The Lightning will start the new year with a packed month of January, starting with a match against the San Jose Sharks. In total they will play 16 times, including four consecutive games in just 21 days.

“It’s a tough call, I think we’re spending 16 of the next 23 nights in a hotel room,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “This is something we have to get through, and I expect we will.”

The month of December proved to be a big month for the Lightning, giving them the best point percentage in the Eastern Conference heading into the final weekend of 2024. As a team, they began putting together the details of their game and they did, winning 8 of them a total of eleven games.

Although it was a successful month, the Lightning didn’t necessarily like the way they played against the New York Rangers. They also didn’t like the 5-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday.

“I think it just depends on the details. I don’t think we’re playing an out-of-control game,” forward Brandon Hagel said. “I just think we did really well in the D-zone, did good things, almost to perfection, and then we fell away from it a little bit.”

“Sometimes even in the offensive zone, just not forcing anything or turning the puck over, getting it behind you and going to work.”

Hagel attributes some of the Lightning’s recent mishaps to the natural ups and downs of the season.

“I think at the end of the day you’re going to have some ups and downs in the season. In my opinion, the sign of a good team is how quickly you get out of there?”

The Lightning currently hold the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, just six points behind the first-place Florida Panthers. Still, the Lightning have played four fewer games than the Panthers. As the schedule begins to pick up in the second half of the season, there is hope that the numbers will even out again.

The team knows that the month of January will be challenging due to all the travel and back-to-back games, but they are ready to rise to the challenge.

“You focus on mentally strengthening yourself and getting excited. “To regain that competitive edge that you need to go out there and fight and make an impact out there,” veteran defenseman Ryan McDonagh said.

“You want to be sharp, you have to position yourself well and not try to take big risks in the game and definitely keep it a little simple.”