing vs expected, GSAx — the part that mean-reverts.
GOLD/RED
regression flags: gold = watch it, red = act on it
Fine print · verbatim from the model
  • WAR / Impact are model-estimated proxies, not cap-validated
  • Roster-need gaps are ordinal — ranked correctly, magnitudes relative
Identity · outshot/run-and-gun
0.0%
xGoals %
This team gets buried territorially.
53.0%
Corsi %
0.00
xGF / 60
1.019
PDO
The bounces are flattering them — expect some giveback.
Strengths
  • Elite top-end talent: Brandon Hagel, Darren Raddysh, Anthony Cirelli.
Weaknesses
  • Out-chanced at 5v5 (0.0% xG share).
Regression watch · luck-reconciliation

PDO 1.019 — running hot at 5v5; expect negative regression.

Flags mark gaps between process and result likely to move toward the mean.

Talent tiers · model impact
Elite05
  • Brandon Hagel
  • Darren Raddysh
  • Anthony Cirelli
  • J.J. Moser
  • Ryan McDonagh
Top06
  • Nikita Kucherov
  • Jake Guentzel
  • Charle-Edouard D'Astous
  • Gage Goncalves
  • Pontus Holmberg
  • Max Crozier
Middle08
  • Brayden Point
  • Corey Perry
  • Yanni Gourde
  • Dominic James
  • Erik Cernak
  • Zemgus Girgensons
  • Nick Paul
  • Emil Lilleberg
Depth03
  • Oliver Bjorkstrand
  • Victor Hedman
  • Declan Carlile
Rate-first

Special teams

Power play
0.00 xGF/60 · 20.7% SH%
6.22GF/60
Penalty kill
0.8 Kill%
6.41GA/60
Source · MoneyPuck 5-on-5 + ST splits
Team GSAx +1.3

Goaltending

Above expected
GoaltenderGP
Andrei Vasilevskiy5891.230+0.0
Jonas Johansson2588.360+0.0
Source · GSAx = xGoals − goals, computed in-app
Roster needs · ranked
01
Bottom-6 forward depthhigh
team 47.0 vs league 81.9
-35
02
Depth defensehigh
team 69.3 vs league 87.3
-18
03
Top-6 forwardhigh
team 72.5 vs league 86.1
-14
04
Top-pair defensemanmoderate
team 84.5 vs league 91.5
-7

Gaps are ordinal — needs are ranked correctly; treat the magnitude as relative, not absolute.

Top players · adjusted impact
PlayerGPTOI/GP
Nikita KucherovR7615.0+73.50+5.7
Brandon HagelL7114.2+85.50+4.2
Jake GuentzelC8114.0+74.20+4.1
Darren RaddyshD7317.1+82.70+3.7
Anthony CirelliC7112.6+79.30+2.8
J.J. MoserD7918.1+79.10+1.9
Brayden PointC6313.7+56.10+1.9
Charle-Edouard D'AstousD7016.6+74.30+1.6
Gage GoncalvesC7411.7+60.00+1.5
Ryan McDonaghD4815.4+86.30+1.4
Schedule load · logistics

How hard is this team’s season, logistically? This grades the schedule itself — travel, rest, and clustering — separate from how good the team is.

Logistics, not talent

Schedule load

STRONG
Load index
87/ 100 · pctile vs league

The 5th-heaviest schedule in the league84 games, 1.3 days average rest.

Total travel
47,068
road miles flown
13
Back-to-backs
2 games, 0 days off
16
3-in-4s
3 games / 4 nights
15
4-in-6s
4 games / 6 nights
4
Longest road trip
4,348 mi
Rest-days distribution
0d13
1d43
2d22
3+d5

Nights of rest before each game · 0 days = red, 3+ = green

Rest advantage

25 games with more rest than the opponent · 12 with fewer · 46 even.

Hardest stretches
  • 6 games in 10 days with 4,933 travel miles

    Feb 27Mar 8

  • 6 games in 9 days with 3,600 travel miles

    Dec 12Dec 20

  • 6 games in 10 days with 3,821 travel miles

    Nov 5Nov 14

Source · NHL schedule · arena coordinates · rest & travel model
By the Model5-on-5 aggregates · MoneyPuck* WAR / Impact are model-estimated proxies, not cap-validated