Who Loves a Parade?

By Mark Pukalo


One more chance.

Steve Yzerman has built the organization to where he wanted it, turning the Tampa Bay Lightning into a consistent playoff team and a contender for the Stanley Cup every season. New general manager Julien Brisebois has the ability to continue along that path.

The Bolts have made the final four three of the last four seasons and injuries took the chance away in 2016-17. But this might be the last opportunity for the entirety of a special core group to win a championship together. It should also be coach Jon Cooper’s final chance to find a way to get his team over the hump.

Three veteran defensemen are in the last year of their contract. Nikita Kucherov’s gigantic cap hit starts up next season and Brayden Point will get a big raise after his entry deal ends July 1. In addition, Yanni Gourde is due for a new contract if they can keep him while Andrei Vasilevskiy and Mikhail Sergachev have two years left starting now.

There will be changes and, if Tampa Bay fails to win a Cup this season, there must be some type of shake up.

The keys for 2018-19 are virtually the same as last season, but the tools the Lightning boast to get it done are more clear. The Bolts were able to win the Atlantic Division in 2017-18 with way better than expected secondary scoring, fantastic goaltending from Vasilevskiy, a power play that was lethal at times and by making big plays at the right times.

While Vasilevskiy saved them most nights during the first half of the season, they played just enough defense to get by with Norris Trophy winner Victor Hedman leading the way. But with a full season of Ryan McDonagh, an older and expected better Sergachev along with a few burgeoning youngsters, the Lightning should be improved on the back end. One major goal is limiting shots on net against (32.7, ninth-most in the league last season).

Brisebois may look to create some cap space, perhaps by moving Coburn and taking back some salary, to give the Bolts a chance to make a pickup at the deadline on defense. Ultimately, that move may be the most important to unlock the door to a championship.

There are a few reasons I was against acquiring Erik Karlsson to improve the right side of the defense. There’s no doubt he is one of the best in the NHL. Love his game. But he is an offensive defenseman and that is not a need on this team. He also would have cost an abundance of good young players - in July - and another $9-10 million contract on the cap. His foot injury scares me long term as well. But honestly, I didn’t really want the Lightning to become the Yankees or the Red Sox. I would rather see them win it with mostly home-grown talent and heady moves.

Tampa Bay is plenty good enough to win the Cup. It’s time. The Bolts will have to get through Boston and Toronto, then probably Pittsburgh or Washington. The biggest obstacle is being able to navigate through the ups and downs of the postseason. They have seemed to hit a wall three times in four years.

Tampa Bay had a 2-1 lead and home-ice advantage in the Cup final. They have had a chance to win the Eastern Conference on home ice two of the past three years. They just could not finish.

There was plenty of blame to go around in those situations. In five Game 6s and 7s combined during the last series of those three runs, they totaled three goals. Three!

The players did not come up big. But, often, Cooper was slow or did not make the adjustments needed to give the Lightning a better chance to succeed in all three of those series. I have been a critic in the past, but Cooper seemed to be pushing all the right buttons last season, even through the first two rounds of the playoffs. But he was hesitant to make big adjustments to his forward lines against Washington. The Bolts were lucky to be up three games to two while being outplayed throughout. Adjustments were needed up front and they did not score in the final two games. They needed a creative, aggressive coach to beat the Caps. He failed.

Let’s hope Cooper has learned from his mistakes or the players can just plow through the postseason and finally do enough to sip from the Cup.

Heck, I’m picking the Bolts this season. Tampa Bay over Winnipeg in six games.

Listen, if they can get through the Eastern Conference they have an edge in goal during the finals. I'm taking Vasy over Connor Hellebuyck, Martin Jones or even Pekka Rinne. Easy.

They will have to be alert and find motivation through the first 50 games of the regular season. They will have to give Vasilevskiy easier nights. The veterans and most productive players must stay healthy. Young guys like Adam Erne, Tony Cirelli and Mathieu Joseph can add some spark. Brisebois must find Yzerman’s magic at the deadline.

It’s time for a parade. June, 2019. Or Bust.

Lightning were Good Enough, did not play Good Enough

By Mark Pukalo


What happened?

It’s been two weeks now and there’s no definitive reasons why the Tampa Bay Lightning did not look like the same team in the Eastern Conference finals, after breezing through the first two series.

Maybe the simple answer is that it was the Washington Capitals’ time. The Caps had finally knocked off their nemesis Pittsburgh, and they rode the momentum to the finals. Washington did seem to find the 200-foot game they have been lacking in the playoffs before. It finally clicked in for them and Evgeny Kuznetsov has been a different postseason player.

You have to be careful what you wish for sometimes in the playoffs. Most, including this reporter, did not want to face the Penguins. But maybe they would have been a better matchup in the end for Tampa Bay.

All that might have been moot if the Lightning had played better, though. To be honest, there was never a comfortable feeling in the series for me - even after they took a three games to two lead. Game 2 was a colossal disappointment, but the Bolts were outshot throughout the series and could not sustain their stretches of strong play. The first period of Game 5 was the only time you really thought the Lightning would come out on top. But they barely held on in that game.

Washington physically punished the Lightning throughout, sometimes legally and other times illegally (I’m looking at you Brooks Orpik). The Capitals seemed to wear down the Brayden Point line with constant hits during and after the play. Point and Palat battled, but were somewhat diminished, and Tyler Johnson was not a factor. That left a bigger role for the Chris Kunitz-Cedric Paquette-Ryan Callahan line and they ultimately could not limit Alex Ovechkin and Kuznetsov. Heck, they shouldn’t be able to.

Hindsight is much easier of course, but what Jon Cooper could have done is put together a more physical checking line around Point to take on the Ovechkin trio. Perhaps J.T. Miller or Callahan could have been put in Johnson’s spot. Give the Paquette line credit, they had some good moments. But you knew it would not last. Who turned over the puck on Washington’s first goal in Game 7? Yep, the fourth line.

With all that happening on the other side of the ice, the Lightning’s top players had to take over 5-on-5 in the offensive end and they could not. Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov got their points on the power play, but had just two at even strength. Two! Without enough possession time, Victor Hedman could not quite get as involved as he usually does either.

The Bolts inexplicably failed to score in the final eight periods of the series. That is hard the believe. It almost seemed like destiny. It sure looked like that when Yanni Gourde could not shovel a rebound into an open net to tie it in the second period of Game 7. Wonder how the game would have changed if he had scored.

The final analysis is this. The Lightning were good enough to win a Stanley Cup. They just didn’t play good enough when tested by a team that had found their elusive top playoff form.

Here’s the thing Bolts fans. If Steve Yzerman had not waved his magic wand, bringing in Ryan McDonagh and Miller for Vlad Namestnikov just before the trade deadline, the Lightning might not have made it out of the first round.

So, where do we go from here?

Yzerman will be doing a lot probing with fellow general managers over the next month. But there won’t be and shouldn’t be a major overhaul unless there are issues that arise.

The one thing that could change everything is Kucherov’s situation. How does the Russian feel about money? If he is intent on getting $10-11 million per on a long-term deal after his contract is up next year, then that may be a problem.

But, let’s throw that aside for now.

What tweaks can you make to a roster that has plenty of talent and depth?

The one weakness that sometimes rears its head is size up front. The Lightning are crafty, tough and skilled enough to get by 90 percent of the time, but the Capitals just ran them over in Game 6 and outmuscled them at times in the series.

Everybody wants to get rid of Alex Killorn, but he is one of the only physical forces in the top nine. Heck, if someone offers you a great deal to take Killer’s contract, fine. Use the money saved to sign Miller and hope that Adam Erne takes another step or two forward. Personally, I’d rather have Killorn and Miller on the roster. Miller had his ups and downs, especially in the final two rounds of the playoffs, but if he’s reasonable ($4.5 for four or five years?) the Bolts should sign the RFA.

The person to replace is Johnson. I said this a season ago and most everyone has come around to agree with me now. It won’t be easy, though. You may have to be creative before his no-trade deal clicks in. Here’s the sell job for Yzerman: If he doesn’t work out for you, you can dump him off on expansion Seattle in a few years - not far from his home in Spokane. Johnson has done a lot for this franchise. I’m not looking past that. He is just not a $5 million player long term and it’s a position that you can upgrade - if not with offensive numbers, with many other things.

If Kunitz wants to come back for one year on a similar contract, fine. If he goes, that's fine too. I’m not at all sure what to do with Paquette. He woke up late in the regular season and had his moments in the playoffs. But his deficiencies are still there. I would move on and sign Matt Peca to potentially play between Kunitz and Callahan. If you have more beef in your top nine, you can go a little smaller on the fourth - although Cally and Kunitz don’t play small.

The wish list in a potential trade is power winger who can skate and does not make a ton of cash. Mathieu Joseph, Alexander Volkov and Mitchell Stephens may get a look at some point and the aforementioned Erne stands at the crossroads of his tenure in Tampa.

Anthony Cirelli, with a summer of building up more strength, should be even better as well. The Lightning is set for years with Stamkos-Point-Cirelli up the middle. That’s not a big trio, but it is big enough. I asked Scotty Bowman recently if it is essential to have lots of size up the middle in this day and age of the NHL? He told me that it doesn’t hurt. ... but it is not as important as it once was.

There is less to do with the Lightning defense, but Yzerman will have to make a decision on what to offer McDonagh - who has one year left on his deal. He didn’t play great every game in the playoffs, but the former Ranger was one of the best in the Bruins series and solid in the long run. It’s not out of the question that Yzerman looks for a top-four righty to return Dan Girardi back to the third pair. The other option is pushing Mikhail Sergachev beside McDonagh and moving Anton Stralman back with Hedman. Girardi had a much better season than most predicted, but he is still best as a third-pair guy who can slide beside McDonagh and Hedman for a few shifts here and there while getting plenty of penalty kill minutes.

Sergachev was just fine in the playoffs. Even better than expected. There’s no doubt it would have been nice to have Jonathan Drouin instead of Tyler Johnson on the roster. But Sergachev’s talent and the use of Namestnikov to bring in Miller and McDonagh definitely eases the pain of that move for me.

Perhaps with assistant coach Rick Bowness gone, it may give Slater Koekkoek a chance to - at least - break into the top seven. Bowness never seemed to like Koekkoek and always preferred giving Andrej Sustr more time. Sustr has to be gone, right? The kid is not a bad defenseman and he will likely get some decent offers on the free-agent market. But he is not a top six guy for this team.

Bowness has, without a doubt, been a positive for the organization since he came here. Good coach, good man. It just seemed that his defensive system - or his plan in concert with Cooper - was too passive at times. When the Bolts played aggressive against the Bruins, they were at their best. But then they seemed to back up too much against the Capitals. The Lightning needed a new voice. We’ll see if there is a noticeable change with whoever Yzerman brings in.

One potential option could be 19-year-old Cal Foote. He is a righty and may get a good long look to see if he is ready to be an immediate answer. Dominik Masin and Eric Cernak also had tremendous seasons in the AHL. You may see them replace Girardi and Braydon Coburn - assuming he’s still around - after next season as a unit for the third pair.

There are plenty of decisions to make, but the Lightning still have enough tools to be in the same spot again in 2018-19. With a few deft moves from Yzerman and some development of their young players, the Bolts will be the favorite for the Cup next season.

They certainly have a goalie that can get them there. Anybody have any questions about Andrei Vasilevskiy anymore?

Lightning Give Fans Hope Again

By Mark Pukalo


We have a series now.

You wondered if this was going to be one of the few times that the Tampa Bay Lightning did not respond to a bad game, or a rough stretch, with a big performance. Washington was playing so well and the Bolts looked frustrated after two home losses to start the Eastern Conference finals.

But one thing we should all know from watching this core group of players in Tampa Bay over the past four seasons is they have a lot of pride and character. Some nights they look awful - playing too fancy, failing to shoot, leaving guys wide open in the slot and turning the puck over sloppily. They almost always have had an answer the next game.

That Lightning team showed up Tuesday. They skated harder, were more aggressive defensively, capitalized on the power play (5-for-12 in the series after 2-for-5 in Game 3) and basically put up a fight against Washington. They were even better on the penalty kill.

It wasn’t perfect. The Capitals still had 38 shots on net, but the amount of real quality chances were limited compared to the first two games.

Andrei Vasilevskiy sure had to be good, though, and he was. The Big Cat was seeing the puck better and seemed to be a step ahead of Washington’s shooters. It’s still strange to me that many national writers brought his name up as one of the problems in the first two games.

Give coach Jon Cooper credit. I was thinking just flip Ondrej Palat and J.T. Miller on the top two lines for Game 3 to shake things up. He went one further and matched Miller with Anthony Cirelli and Alex Killorn on a sort of “grind line” as Caps coach Barry Trotz put it. Yanni Gourde joined Tyler Johnson and Brayden Point on a new speedy line and Palat teamed with captain Steven Stamkos along with Nikita Kucherov to give that unit a little more pace. The freshness worked while Cedric Paquette trio with Ryan Callahan and Chris Kunitz was much better than the first two games.

But the most improvement was on the backend as Anton Stralman and Ryan McDonagh came back with a strong effort while Victor Hedman (goal, two assists) was downright dominant. Hedman boasts a franchise playoff-record eight-game point streak and Dan Girardi did his job impeccably beside the Swede on Tuesday.

The victory puts plenty of pressure on Washington to win Thursday night and keep home ice advantage. Expect the Capitals to come out flying and perhaps add injured Nicklas Backstrom (hand) to the lineup for more skill up front.

Vasilevskiy may have to produce his best performance in the playoffs, especially in the first 10-12 minutes. There have been storms the last few days in D.C. and the Bolts will have to weather another one Thursday.

All of that should not matter if the Lightning skate and support like they did in Game 3. But they can’t allow Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov to get 21 shots on net again.

The Bolts are in this series now, though. Even if they lose a close game Thursday, you have confidence a trip to the Cup finals is still possible with two of the final three at home.

What a difference a game makes.

My three stars for Game 3: 1. Hedman; 2. Vasilevskiy; 3. Point. Close: Kucherov, Stamkos, McDonagh, Paquette.

Desperation Time for Confused Bolts

By Mark Pukalo

Well, at least they beat the Bruins.

Let’s start with this. The Washington Capitals are finally playing the 200-foot game they have needed to be successful in the playoffs. They have been great since dropping the first two games of the postseason. Give them credit.

But the Tampa Bay Lightning have somehow reverted back to late-regular season form after an emotional and very strong performance during the five-game semifinal demolition of the Boston Bruins. They are allowing too much room in the defensive zone, having coverage issues and losing puck battle after puck battle. The Bolts have lost their way after playing four straight focused, sharp, complete, low-mistake games against what many thought would be the toughest opponent in the playoffs.

You can understand a little rust in Game 1 against the Capitals, but the Lightning seemed lost and confused from about the third shift on, and did not wake up until the contest was lost after two periods. Washington stood Tampa Bay up at the blue line and controlled the neutral zone, sweeping up every turnover and turning most into scoring chances.

The Lightning passed up a bushel load of shots in the first period and finished with just 10 on net in the first 40 minutes. It’s disturbing how this team can be shown the exact way to win in the first two series of the playoffs and suddenly go back to overpassing and playing fancy with the puck once again. It has been this team’s problem for years. Yes, you can’t shoot all the time. You don’t want to get them blocked. But time after time in Game 1, they failed to take a shot in a golden spot. Simple thought: sometimes, a shot creates a rebound, a deflection. Braden Holtby is not Patrick Roy.

You expected after another Game 1 failure, the Lightning would come out and take command of Game 2. But 28 seconds into the contest, they were down 1-0. They were allowed to fight back and take a 2-1 lead with two power-play goals - the second a bit of a gift - but the second period was one of the most puzzling of the season. They went back to slow-thinking, reactionary play and eventually were punished for it.

First, J.T. Miller controlled the puck on an odd-man break and held it way too long. He didn’t take a shot, did not find the trailer early enough, then turned the puck over. The team’s top line got caught overcommitting at the end of a shift - something we’ve seen from them before - and could not get back after the gaff. Washington’s fourth line tied the game on a 2-on-1.

It got worse late in the period. Anton Stralman falls down, can’t get up quickly and his teammates are not able to pick up anyone as Lars Eller deftly deflects home the go-ahead goal. In the final seconds - again - the Bolts lose a faceoff cleanly and cannot get to a loose puck behind the net. Seconds later, Evgeny Kuznetsov sends the puck into the crease where Ryan McDonagh appears to deflect it through goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. Ok, you give up the tying goal. But a little extra effort and awareness and Tampa Bay goes to the third period tied. Instead, they are leaving the ice down two.

Still, you get a goal quickly in the third period and then you are all over a protective Capitals team the rest of the way. Right? Nah, the Lightning did not seem to have any push back in the final 20 minutes. The fourth line - Chris Kunitz-Cedric Paquette-Ryan Callahan - for some reason continues to play against Alex Ovechkin’s first unit. That group can’t keep the puck deep and Braydon Coburn makes a bad pinch, Stralman flops on the ice on a 2-on-1 and Ovechkin whips home a Kuznetsov pass. It’s 5-2.

Game over. Fans head to the exit. Normally, I would get on the faithful for that. Not this time.

Maybe I was too harsh on my tweet after that. But, honestly, I have followed the Lightning for more than 15 years and I can’t remember them quitting in a big game before. I saw a confused, frustrated, but mostly lifeless team in the third period. There’s no way I could have predicted this performance over the first two games of the Conference final, no matter how good the Capitals have played.

And anyone that says Vasilevskiy has a major part in this is crazy. He made some brilliant saves in Game 2. I’m not sure you can call any of the first five goals soft. Maybe he could have been more decisive on the fourth and not allowed McDonagh to tip the puck past him. Maybe. But he would have needed something like the amazing third-period performance against the Los Angeles Kings at home in the regular season to keep the Lightning close in this one.

It’s all about defense, puck management and coaching. The Bolts seem to be backing up instead of aggressively moving forward like they were against Boston. They are reacting and not dictating play. Lightning radio host Matt Sammon talked about "details," of the game not being executed Sunday. That, too.

Coach Jon Cooper has had his best season at the helm of the Lightning. He has pushed a lot of the right buttons along the way. But he’s had a penchant to panic in the past and he seemed to be doing that in Game 2. When the Ondrej Palat-Braydon Point-Tyler Johnson line struggled against Boston’s top unit in Game 1 of the previous series, he stuck with them and they were great in the final four matchups. For some strange reason, he turned to the fourth line to match up against Ovechkin’s trio in Game 2 on Sunday. Palat ended up playing 13 minutes. He, along with Point, are the Lightning’s best two defensive forwards.

The other odd thing that Cooper has done is on the penalty kill. The unit has struggled all season and had one decent series against New Jersey. The Tampa Bay coach has used three somewhat slow-moving players at forward, along with rookie Anthony Cirelli, often on the top two killing units. The Bolts are slow and stationary on the kill, they aren’t getting to pucks. They need more speed and aggressiveness. They don’t need Paquette’s slow feet. They have given up three power-play goals in the series and struggled mightily against Boston. It’s time for change. Use Johnson, Palat, Yanni Gourde, Point. How about Steven Stamkos? He has often been the best faceoff man. But he has been on the bench instead. How about Miller?

The key goal in Game 1 was Ovechkin’s power-play tally in the final seconds of the first period that made it 2-0. Who was on the ice? Cirelli, who lost the faceoff cleanly to wing T.J. Oshie and is last on the team at 46.7 percent in the playoffs. Callahan was not on the ice either. The veteran is the best shot blocker among the forwards.

The players have been very disappointing in these two games. But Cooper has not helped.

Change the lineup? Nah. Who are you taking out? There’s no one that clearly stands out to me. You could put Cory Conacher in for Paquette and mix and match with three lines, adding to the speed. But I’m not sure that’s the way to go. A very bold move that won’t happen? Conacher or Adam Erne in for Kunitz (0 points, 11 shots, 12 games). I have been very disappointed in him during the postseason.

It’s not over. The Lightning have been counted out before. Many times they respond with a big performance. They will need their very best on Tuesday. One road victory and Washington could start doubting itself.

But it will be far from easy. The Capitals seem to be on a mission and it’s hard to fathom the Bolts can rebound strong enough after one of their worst playoff performances in franchise history.

It’s time to prove me wrong. Show me something 2017-18 Tampa Bay Lightning. Now.


Previous rounds: Lack of time and other circumstances did not allow me to recap every game in the first two rounds of the playoffs, but here’s a few brief thoughts on those two series.

The Bolts just needed to be sharp and focused against the New Jersey Devils. They avoided big mistakes, except for the penalties in Game 3, and capitalized when they needed to. They were in control physically and mentally. Vasilevskiy was the best player in the series while Nikita Kucherov, Ryan McDonagh and Alex Killorn were all outstanding.

The Bolts totally dominated the Bruins 5-on-5 on the Eastern Conference semifinals and controlled them more easily than I could have ever imagined. The Lightning played better defensively in the final four games than they did all season. They supported each other so well and Vasilevskiy shut the door after mistakes were made. All six defensemen played very, very well while Point and Palat were ubiquitous. It was a very satisfying victory and the triumph made it easy to laugh after all the whining Bruins fans - and media - did about the officiating. Could the referees have called slashing on Stralman late in Game 2? Sure. But how can you complain when you have 20 shots on goal - 14 at even strength? Sorry, but Charlie McAvoy was pushed down. There was no holding or hooking there. Stay on your feet rookie.

And ... sit down Cam Neely.

2017: A Very Healthy Year for Movies

By Mark Pukalo


You never quite know when you are going to see your favorite movie of a particular year.

It could come on the first day of release, a well-planned visit to the theater after seeing promising previews, or simply by chance.

The Year in Movies 2017 ended up being filled with strong films, but very few great ones - perhaps only one. There was plenty of depth with somewhere around 50 that I could recommend, and a solid group of unique, creative movies.

The one that caught my fancy the most was viewed at my neighborhood theater - AMC Regency in Brandon - perhaps the worst run of all the movie houses I have ever gone to. I had heard the film with an odd name was good, but I did not know too much about it. It had been out quite a while, but I had not pulled the trigger on seeing it until the very end of its run in local theaters. Finally, I settled in with my popcorn and found out that it was way more than a pleasant little romantic comedy.

“The Big Sick,” is based on the true story of Pakistani immigrant Kumail Nanjiani, who is working to be a standup comedian, and how he met his American wife Emily. It is about culture, relationships, family, life's obstacles and it is executed beautifully with humor and emotion. It makes you laugh a lot, think and cry.

I had not seen Zoe Kazan in anything since her brilliant effort in a cheeky little movie called “Ruby Sparks” in 2012. Kazan plays Emily with vulnerability, intelligence, cuteness and grace. Holly Hunter, who should have been nominated for an Academy Award, and Ray Romano play her parents very authentically. Adeel Akhtar and Anupam Kher portray Kumail’s parents with aplomb as well. Nanjiani couldn't have played himself any better.

It is a great movie from start to finish. The truth is out there!!

Along with Hunter and Kazan, it was a big year for tremendous performances from women and young girls.

The obvious standouts include Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), Margot Robbie (I, Tonya), Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water) and Frances McDormand (Three Billboards), but there were also fantastic performances from Jessica Chastain (Molly’s Game, Zookeeper’s Wife), Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird), Elizabeth Olsen (Wind River), young Brooklynn Prince (The Florida Project), Anne Hathaway (Colossal), Kate Mara (Megan Leavey), Tatiana Maslany (Stronger), Elle Fanning (The Beguiled), hilarious Tiffany Haddish (Girls Trip), Emma Stone (Battle of the Sexes), Brie Larson (The Glass Castle), Zendaya (The Greatest Showman), Jennifer Connelly (Only the Brave), Lily James (Baby Driver, Darkest Hour), Riley Keogh (Logan Lucky), McKenna Grace and Jenny Slate (Gifted), Izabela Vidovic (Wonder) and Lola Flanery (Home Again) along with many others.

TOP 25 of 2017

(tie) 25. Get Out - While I believe that the movie was over-rated a bit as far as being nominated for Best Picture, Jordan Peele's creative script should be celebrated and gets it over the hump on the list.

25. Okja -  The Netflix original is a unique, odd, but compelling film about a young Japanese girl who tries to save her GMO Super Pig from being slaughtered.

24. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Not quite as good as Vol. 1, but Baby Groot steals the show as the motley crew attempts to save the world again.

23. Baby Driver - Fast-moving crime drama centers around Baby (Ansel Elgort), who has some mad skills behind the wheel. It's a fun movie overall, although some of the violence is over the top.

22. Dunkirk - Director Christopher Nolan keeps you interested during the difficult evacuation of English troops from France, without much dialogue and few stars.

21. LBJ - Woody Harrelson seemed like he was in every movie of 2017 and somehow he did not get nominated for his brilliant performance as President Lyndon Johnson. The critics got this one wrong. Thought Rob Reiner's film was a good one.

20. The Shape of Water - Guillermo del Toro's Academy Award-winning monster movie is impeccably acted, and the underlying message is about being able to accept people that are different than us. The monster is cool, too.

19. Last Flag Flying - Steve Carell takes his old military friends (Laurence Fishburne and Bryan Cranston) with him on the trip to retrieve his son's dead body, after it returns from Iraq.

18. Megan Leavey - Kate Mara stars in the true story about a lost young marine and a bomb-sniffing combat dog named Rex, who changes her life after she trains him.

17. Battle of the Sexes - Emma Stone (Billie-Jean King) and Carell (Bobby Riggs) make it fun through the story of how one of the most memorable tennis matches of all time came about.

16. Darkest Hour - Gary Oldham kills it as Winston Churchill, trying to get England through the potential of an invasion by Nazi Germany while battling home-grown opponents.

15. All the Money in the World - Impeccably-acted story about the kidnapping of J. Paul Getty's son with Michelle Williams and Christopher Plummer, who was brilliant after taking over for disgraced Kevin Spacey in the role of Getty.

14. The Last Jedi - Episode VIII started slow and finished with an outstanding second half. Mark Hamill has never been better in a movie during the trilogy.

13. Wonder Woman - Gadot is a powerhouse in this well-done story about the female super hero. Had my doubts going in to see this movie, came out very pleased with the script and action.

12. Columbus - John Cho and Haley Lu Richardson form a unique relationship by chance in the Ohio City. He is visited his dying father. She is younger and dealing with alcoholic single mother.

11. War for the Planet of the Apes - The latest installment of the modern day version of the trilogy follows the great Caesar and his crew as they try to save their threatened tribe. It is more than just a war movie. It has a heart.


10. Thank You For Your Service - Miles Teller stars as one of three soldiers who come home from the horrors of war and deal the PTSD in different ways. It was authentic and powerful to me.

9. Three Billboards, outside Ebbing Missouri - McDormand is terrific as a mother trying to get more attention after the local police give up on finding her daughter's murderer. Sam Rockwell and Harrelson are outstanding as well in a powerful movie with a few plot flaws.

8. Detroit - Kathryn Bigelow got screwed out of a Best Director nomination as she took a very difficult subject and made a strong film about the racial incident at the Algiers Motel in 1967. It is not entertaining, but it is historic and makes you feel like too little has changed in 50 years.

7. Logan Lucky - Channing Tatum stars in the southern comedy caper with Adam Driver, Daniel Craig and Elvis' grand daughter (Riley Keogh) as the crew makes a unique heist attempt at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

6. Lady Bird - Liked this movie better the second time I viewed it, especially its wonderful dialogue from director Greta Gerwig. Simply said, it is about the difficult relationship of a loving mother and her coming-of-age teenage daughter.

5. The Post - Steven Spielberg's film about the Pentagon Papers, with Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep deciding how to release government secrets the public deserves to know. Bob Odenkirk is also outstanding.

4. Wind River - Jeremy Renner, who should have been nominated for Best Actor, plays a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agent who finds an 18-year-old girl dead in the frozen tundra of an Indian Reservation in Wyoming. The mystery of her death takes several turns into a violent, but compelling and emotional ending.

3. Molly's Game - Chastain plays Molly Bloom in Aaron Sorkin's film, based on a true story about a former Olympic-hopeful skier who gets caught up in the world of running underground high-stakes poker games.

2. I, Tonya - Margot Robbie plays Tonya Harding in a hilarious black comedy about the whole sorted episode around the attack of Nancy Kerrigan. Allison Janney easily deserved her Oscar for playing Tonya's mom and Paul Walter Hauser is great as Shawn.

1. The Big Sick - Nanjiani hits a home run with his sly humor "you're the Pakistani Sammy Sosa," and Kazan was the perfect casting as Emily "I don't date time nerds," but the big surprise was Romano's perfect deadpan performance. Everything seems to come together perfectly for this film, which you can watch over and over and still smile throughout.


Joe Lunardi's first seven out

A Ghost Story - The ghost of her dead husband observes Rooney Mara and the progression of lives in their house. It's odd, quiet, artsy, but somehow compelling.

The Year of Spectacular Men - Lea Thompson directs while her two daughters Zoey and Madelyn Deutch star in a likable story about life's hurdles and relationships.

Only the Brave - A gripping film based on the Granite Mountain Hotshots, who died fighting a fire in 2013.

Roman J. Israel Esq. - Kept thinking about this film after renting it. Denzel Washington plays an enigmatic defense lawyer, who gets himself into trouble with a series of unfortunate decisions and circumstances.

Stronger - The well-acted story based on Jeff Bauman (Jake Gyllenhaal), who lost both legs in the Boston Marathon bombing.

Wonder - Cute and heartwarming. Jacob Tremblay is one heck of a child actor.

Icarus - Tremendous documentary uncovers a Russian steroid program for its athletes.

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Most Over-Rated: Phantom Thread - Extremely well-acted, but, frankly I didn't get it.

Hoped to see, but couldn't: Atomica, Father Figures, Justice League, Personal Shopper.

Top Honorable Mention (Recommend): American Made (Tom Cruise is good at smuggling), The Beguiled (weird, but ultimately interesting and different), Blade Runner 2049 (decent long-awaited sequel, but too long),  Borg vs. McEnroe (the buildup to a greatest tennis match in history at Wimbledon), Colossal (strange concept movie that held me to an odd ending), Eight Days A Week (Beatles documentary), Gifted (McKenna Grace is adorable), Girls Trip (very fun stuff), The Greatest Showman (better than expected circus movie), I Don't Feel At Home in this World Anymore (Netflix, unique), Logan (liked this X men story), Marshall (historic and well done about old Thurgood), Mudbound, Paddington 2 (liked that bear), Spiderman Homecoming (some cool stuff), Thor: Ragnarok (entertaining super hero flick), Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (liked the science fiction film, but few others did), The Zookeeper's Wife (Chastain was a powerhouse again in this strong film, based in Poland).

Second Honorable Mention (recommend marginally, but make sure it's for you): All Eyez on Me (Tupac), An Inconvenient Sequel (Al), Atomic Blonde (good stunts), The Babysitter (bloody), Bad Moms Christmas (not as good as the original), Baywatch (Alexandra Daddario has some nice eyes, sue me), Before I Fall (Zoey Deutch rocks, but have seen this storyline before), Book of Henry (heartwarming, but a little dull),  Call Me by Your Name (Excellent acting, but otherwise, ahh), Daddy's Home 2 (I laughed a lot, sorry), The Disaster Artist (some laughs, but also somewhat annoying), Flatliners (better than expected), The Florida Project (strange film that was quite compelling, but ultimately unsatisfying), Geostorm (lots of action and minor intrigue), The Glass Castle (interesting, but not particularly entertaining), Going in Style (light and funny), Good Time (A24 Crime story), Goon: Last of the Enforcers (not as good as the first one), Handsome: A Netflix Mystery Movie, Hitman's Bodyguard (not as bad as reviews), Home Again (TV-type movie with Reese Witherspoon, but entertaining), Kong: Skull Island (the big guy held my interest), Mark Felt (historic, but kinda boring), Murder on the Orient Express (nothing special), November Criminals (missed opportunity; great actors, decent story line, really, really bad script), The Only Living Boy in New York (Not a great film at all, but Kate Beckinsale is gorgeous), War Machine (netflix)

Did not see, but don't care that much: Alien Covenant, A United Kingdom, Beauty and the Beast, Blind, Brad's Status, Chips, Coco, A Cure for Wellness, The Dark Tower, A Dog's Purpose, Downsizing. Drone, Everything Everything, The Fate of the Furious, Ferdinand, Fire Fire, Ghost in the Shell, Hostiles, Insidious: The Last Key, Kingsmen: The Golden Circle, Jigsaw, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, The Layover, The Lost City of Z, Maudie, The Mountain Between Us, The Mummy, Pitch Perfect 3, Power Rangers, Sleepless, The Snowman, The Ticket, The Transformers, Tulip Fever, Victoria & Abdul, John Wick, Chapter 2, Wilson, Wonder Wheel, 47 Meters Down.

Not Recommended: American Assassin, The Circle, Fist Fight, The Foreigner, The House, It, Just Getting Started, Kidnap, Life, Snatched, Suburbican, Woodshock.

Almost the worst of the year: Beatriz at Dinner, The Dinner, Rough Night

Worst of 2017: Mother! - Shame Jennifer Lawrence. This was confusing, uninteresting, gross at times and just not watchable. One of the worst movies I have ever seen.

Previous picks for Best of the Year

2016 - Lion

2015 - Spotlight

2014 – Birdman

2013 -- Nebraska

2012 – Silver Linings Playbook

2011 – The Descendants

2010 – The Social Network

2009 – Inglourious Basterds

2008 – Frost/Nixon-The Wrestler (tie)

2007 – Once

Best of All Time - Almost Famous

The Worst Movies of 2017

By Mark Pukalo


It would seem there were more bad movies in 2016 than 2017 if you compare my two lists.

Not really.

I just punished myself by renting anything I could in 2016 and saw many awful films. Throughout 2017, I stopped myself from doing that. I’m sure there are some others that could be added to this list, but there was no need to spend the extra $1.61 to see how bad “Everything, Everything,” “Ghost in the Shell,” “The Mountain Between Us,” “The Dark Tower,” “The Layover,” or “The Mummy,” was. So, ultimately, even some of the movies at the bottom of my list of the worst of 2017 have some redeeming value if you want to see them.

Here's my list of the worst of 2017:


 15. Snatched - Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn provide a few laughs, but it kinda goes off the rails at times.

 14. It - Just didn't find anything particularly fascinating about this thriller. Don't really get IT I guess.

 13. The House - Will Ferrell is always a little fun to watch, but he does not have a whole lot to work with here.

 12. Just Getting Started - The Tommy Lee Jones and Morgan Freeman senior caper movie just never draws your interest. Bet they both made some good money though.

 11. Fist Fight - Has some funny moments, but the ultimate story line is sort of preposterous.


 10. The Circle - How can Tom Hanks make a bad movie about a subject that could be interesting like a society that goes overboard with social media? A really, really bad script.

 9. Life - Let's say the ending shocked me and made me feel an ounce better about the film, but it was still boring and head scratching before we got there.

 8. American Assassin - The counter-terrorism film thinks it's smarter than it is. Pick better movies Michael Keaton.

 7. The Foreigner - Jackie Chan sleep walks through this baffling crime drama, with an evil Pierce Brosnan, that is hard to follow.

 6. Kidnap - Calm down and think Halle Berry. Sheesh. Just a series of crazy car chases that does not seem to end.

 5. Suburbicon - A violent, strange, ugly, maddening film from the Coen Brothers that leaves you wondering why you rented it. The concept isn't awful. The execution is.

 4. Beatriz at Dinner - Kept waiting for something thoughtful and interesting out of this film about race and class structure, but it just seemed like a mess that made me angry in the end. Even adorable Salma Hayek couldn't save it.

 3. The Dinner - A good cast with Richard Gere, Laura Linney and Rebecca Hall and an idiotic script that centers around two wealthy families trying to decide what to do about their children's crime. It's bad from start to finish.

 2. Rough Night - The only one of these 15 that I spent money on at the theater. It's crass, not funny at all and the trailer actually made it look like it could be good. I got fooled. Could have been No. 1, but Scarlett Johansson looked really, really good in short hair.

 1. Mother! - Love you, but shame on you Jennifer Lawrence. Director Darren Aronofsky has made some good films like "The Fighter" and "The Wrestler," but this strange mystical thriller is gross, mindless and just so crazy you want to turn it off 20-30 minutes in. I'm not sure what positives anyone can take out of this mess. Some critics say Aronofsky made the film to get a reaction - either way. Well, here's mine. IT SUCKED! I want my $1.61 back!



OSCAR PICKS/HOPES


BEST ORIGINAL SCREEN PLAY - The Big Sick (hope), Lady Bird (pick)

BEST ADAPTED SCREEN PLAY - Molly's Game (hope), Call Me By Your Name (pick)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - Allison Janney, I Tonya (hope, pick), although Laurie Metcalf was great in Lady Bird

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World (hope), Woody Harrelson, Three Billboards, Outside Ebbing, Missouri (pick). All five are very worthy.

BEST ACTRESS - Margot Robbie, I Tonya (hope), Sally Jenkins, The Shape of Water (pick)

BEST ACTOR - Gary Oldham, Darkest Hour (hope, pick)

BEST DIRECTOR - Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk (hope), Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird (pick)

BEST FILM  - The Post (hope), The Shape of Water (pick)