Inconsistent, yes, but Bolts still in the playoff hunt

With a rare three-day break in the schedule, the Lightning took Sunday off, offering players a chance to catch their breath and recover for a day.

It also offered the perfect opportunity to reflect back on the team's 16-15-10 first half of the season before the second half starts Wednesday in Buffalo.

First, some numbers to digest:

42 - Points at the midway point, eight more than last season.

16 - Victories, a number Tampa Bay didn't reach last year until the 47th game.

2.49 - Average goals per game, tied for fourth-fewest in the league.

10 - Overtime/shootout losses, second-most in NHL.

10 - Home wins, two fewer than all of last season.

As the numbers suggest, the Lightning are fighting consistency issues. At times they look like a surefire playoff team, at others all too much like the team we saw last year - fragile and soft.

Which begs the question: How good is this team, really?

Is this the team that started the season 10-6-7 and earned points in 11 of 12 games? Or is it the team that went through an 11-game stretch with one victory, plummeting to 14th in the Eastern Conference standings as the offense all but went into hibernation?

What about the team that just closed out a 3-1-1 homestand, which included key victories against Boston and Pittsburgh, and is 5-1-1 in its past seven games?

The answer is about to be revealed. There are 20 games left before the two-week Olympic break from Feb. 15 to March 1 - 10 on the road and 10 at home, where the Lightning are 10-5-5.

But if you want encouraging signs, consider that in the team's history, December is a brutal month. Only once has Tampa Bay had a winning record in the month, in 1995 when the Lightning were 7-5-1. Even during the 2003-04 Stanley Cup season, Tampa Bay went 4-9-2 in December.

Only three other times in team history has Tampa Bay posted a record above .500 at the midway point of a season. All three times the Lightning made the postseason: 2002-03 (18-15-8), 2003-04 (19-15-7) and 2005-06 (21-17-3).

That's not to say this is a playoff team. It still needs consistent scoring, a better power play and more goals from top players Vinny Lecavalier, Marty St. Louis and Alex Tanguay.

Yet, should the past seven games be a sign of things to come, Tampa Bay stands to be in the mix until the end.

First-half notables

MOST-IMPROVED: RW Steve Downie - He has shown top-six potential, stayed out of trouble and his eight goals nearly match his previous career total of nine.

PLEASANT SURPRISE: D Kurtis Foster - Coming off a horrific broken leg, Foster started slow, was a healthy scratch at times and played forward for a short stretch of games. But his defensive game has improved, allowing his booming shot from the point to be utilized more effectively, resulting in five goals and 14 points.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: LW Alex Tanguay - It's close, but Tanguay edges D Andrej Meszaros. Tanguay was brought in to provide offense and experience, but his six goals and 22 points - not to mention a one-game benching - are more disappointing that Meszaros' team-worst minus-13 rating.

FIRST-HALF MVP: LW Ryan Malone - His 19 goals are second on the team, his plus-8 ratio leads the team and his seven game-winning goals lead the league. His game and leadership skills have gone to another level.

BEST PERSONNEL MOVE: On Dec. 18, General Manager Brian Lawton finally sending underachieving D Lukas Krajicek to the minor leagues, allowing 25-year-old Matt Smaby to develop and provide a physical presence to the lineup.