The Best Movies of the Decade: 2010-19

   By Mark Pukalo


   It all went so fast. But what a ride it has been through the 2010s at the theater.

   For more than a decade, I have enjoyed handicapping the best movies of the year and blogging about it. Many times during that period, the films just fell into place. I knew when I walked out of the theater most days where each would rate at the end of the year. Sometimes movies do grow on you with multiple viewings. But the first watch is often the best indicator.

  With 2019 coming to a close, I saw an interesting list of the top 20 movies of the decade on twitter and - of course - had to do it myself. But I found out how hard it was when I wrote out a list of the top few from every year. They did not fall in place easily.

   It was a decade filled with so many thrilling, thoughtful and different movies, although I can't list 20 perfect films. I ranked them with the following criteria:

   1/ How much it moved me.
   2/ How it stood the test of time.
   3/ How significant it was.
   4/ How good the cast was and how the movie flowed.
   5/ How much I wanted to watch it over and over.
   6/ How it rated on the Jim Valvano test (cry, laugh, think)

   Before I get to the best, in my amateur movie critic's opinion, the worst movie of the decade was Jennifer Lawrence's Mother! Just dreadful. The three most-over-rated movies of the past 10 years to me were The Favourite, The Tree of Life and Phantom Thread. Just didn't get them, I guess. All three are popping up on critic's best lists for the decade. I thought about adding Mad Max: Fury Road. But I actually liked the movie. I just didn't think it was good enough to be nominated for awards.

   Here's an updated list of my favorite films of the decade after seeing an abundance of strong efforts at the end of 2019 and watching those on my list again.

   Honorable Mention: 50/50, Argo, Begin Again, Boyhood, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Hunger Games, The Infiltrator, I, Tonya, The Irishman, OJ: Made in America, The Spectacular Now, The Town, Truth, The Way, Way Back, Wind River, Zero Dark Thirty.


    20. The Tillman Story (2010) - Terrific documentary about the life and controversial death of the great Pat Tillman.

   19. Black Panther (2018) - Never thought this would make a list like this before walking into the theater,  but the epic film was terrific in so many ways.

   18. The Hate U Give (2018) - Thought the story of racial tension and injustice was told with grace and depth. It moved me.

   17. The Avengers: End Game (2019) - Yeah, it's a super-hero movie, but I was riveted from start to finish with the story, the emotions and the bits of humor.

   16. JoJo Rabbit - A cheeky comedy-drama which both loudly and in subtle ways shows the lunacy of hate and fascism.

   15. Short Term 12 (2013) - A terrific cast that includes Brie Larson, Rami Malek, Kaitlyn Dever (she hasn't seemed to age since then) and John Gallagher Jr. weave a story about a residential treatment center for young people.

    14. BlackKlansman (2018) - Had it ranked eighth for the year, but after watching it 100 times on HBO I think I under-rated it quite a bit.

    13. The Descendants (2011) - George Clooney stars in the emotional Alexander Payne film that explores death, infidelity and family politics all with Hawaii as the backdrop.

    12. Birdman (2014) - Michael Keaton should have won the Oscar for his career-best performance of a troubled theater actor in a film that is shot in a very unique manner, and it works.

    11. Moneyball (2011) - Brad Pitt did a great job playing Billy Beane, the GM of the Oakland Athletics, as he tries to keep the team competitive with a small payroll. Very well written script.


    10. Silver Linings Playbook (2012) - Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper make for a fun couple in the comedy-drama about people dealing with mental illness.

     9. Sing Street (2016) - Yeah, sorry, another coming-of-age film. Boy tries to impress mysterious and gorgeous older girl (Lucy Boynton) by putting together a band and finds out he's pretty good at it.

     8. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) - Not sure how this movie will hold up over time, but it is an incredibly written (Quentin Tarantino) and acted (Leo and Brad) film.

     7. The Big Short (2015) - An incredible cast brings Michael Lewis' book about the country's financial crisis in 2007-2008 to life with plenty of humor and intelligence.

     6. The Social Network (2010) - Jesse Eisenberg hasn't been in many good movies since, but he was great as the enigmatic Mark Zuckerberg in Aaron Sorkin's film about the birth of Facebook.

     5. Ex Machina (2015) - Science fiction thriller about a mad, brilliant, rich recluse (Oscar Isaac) who is working on perfecting a beautiful life-like robot (Alicia Vikander). One of the most shocking endings to a movie ever.

     4. Lion (2016) - Amazing and emotional film about a lost little boy in India who tries to complete his journey back home after 25 years. Buckets of tears.

     3. The Big Sick (2017) - Just absolutely loved this romantic comedy based on the true story of how Kumail Nanjiani met his wife. The performances are spot on.

     2. Nebraska (2013) - Still upset Bruce Dern did not win Best Actor over Matthew McConaughey for his performance in this dramatic comedy about family and an old man's final journey in life.

     1. Spotlight (2015) - Settled on this at No. 1 because I thought the cast made the true story of the Boston Globe's uncovering of a scandal in the Catholic church so incredibly authentic. I was in news rooms for more than two decades and every actor, every scene was right on point. This is why journalism is so important. People forget that.

Can the Lightning Finally Reach the Promised Land?

By Mark Pukalo


Here we go, again.

The Tampa Bay Lightning approach the 2019-20 season with the pieces in place to make another run at a Stanley Cup. Four or maybe even five times in the past decade the Bolts seemed poised to add a second Cup to their history, but they could not finish the job.

None of those seasons ended with more disappointment and questions than last spring, when the Lightning tied the NHL all-time record with 62 regular-season victories and failed to add another while being swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

There were many reasons for that disaster, but the one positive coming out of it is the 2019-2020 version of the Bolts will have a little more anger in their game.
   
“We could sit and pout in the corner, but it’s not going to change anything that happened last year,” Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos told reporters when training camp opened. “I’m hoping guys come in with that extra motivation and a little chip on their shoulder, because I know I will.”

The Lightning have more than enough talent to play deep into June. The question is, how to do it? Who plays with who, can they add some size without losing their flow, can they be tighter defensively without giving up much offense?

Much of that falls on coach Jon Cooper, who should be under the most scrutiny of his career in Tampa Bay this season. You can say that if Ben Bishop doesn’t come flying out of net in Game 5 of the 2015 Cup finals or if Yanni Gourde gets his stick on a puck inches from the line in Game 7 of the 2018 Eastern Conference finals, Cooper could have two Cups. You could even say if Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman don’t get hurt and the Bolts don’t get overconfident after a 3-0 lead in Game 1, they beat Columbus last year before gaining momentum. Who knows?

But, with all that talent, Cooper hasn’t been able to make the proper adjustments when it really counted to get the team over the finish line first. The fear is he doesn’t have what it takes. The hope is that he has learned a lot from all these experiences, failures, and can put them to use. The thing is though, he may not be Tony Bennett.

Tampa Bay has struggled on offense at key times in the last two postseasons, despite owning the NHL’s best attack, but the biggest improvement must be made on defense.

The Bolts gave up the 11th-most shots per game in the league last season and finished tied for seventh in goals-against per game. That difference happens when you have the best goaltender in the world between the pipes. Andrei Vasilevskiy was outstanding in every way last season and the Lightning don’t have to worry about their goaltending - with capable veteran Curtis McElhinney as the backup - but they would like to limit the rubber the duo sees overall.

Ryan McDonagh, who was a remarkable plus-38 in the regular season in 2018-19, has formed a great partnership with physical Eric Cernak in the top four on the blue line. The dilemma is, who do you play with Norris Trophy candidate Victor Hedman with Stralman and Dan Girardi gone? Mikhail Sergachev looked like he could get a shot there, but it appears newcomer Kevin Shattenkirk will start the season beside the big Swede.

Shattenkirk could be one of the keys to the season, coming in on a one-year deal to re-establish his reputation after struggling with the New York Rangers before they bought him out. In my opinion, he is a much better defender than people think and if that proves true this season, the Bolts’ blue line will be improved. I’d still like to see Dominik Masin get a look at some point this season as a potential lefty replacement for Braydon Coburn in the future. Let’s hope GM Julien Brisebois doesn’t give up on him too soon.

With Brayden Point arriving late to camp and being held out a few games while finishing his recovery from double hip surgery, the forward lines have been jumbled early on. Cooper seems to have decided to move Stamkos to the wing, at least for now, and play either Gourde or Tyler Johnson in the middle when Point returns. I disagree. But it is bold and there’s nothing wrong with experimenting with a team that will be in the playoffs, unless it is barraged with injuries.

Patrick Maroon adds beef on the fourth line and in front on the power play for the Bolts while rookie Carter Verhaeghe joins the team after a strong season with AHL Syracuse in 2018-19 followed by an excellent training camp. Gemel Smith also adds some size on the fourth line for the Lightning with Cedric Paquette (arm) out for a while.

There will be enough scoring with Stamkos, reigning Hart Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov and Point, but they need to match last season’s secondary production. Gourde and Johnson can score goals while Mathieu Joseph and Anthony Cirelli have the ability to contribute even more after outstanding rookie seasons. If the Bolts can get a rebound season from Ondrej Palat and another 17-20 goals from Alex Killorn, they will be fine up front, no matter how they are configured until the playoffs. I would love to see Palat score 20-25 goals to quiet his detractors.

Good health, reduction of shots against, continued secondary scoring depth and bit more sandpaper will be plenty to win the Atlantic Division.

Then, the hard part begins.

This team is impossible to predict. Have the failures of the past five years damaged their psyche. Or will those disappointments fuel the players at just the right time.

It’s time to enjoy the next six months of hockey. Then, Lightning fans can start worrying again.

Best Concerts of my Lifetime, in Honor of Woodstock

By Mark Pukalo


The lights came on and the show was over. After a few seconds, large speakers in the auditorium began to play John's Lennon's classic "Just like starting over" while fans bounced out of the building, some arm and arm, into the night.

A great live show doesn't always need a tune like that to help you leave with a jump to your step. It can stay with you for a long time, sometimes forever. They can remind you of an easier, less stressful time in your life.

For someone who has loved music so much, I've been somewhat deprived when it comes to concert attendance. I didn't go see the Grateful Dead 50 times, never saw the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, U2, Led Zeppelin, Queen, James Taylor, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd, The Who, Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie, Prince, Bob Dylan, R.E.M, Crosby, Stills & Nash and many others in person. It's disappointing. I was going to see Coldplay in Florida when I first moved here, but they canceled. My luck.

Still, whenever I have a few free moments, I watch memorable performances on YouTube from the greatest show ever - Live Aid in London - among others like Live 8, Live Earth and the Sandy concert for New York, and it transports me there. Hopefully, I can scratch a few favorites off my list in the next decade before they retire.

Something I saw on twitter a few months ago caused me to put together a list of the best live concerts I ever attended. I expected to let it sit in my blogspot forever, but watching a documentary of "Woodstock" last night made me decide to make my list public. Yeah, you will see I haven't been out enough. LOL. But some of my friends may remember being with me on these memorable nights, and some days.

Here's the top 20 of my lifetime:

20. The Cars at the Hartford Civic Center in the 1980s - You can say that their shows are like putting an album on the turntable, but I thought they sounded great that night.

19. Bruce Springsteen at the Hartford Civic Center in the 1980s - The Boss put on a patented long, spirited show at the Mall.

18. Todd Rundgren at the Wolf Den, Mohegan Sun Casino in the late 1990s - The future Hall of Famer (why isn't he in already?) put on a fun free show as I played a little video poker at the bar.

17. Elvis Costello at Lake Compounce in Bristol in the early 1990s - Had great seats up front as Elvis put on quite a nuanced performance after the "Mighty Like a Rose" album came out.

16. The Indigo Girls at the Yale Tennis Center in the early 1990s - Interesting venue and an awesome concert from the girls as I enjoyed a great time with a group of friends. Can't remember who opened.

15. Eddie Money at a New Britain (CT) Night Club (can't remember the name) in the early 1990s - Eddie's eyes looked bloodshot, but man he put on a super show. He summoned plenty of energy somehow. I had a ticket to paradise.

14. Ben Folds and Missy Higgins at UConn in 2008 - Still annoyed that I didn't bring my printed picture of me and Missy for her to sign, but the Aussie opened with a solid set before Folds had a ton of fun with his songs - and fake copies of them - from the "Way to Normal" album. 

13. The Ramones following the S.O.S. Band spring weekend at UConn in 1984 - The S.O.S. Band had the crowd swaying to "Take Your Time" among other hits before Joey and the gang came out with their guitarists rocking it while standing on top of giant speakers.

12. Neil Young at the New Haven Coliseum in the 1980s - The king of distortion was amazing in the old barn, and I was as petrified as ever leaving in a car down the tight, winding lane in that hellish parking garage.

11. Bruce Springsteen at Meadowlands Arena in the 1990s - It was a traffic-filled drive from Manchester to East Rutherford, NJ, which included a jaunt down the Palisades Parkway (miss you Billy C), for a signature show from the Boss which came after the "Human Touch" album. He even played "Pony Boy" so everyone could have a quick bathroom break. LOL.

10. Lilith Fair at Hartford Ampitheater in the 1990s - Sarah McLachlan headlined the show that included Natalie Merchant, the Indigo Girls, Bonnie Raitt, Aimee Mann and many others. The group ended the show with an absolutely amazing rendition of Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin On."

9. Missy Higgins at The Hi Hat in Providence in 2008 - The small jazz club was a beautiful venue for a fun concert from Missy, who I discovered when I taped Live Earth's Australia show over night. She worked with a small piano and acoustic guitar to play songs from her brilliant first two albums.

8. Crowded House at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, Fla. in 2010 - Neil Finn and the boys were right on target with a two hour-plus show after their 2010 "Intriguer" album came out. Hope to see another concert at that venue.

7. Billy Joel at the Hartford Civic Center in the 1990s - I had great seats behind the stage thanks to old friend Eddie Pacheco and Billy put on the type of show you'd want to see from him in one try.

6. Rush at the Florida State Fairgrounds in 2012 - Geddy, Alex and "the Master" Neil Peart gave the fans a treat with a show that spanned the best of the trio's Hall of Fame career. It was more classics, less newer stuff in this performance.

5. Joe Walsh at the Jersey Shore in the 1990s - Me and my cousin Joe took the ride north from Seagirt, N.J. to spend the day before a terrific show at a relatively small venue. Who opened for the great Mr. Walsh? The band headed by Knicks/Rangers owner James Dolan. No joke.

4. Aimee Mann and Michael Penn at Toads in 2000 - Part of the married couple's "Acoustic Vaudeville Tour," they played sets both apart and together, and could not have sounded any better. Michael's version of "Me Around" might have been the highlight.

3. J Geils Band at UConn (freshman year) in 1981 or 82 - My roommate Jack Roche camped out with his friends over night to help me get a seat in the first few rows left of the stage for an amazing show after the group's "Love Stinks" album. With huge speakers right next to us, my ears were ringing for the next few days. This is the show where Lennon's song made for a joyous departure.

2. Bruce Springsteen at the Florida State Fairgrounds in 2011 - It was supposed to rain heavily all night, but after some pre-concert sprinkles the skies cleared for a predictable fantastic show. Yes, the Boss made the clouds go away. I hung with some college kids from Stetson who I met that night and had a great time.

1. The Eagles at Amalie Arena in 2013 - Any of the top 12 could have taken this spot because they were so close, but I have to go with my favorite band of all time. It was my first and last chance to see the great Glenn Frey in person before his death and the group sounded perfect as usual through a two hour-plus show.


High Honorable Mention: Aerosmith at the Florida State Fairgrounds, Aimee Mann in Providence at a small club, Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes at UConn, Bad Company/Joe Walsh at the Florida State Fairgrounds, Missy Higgins in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Others, all fun and unique in their own way: Aimee Mann at the Basketball Hall of Fame, Bruce Springsteen at the Florida State Fairgrounds 2013, Barenaked Ladies/Blues Traveler at the Florida State Fairgrounds, The Bodeans at Toads, Howard Jones at the Wolf Den, Mohegan Sun, Thunder Road (Springsteen cover band) south campus UConn, NRBQ at UConn, Rush at Amalie Arena, Dave Matthews Band at the Florida State Fairgrounds, The Clancy Brothers at the Melody Tent on Cape Cod, Eddie Money and Buster Poindexter at UConn, Santana at the Florida State Fairgrounds, Huey Lewis & the News in Wallingford, CT, Sheena Easton at the Wolf Den, Mohegan Sun.

Note: I might have also seen Jackson Browne in Wallingford, but can't be sure. ... I do not remember who played the other spring weekends at UConn. Somehow, I think Stevie Nicks and/or Lindsey Buckingham might have been there at some point. ... I'm pretty sure I saw Tom Petty and Sheryl Crow at Lake Compounce, either together or separately with others involved (Don Henley solo?). ... I also saw Keith Sweat for a few songs at the Wolf Den and met Missy Higgins at Borders Book store in Boston after she did a four-song set. ... Oh man, and all those great bands at the Irish Festival in Glastonbury.

Lightning Doesn't Survive in a Perfect Storm

By Mark Pukalo


Let’s all calm down for a minute.

Yeah, it’s okay to be mad. You should be. It’s embarrassing. The Tampa Bay Lightning failed you from top to bottom in the playoffs.

Everyone will point to their personal favorite whipping boys because there is plenty of blame to go around from four dreadful performances against the Columbus Blue Jackets. But when things like this happen - the total collapse of a 62-win team - it’s never one thing or one player. It was, pardon me, a perfect storm.

These will not be excuses. Don’t mistake this surface analysis as sour grapes. The Lightning just got beat by a capable team with a great coach that outplayed them in every phase of the game for seven days.

The team’s brass must now figure out internally what were the main reasons for this disaster. They weren’t guaranteed to win the Cup. It’s the hardest trophy to win. But they looked so bad trying to do it this time around after finding ways to win games all season long. Why did the Blue Jackets come to Tampa, fall behind 3-0 in the first period, then proceed to dominate the best team in hockey - over the previous six months - for most of the final 220 minutes of the series?

The answers aren’t easy. Defenseman Ryan McDonagh told reporters after the game: “It’s tough to pinpoint one thing. We hurt ourselves in a lot of different fashions. Strengths that were keys to us winning in the regular season didn’t get it done in this series. They won all those categories.”

The autopsy of this 2018-19 team will take a while.

It seems silly to say this, but some of the problems could be seen during the regular season. The Lightning constantly had to rally in games. Sure, they always seemed to come back. But that is not a recipe for success against the better teams come playoff time. The Bolts also had a stretch late in the season when they couldn’t keep the puck out of their net. Many of their weaknesses were hidden by an offense, a power play, that literally couldn’t be stopped. They were also mostly healthy at the trade deadline. So why do anything, right?

Perhaps the trades just weren’t there. We never know what was asked and offered. But, after watching how Columbus manhandled the Lightning in this series, you wonder how Wayne Simmonds might have helped staring down Josh Anderson or Brandon Dubinsky. You wonder if another defenseman would have helped their depth if two of their top four went down - a scenario that unfortunately occurred.

The way the season ended could not have helped Tampa Bay either. The Bolts pretty much clinched the Presidents’ Trophy in February. There were so many games left to play, meaningless contests, plenty of mileage on bodies. How you manage the end of the season in that situation can be tricky, but one thing I noticed in this series was the Lightning looked tired at times. Maybe that is mostly frustration fatigue and from chasing the Blue Jackets around the ice too much, but they looked more drained than they probably should have been. Could players have been rested more down the stretch?

These are things that you can’t always control. Players want to play. You want to keep the continuity. But injuries are another wild card. Anton Stralman didn’t play in the series, Victor Hedman suffered an injury with four contests left in the regular season and was a shell of himself in the two games he played before sitting the final two while Dan Girardi looked slow after coming back from a long injury absence just before the playoffs. That’s a big chunk of your defense.

But everything looked just fine after 20 minutes of the postseason. Or did it? I honestly thought the Lightning looked a little sloppy in the first period of Game 1, but a puck jumps over Seth Jones’ stick, Sergei Bobrovsky coughs up a delicious rebound and Columbus limps to the locker room down 3-0. Coach John Tortorella tells his Blue Jackets they need to “grind” with the Lightning if they are going to win the series and they do just that. The Bolts get sloppier, the dependable McDonagh makes a poor decision and his turnover leads to a goal that gives Columbus life. The Blue Jackets feel good about themselves, Bobrovsky’s legs stop shaking and they get down to business.

Watching this core group of Lightning players for several years, you get used to strong responses. They always seem to fight back. This time they really didn’t. A Game 1 loss was followed by a Game 2 dud and their soon-to-be Hart Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov gets himself a one-game suspension for a stupid, frustration hit in garbage time.

What more could go wrong? The Bolts fall behind again in both games in Columbus to ignite the already delirious fans. They play a good third period in Game 3. They fight back a little in the second period of Game 4, but you never thought they had a handle of Tuesday’s contest.

A friend texted me after Game 3 to say simply: “This is NOT the same team.”

It’s true. Not in mind or body. They looked lost at times. I’m not sure it’s a team that’s not built for the playoffs, though. They might need a tiny bit more grit. Just about everyone does come playoff time. But I don't think Pittsburgh and Chicago had a lot more and they won multiple Cups recently. Plus, this core group has won a lot of playoff games.

There are plenty of reasons for the meltdown floating around, and many are good ones. Frankly, it’s not just one thing.

Listen, I’m not going to dwell on this, but there is no way I would have extended Jon Cooper's contract before the end of the season. I understand the reasons to do it, but I don't think it would have hurt to wait. Intelligent hockey people think Cooper is a great coach, but in my opinion he has a very small role in the team's success.

Coaches sometimes get too much credit when they win and too much abuse when they lose, but there are certain times when the best of them step up and you notice it. Tortorella did that during the last week. Cooper once again showed he doesn’t seem to have the answers when adjustments are needed. He can sure steer a Cadillac to the Fair without an accident, but he has yet to bring home a first prize ribbon. No, the Calder Cup does not count.

Cooper seems to either act too slow or irrationally in tough spots. His lines in Game 4 had three combinations that had never been used before and low and behold the Bolts gave up odd man rush after odd man rush.

Before I get to what happens next, a quick look at the positives and negatives I put forth before the playoff run and what happened.
   
 The positives?

 * Steven Stamkos was playing his best hockey: Stamkos did not hit the scoresheet until Game 4, but he seems to be getting way too much criticism in my opinion. I’d go to war with the captain. Remember, he chose Tampa. He scored 45 goals folks.

 * Andrei Vasilevskiy is the best goalie in the world: He still is, but he was outplayed by Bobrovsky. You can only blame the Big Cat if the Lightning played better defense and they were atrocious. He just couldn’t save them this time.

 * Experience edge: It did not matter at all, due in part to Tortorella.

 * Depth edge: The Lightning showed they may not have been deep enough on defense when two of their top four went down with injuries.

The Negatives?

* Anton Stralman’s lower-body injury: This was a major factor. They needed his steady play and cool. Their bottom four (of eight) defensemen ended up playing too many minutes and Cooper’s decision to go with Jan Rutta over Braydon Coburn the first two games was about as puzzling as it gets.

* Special teams: They were far from special. The penalty kill had no answers for a Columbus power play that struggled during the regular season. Playoff refereeing took over and Tampa Bay had few chances to save itself on the power play.

* The Lightning’s propensity to fall back to old habits: The Bolts lost their game in the second period of Game 1 by thinking too aggressively on offense with a 3-0 lead and turning the puck over constantly with high-risk passing. They also played more passively on defense at the blue line as the series went on.

* While Tampa Bay is more physical than it has been, they can’t play that type of game against big teams: The Lightning had a lot of hits, but not many that made a difference. They were pulled into a physical game and lost most of the board and puck battles against the feisty Jackets.

* Coaching adjustments non existent: Cooper was stubborn to change his penalty kill unit, but totally put his forward lines in a blender for Game 4. His players did not respond, or they ignored him.

It looked as though there were more positives than negatives before the playoffs. But it did not work out that way against Columbus.

Again, let’s all take a breath, though. To start pointing fingers at everyone wildly, especially the team leadership in the room, is not helpful. Yeah, I want better from Cooper. But this team is very close to one that can win a Stanley Cup. It’s not time to blow it up.

Moves will have to be made though, not just to change the mix in the room and on the ice, but out of necessity. With Brayden Point about to become a $7-8 million player and Mikhail Sergachev, Vasilevskiy and Anthony Cirelli due deals in the summer of 2020, the Bolts have cap issues.

So who goes and stays? Let’s start on defense.

The Lightning have four unrestricted free agents - Stralman, Girardi, Coburn and Rutta - and I’d be surprised if more than two will be back. I wouldn’t be surprised if only one returned. The Bolts must decide if Stralman’s injury is going to be a problem going forward. If not, you try to get him back for two years and about $6-7 million total and start there. After that, you must be frugal. Rutta and Girardi have the advantage being righties and could be cheap. The big question is whether Dominik Masin and Cal Foote could be ready to move into the lineup. Foote, another right-hander, has come on in the second half of the season in the AHL and Masin is a plus-61 combined the last two seasons. I think it was a mistake to not give Masin a few NHL games after the Lightning clinched, especially after the injuries.

Who goes up front to clear cap space will likely depend on no trade clauses and the return when players are dangled around the draft. Alex Killorn, Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat have no-trade deals. Yanni Gourde and J.T. Miller do not.

Johnson’s value is at its peak after scoring 29 goals. You would think teams like Los Angeles, Anaheim, Vancouver (near his home in Spokane) and San Jose might be interested in adding speed. But Johnny has to consent and, like the other four, seems to love it here.

Miller would probably be the easiest to move. But, to me, you’d be trading one of your best physical forces. Cooper has moved Miller around on lines so much his head is probably still spinning. But, then again, Miller only has three goals in 61 career playoff games.

I still think Palat is an integral part to this team, but I can understand people not being wild about his offensive totals. I still go back to who scored the goals in the only Game 7 win after the first round in this core group’s era: Palat and Killorn. I just think they are cogs in the machine, but if they have to go, they will go. Gourde is another lunchpail guy, but my opinion is the Bolts handed him a much bigger contract than they needed to.

The Lightning is probably better off to keep Ryan Callahan for the final year of his contract. The only way to deal him would be to eat more than half of his near-$6 million cap hit. His leadership can help and that cap hit, along with the final year of Matt Carle’s buyout, comes off the books after next season.

There will be moves, and there should be. But this is still a team that is close to something special. They just need to shuffle the deck and see young players develop.

We all hope that we are wrong about the coach, that a few tweeks here and there, a little luck and inspiration from this season’s failure can fuel a big run in 2019-2020. Julien Brisebois will have to show what kind of GM he really is. Tough decisions have to be made. I liked what I heard from him Thursday, for the most part.

Just a week ago, the Bolts seemed almost unbeatable. Now everyone has plenty of work ahead to put the pieces to the puzzle back together.

The best news for Lightning fans is they have many very good pieces to finish the puzzle. They will be back. They will have the chance at redemption.

To me, that is the only definite and positive in what will be a long painful offseason for the franchise and its fans.

Can the Lightning Finish the Job?

By Mark Pukalo


The Tampa Bay Lightning are the best team in hockey.

Heck, they may be the best team in all of sports right now, including European soccer leagues. Yes, the shootout thing diminishes their NHL record-tying 62 wins in the regular season, but they lost two straight games in regulation once in 2018-19. Once!

But, in a lot of ways, that was the easy part. An accumulation of wins in the regular season comes down to the amount of talent you have, some luck and health. The team with the most offense and the best goaltender in the league won a lot of games. No surprise.

It will take much more to win a Stanley Cup. The Lightning probably had the most talent in the NHL last season and were an offensive juggernaut, but got shut out in the final two games of the Eastern Conference finals. They had a chance to win the East in 2017 in Game 6 at home, but failed. Two years earlier, the Bolts had a 2-1 lead in the Stanley Cup finals with two home games left on the schedule and lost three in a row.

Tampa Bay needs to prove it can finish the job. Can they do it? Absolutely. Will they be able navigate the gauntlet if they must get through Boston and Washington again? We will see.

The positives?

* Captain Steven Stamkos is playing his best hockey since 2011-12. Is this finally going to be his big playoff run?

* Andrei Vasilevskiy is the best goalie in the world and the Lightning have the edge between the pipes in every series, especially if they should make the finals.

* Experience. The Lightning has been there, done that. The pressure will not be the factor in them losing.

* Depth. Tampa Bay has even more depth than last season and has the ability to use different combinations against different teams. The Bolts don't have to overplay the top six.

The Negatives?

* Anton Stralman’s lower-body injury. In a lot of ways, Stralman is the glue to the defense. If he can’t play, that moves either Dan Girardi or Mikhail Sergachev - on his off side - into the top four. It’s not the end of the world, it’s just not ideal, especially with how slow Girardi looked in his comeback game Saturday.

* Special teams. You don’t get as many power plays in the postseason, so the best unit in the league won’t easily win a game. The penalty killing better not be as bad this time around against Boston, if the teams meet.

* The Lightning’s propensity to fall back on old habits when it gets harder to score goals, over passing and missing the net.

* While Tampa Bay is more physical with Erik Cernak, Adam Erne, J.T. Miller in the lineup, if the Bolts get pulled into that type of game against Boston and Washington it won’t be a good thing.

* Then, there are coaching adjustments.

Listen, you can’t take 62 wins away from Jon Cooper. And maybe you can’t blame him for Ben Bishop skating to the blue line to get to a puck or Jonathan Drouin’s skate being a sliver off the ice at the blue line (was it really?) to take the lead goal away. But there have been some tough losses along the way and the Lightning are 0-7 - 0-3 at home - with leads in their final playoff series three of the past four years.

You can argue things could have been done to win both the Chicago and Pittsburgh series. The players also could have played better. But Cooper and his assistants never got a grip against Washington last season and the Bolts were better in about three of the 21 periods during the series. They were destined to lose, even though they were up 3-2, and playing the fourth line against the Caps’ top unit Did Not Work. Perhaps changes in the coaching staff, adding Derek Lalonde and especially Jeff Halpern, will help.

The hope is that Cooper has learned from his mistakes and will guide this team where it belongs by not overthinking his decisions.

Will the positives outweigh the negatives? It sure looks like they can. They should for the best team in the league.

No way am I making a definitive prediction, though. The playoffs are a different animal with injuries and momentum. But I will throw forward two possible scenarios.

* The Lightning beat Winnipeg in the final. The Bolts show they are truly the best team by rolling through the playoffs. No one can slow their offense and, with Vasy manning the net, the Cup is raised again in the Bay.

* The Capitals win their second straight title, knocking off Vegas in a repeat of the 2018 final. Marc-Andre Fleury takes the Knights to the final as the best goalie in the West. The Bruins knock off the Lightning in the second round, stealing one of three in Tampa and winning all of their home games.

I can see both scenarios happening very easily. Anything goes in the playoffs. Things happen so fast.

Perhaps its a good omen that Tampa Bay meets John Tortorella and Columbus in the first round. Tortorella made all the right moves to give the Bolts their only Cup in 2004. It seems right they see Torts to start their run to a second.

Lightning fans just need to hope that this is not a crazy playoff season - that the best team wins it all.

Not the best team the next two months. The best team.

Plenty of Love and Hate in 2018 Movies

By Mark Pukalo


There is no story about walking out of the theater, knowing that I had just seen the best film of 2018. That light did not go on for me this time around.

The year was filled with very good movies, many that taught us something - or at least attempted to. It just didn't have one that clearly stood out above the rest. But 2018 certainly had it's memorable moments on the big screen and many amazing performances.

There were probably a dozen films I considered at some point might end up at the top of my annual list. Some of them were nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, but the one I ultimately picked as No. 1 for 2018 was not one of them. It was simply the one that affected me the most.

"The Hate U Give" is based on the wildly successful book by Angie Thomas, who used part of a phrase from Tupac for the name. The late Audrey Wells wrote a thoughtful screen play and director George Tillman Jr. carefully tells the story of racial tensions, police brutality, gang and gun violence through the eyes of 16-year-old Starr Carter.

Carter, played impeccably by Amandla Stenberg (Rue from the Hunger Games), lives with her family in a black neighborhood but her parents had the opportunity to send her across town to a ritzy prep school where she plays basketball. Starr struggles to live in two totally different worlds, but her life forever changes after witnessing a horrible tragedy.

Russell Hornsby should have been nominated as Best Supporting Actor for his role as the teenager's father, showing his strength and his undying love for his family after serving time in jail to protect his former boss. Common also shows up as Starr's uncle - a straight-laced cop - and the two have one of the most thought-provoking scenes together late in the movie.

The best thing about the film in my opinion is it is not preachy. It simply touches all the right buttons and makes you think, and mostly care. That is why after much thought, "The Hate U Give" is the best movie of 2018 in my eyes.

There were many more amazing moments this year, such as Lady Gaga grabbing the microphone and belting out "Shallow," Rami Malek killing it as Freddie Mercury at Live Aid, beautiful Wakanda!, Sam Rockwell's turn as W, breakout performances from Yalitza Aparicio and Thomasin McKenzie, the ending of Green Book, Jared Kushner and Steve Bannon saying nice things about Michael Moore, the first walk on the moon, Lea Thompson's daughter absolutely loving a pizza, Uncle Drew draining jumpers from long range, that last call to David Duke and so, so much more.

It was a fun year at the theater. Plenty of delicious popcorn and free refills at Riverview 14 GDX. There were also several good movies I enjoyed on the computer in 2018, where I heard the best quote of the year.

Just remember this.

"In all golden afternoons, there are movers, there are shakers and then, there are shirkers."


Here's my top 25 for 2018!


25 (tie). The Miracle Season - It does play a little like an after-school special, but this true story about the tragic death of a high school volleyball player in Iowa is well acted and pulls at the heart strings. Erin Moriarty, Helen Hunt and William Hurt shine.

25 (tie). Operation Finale - Oscar Isaac is brilliant as the leader of a team of Israeli agents who track down Nazi leader Adolf Richmann, who was prominent in organizing the Holocaust before escaping and hiding out in Buenos Aires.

24. Shirkers - This odd little documentary took a little while to get into, but I ended up wanting to watch it multiple times. Three smart young women from Singapore make a unique local movie with the help of their mysterious male mentor, but the film goes missing for many years.

23. Widows - Sometimes you like a movie much better the second viewing and that was the case with this film by Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave). Politics, revenge and crime mix well and Viola Davis roars through another powerful performance while Colin Farrell is effortlessly slimy.

22. First Reformed - Ethan Hawke provides a career highlight performance as the minister of a small church in rural New York - which is being swallowed up by a big new wave congregation - who is dealing with many difficult personal issues. Did not love the ending, which dropped it down a few spots.

21. Solo, A Star Wars Story - Ron Howard directs the pre-story of the great Han Solo and it ends up being a fun ride from start to finish. It is just as compelling as another recent Star Wars spinoff - Rogue One.


20. Free Solo - Fascinating documentary about daredevil rock climber Alex Honnold's quest to climb the dangerous El Capitan in Yosemite without a rope. He is both nuts and amazing.

19. The Rider - The authentic story of a young cowboy in South Dakota who endures a difficult journey after suffering a head injury. Director Chloe Zhao's film pulls you in and makes you care, especially about the main character's autistic sister Lilly.

18. First Man - If there was a list for the best second half of movies for 2018, this would be in the top 10. The first half is a little slow while following a brooding Neil Armstrong, but when the story of the first trip to the moon begins it is stirring.

17. Creed II - The Rocky saga lives on. Michael B. Jordan hits a home run again as Adonis Creed. This time, Creed faces the son of Ivan Drago, the Russian monster who killed his father Apollo in the ring.

16. Leave No Trace - The amazing Thomasin McKenzie steals the screen as the 13-year-old daughter of a veteran with PTSD (Ben Foster), who cannot feel safe in one place. Their journey is both exhilarating and heartbreaking.

15. Searching - This unique modern day mystery follows the disappearance of a widower's daughter. John Cho (Harold from Harold & Kumar) plays the father, who gets pulled in different directions before a somewhat surprising ending.

14. Fahrenheit 11/9 - Yeah, conservatives probably won't like this one, but Michael Moore's latest film about how Trump somehow won a national election is humorous, chilling and interesting. Spoiler Alert: He blames it all on poor Gwen Stefani.

13. Green Book - I have predicted this film will win Best Picture and it is certainly worthy of that in the final 30-40 minutes. Viggo Mortensen might have overplayed his role a bit as an Italian bouncer who takes a job protecting a brilliant black classical pianist portrayed by Mahershala Ali on his trip through the south. While it veers off course a bit in the middle, the film leaves you with a good feeling.

12. 22July - Director Paul Greengrass (United 93) tells the story of the worst terrorist attack in Norway history with incredible authenticity. You feel both hate and love intensely during the journey that keeps you glued to the screen for more than two hours.

11. Roma - Director Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity) provides a masterful subtitled film about the beloved maid of a family in Mexico during the early 1970s. Oscar nominee Yalitza Aparicio is wonderful as she juggles her own difficult life problems and the family's issues. Borras, the dog, also rocks.


10. Won't You Be My Neighbor? - I can't believe the Academy snubbed this film in its Best Documentary category, because I have not heard one bad word about it. I was not a huge Mr. Rogers fan when I was a young boy, but this film is educational and made me appreciate what a great man he was.

9. The Front Runner - Director Jason Reitman (Up in the Air, Juno) brings us back to the story of Gary Hart, who could have easily been President if not for his infidelity with Donna Rice. It is historical, incredibly acted (I'm looking at you J.K. Simmons) and Hugh Jackman portrays the enigma that was Hart very well.

8. Vice - Christian Bale said he channeled "Satan" while portraying former vice president Dick Cheney in a film by Adam McKay (The Big Short). Seems about right. Bale makes Cheney human while the film still ultimately shows he was devious and most-likely criminal.

7. If Beale Street Could Talk - Director Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) gives us an emotional film about a young black woman who must carry a baby while the father - her childhood friend - has to fight the system after an unjust arrest. Regina King should win an Oscar as best supporting actress.

6. Bohemian Rhapsody - The story of the historic rock group Queen and its amazing front man Freddie Mercury is hated by many critics, but it won Best Picture at the Golden Globes. I call it a beautiful mess. While it is far from perfect and some of the time line changes can annoy you, I was incredibly entertained for more than two hours. Isn't that what a film is supposed to do?

5. A Star is Born - Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, in her major film debut, are amazing in this story about a troubled rock superstar and a talented underdog he falls for on his journey. The music is great and I can't imagine how anyone would not get emotionally involved in this movie.

4. BlacKkKlansman - It is amazing to me that Spike Lee received his first Oscar nomination this year. This powerful and enjoyable film tracks the true story of a black man who went undercover (on the phone) to become a member of the Klu Klux Klan. Adam Driver more than deserved his best supporting actor nomination.

3. Black Panther - Wakanda Forever! Very rarely do you see a film early in the year that is in the running for the best after 12 months, but this was very close. It is more than a super hero movie, it is about family, culture, nobility and togetherness. Leticia Wright steals the screen in every scene.

2. Crazy Rich Asians - The romantic comedy based on a best-selling novel is fun and emotional from the first minute to the last. Constance Wu is dazzling as she takes on her fiance's snotty rich mother when the couple travels to Singapore for a friend's wedding. The best love story of the year.


1. The Hate U Give - Black Lives (do) Matter. This film does not scream that, but the sentiment is clear and it shows the temptations and the impossible decisions minority youths in the inner city have to make. I truly believe this movie should be watched and discussed in schools. Let's talk about how we treat each other and how the police can deal with minorities and situations better. Great writing, great acting, plenty of heart. That's why it takes the No. 1 spot for the year.


Joe Lunardi's first six out: Instant Family (predictable, but sweet), Juliet, Naked (Unique story), Spiderman into the Spiderverse (best animated feature in some time), Support the Girls, Tag (You're it!), The 15:17 to Paris.

Did not see, but have interest: Cold War, Destroyer, Mary Queen of Scots, Minding the Gap, Shoplifters

High Honorable Mention (recommend): Adrift  (Shailene Woodley), A Private War (Rosamund Pike was amazing), The Avengers: Infinity War (disappointed in the ending, but there is another film to come), Ben is Back, Blindspotting (cool stuff), Blockers (better than expected), Boy Erased, Cam (very unique and courageous), Deadpool 2 and Once Upon a Deadpool (not nearly as good as the original), The Death of Stalin, Eighth Grade (a little over-rated, but still good), The Equalizer 2 (Denzel, my man), Game Night, The Girl in the Spider's Web (way better than expected), Hurricane Heist, Isle of Dogs, Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom, Lean on Pete (Steve Buscemi plays a horse racing trainer in the first part of the film), The MisEducation of Cameron Post, Mission Impossible: Fallout, The Old Man & the Gun, On the Basis of Sex (RBG!, a pleasant film but a little too tame to make top 25), RBG, Rampage, Second Act, Set it Up (Pizza baby!!), Social Animals (under-rated), To All the Boys I've Loved Before, Tomb Raider (Alicia Vikander - heart), Tully, Uncle Drew (who knew Kyrie could act?).

Second Honorable Mention (some redeeming value, but beware): Aquaman, A Quiet Place, A Simple Favor (Had potential)  A Wrinkle in Time (Oprah!) Ant Man & the Wasp, Assassination Nation (mindlessly bloody, but I kinda liked it), At Eternity's Gate (Willem DaFoe was really good), Beirut, Bird Box (makes blindfolds popular again), Book Club, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Chappaquiddick, Colette (Better than The Favourite), The Darkest Minds (Amandla Stenberg), Death Wish, Distorted, Dumplin', The First Purge, Hollow in the Land, The Incredibles 2, Kings (Halle), Life Itself (barely avoids worst list), Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, The Meg, M.I.L.F.,The Mule (Clint fails), Night School (Some laughs), Nobody's Fool (Tika Sumpter), Ocean's 8, Private Life, Proud Mary, Ready Player One, Red Sparrow (Jen), Sea Change (was going to be a TV series apparently, weird but held my interest), Skyscraper, Sorry to Bother You (many rate it higher than me), The Spy Who Dumped Me, Superfly, White Boy Rick, UFO, Upgrade, Venom, Welcome to Marwen, The Wife (Glenn Close is very good, though), Wildlife, You Were Not Really Here, 12 Strong.

Can't recommend: The Beyond, The Cloverfield Paradox, The Commuter, Den of Thieves, Disobedience, Don't Worry, He won't get far on Foot, Dragged Across Concrete, The Endless, How it Ends, I Feel Pretty, Incoming, Love Simon, Mile 22, Peppermint, The Sisters Brothers, Super Troopers 2, The Week Of, Thoroughbreds, 2036 Origin Unknown

Worst of the year: Mile 22.

Most overrated: Annihilation, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, The Favourite

Did not care to see: Alpha, Alex and Me, Bad Samaritan, Billionaire Boys Club, Breaking In, Bumble Bee, Christopher Robin, Dark Games, Dog Days, Every Day, Escape, Fifty Shades Freed, Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool, Galveston, Gemini, Gotti, The Grinch, Gringo, Halloween, The Happy Time Murders, Here and Now, Hereditary, The Home with a Clock in its Walls, Hunter Killer, Kin, Life of the Party, London Fields, Loving Pablo, Mandy, Mary Poppins Returns, Mid-90s, Midnight Sun, The Nun, On Chesil Beach, Overboard, Overlord, The Padre, Papillon, The Predator, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Reprisal, River Runs Red, Robin Hood, Show Dogs, Siberia, Sicario: Day of Soldado, Slender Man, Spinning Man, Submergence, Terminal, Truth or Dare, Unfriended, Unsane, Vox Lux, Where is Kyra, Winchester, 10x10, 7 Days in Entebbe, 5th Passenger.

PREVIOUS PICKS FOR BEST OF THE YEAR

2017 - The Big Sick

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 2018

By Mark Pukalo


Once again, I did not torture myself by trying to see everything in 2018. But there were still enough movies, including three that the critics somehow loved, to make up a list of the year's worst.

I'm sure if I decided to see Aquaman or rent Fifty Shades Freed, Gotti, The Happy Time Murders,  The Home with a Clock in its Walls, Life of the Party, The Nun, Sicario: Day of Soldado, Terminal, Truth or Dare and Venom, some of them would have made the dubious list. But we will spare them this time around.

My annual picks for the best of 2018 will be coming in a few weeks before the Oscars. Never have I had a tougher time picking the best and putting the top 15 in order. Honestly, I'm still working on it.

But, until then, please don't rent these 21 films unless you are looking to punish yourselves.


Un-Honorable Mention: The Cloverfield Paradox, Den of Thieves, Incoming, Love Simon, The Sisters Brothers, 2036 Origin Unknown


15. The Commuter - He has a set of skills. Oh, wait, wrong movie. Bad script and Liam Neeson can't save it.

14. Disobedience - Rachel Weisz returns to a Jewish community that shunned her because she was different. Boring and slow.

13. I Feel Pretty - Amy Schumer's film is just not funny at all and has a strange concept.

12. Super Troopers 2 - A few humorous scenes, but mostly just dumb.

11. The Endless - Two brothers return to the cult that they left about decade earlier, because, basically, they were unsuccessful. It's weird, a little annoying, but not at all compelling.


10. Annihilation - A lot of nothing along the way to a confusing ending. Don't understand why critics liked it. Sorry Natalie. Still love ya.

9. Thoroughbreds - Snobby, uninteresting rich girls in Connecticut hatch a murder plan.

8. The Beyond - Confusing, slow science fiction film with an unsatisfying ending.

7. Peppermint - I like Jennifer Garner. But, geez, not as a vigilante. They didn't even show her training to become some sort of super hero.

6. The Favourite - A few laughs from Emma Stone, but I was mostly annoyed by this 18th century story about two women fighting dirty for the affection of the goofy Queen. If you enjoy watching people throw up, it's for you. Apparently the Academy did.

5. How it Ends - Apocalyptic story with not much to offer on its long journey to the West Coast.

4. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs - I just don't like Coen Brothers films as much as most people do I guess. Fargo and True Grit were the only passable ones I can remember. This set of tales about random western characters falls flat in my eyes.

3. The Week Of - Adam Sandler and Chris Rock flop in a film that is forced and not particularly entertaining. Even Dan Patrick can't save it. LOL.

2. Don't Worry, He won't get there on Foot - Never found anything amusing or interesting about this film starring Joaquin Phoenix as a man trying to sober up after a crippling accident.

1. Mile 22 - I like Mark Wahlberg, but this is just a bad script with characters you don't care about and a lot of mindless violence. It earns the worst of 2018 very easily, especially since I wasted money at the theater to see it.


PREVIOUS WORST MOVIES OF THE YEAR

2017 - Mother!

2016 - 13 Hours and Hail Caesar!

2015 - Chappie

2014 - The Monuments Men

2013 - The Place Between the Pines

2012 - Cloud Atlas

2011 - Tree of Life