SB Nation Seattle

Another Lightning prospect makes their NHL debut this season, and while the promise of tomorrow is before us at the moment - the now is a mire of disappointment that likely won't be risen from.

Does the NHL draft system reward failure and encourage teams to perform badly? Do teams use failure to get better?

If you pick an NHL team to cheer on, don't get too comfortable if they're good right now. Because in five years, chances are decent that they won't be anymore.

The Tampa Bay Lightning played for the last time in Washington this season. Were they able to win and leap over them in the Eastern Conference standings?

I try very very hard to find some nice things to say about the Dallas Stars and the state of Texas.

How any league is set up will play directly into how the playoffs are set up - and playoffs are what a sport is all about. So here's how the NHL does it.

The top three teams in the Southeast Division are now each one point apart from the next team down, with the Lightning not far behind. This tight seeding along with the tightness between seventh and tenth place in the Eastern Conference has made leading the division paramount for Southeast teams.

Using prorated home and road records to calculate draft lottery standings. Cartoon!

Overtime and shootout losses are still losses, and while the Lightning have reached 17-17-3, that leaves them 3 games below .500. This, and some notes in our game day preview