Steve Yzerman has seen his team raise their level in the absence of captain Steven Stamkos.

Just not lately.

The Tampa Bay Lightning general manager voiced his concern Friday after the club's fourth loss in a row and abrupt drop from the Atlantic Division's top three seeds.

"We were pleased with the direction our team was going," Yzerman told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times of the Lightning's performance since their mid-November road trip. "Not saying everything was perfect. But we were generally pleased with how we were playing, the trend we were going. In two weeks, that has obviously changed significantly."

The biggest change over the last four games - and really the entire season - has been shaky systematic defense and goaltending. Ben Bishop hasn't been able to match his Vezina Trophy-nominated form of last year, but, as Yzerman explained, the Bolts haven't slipped from a top-five team in goals against to one of the worst this season on goaltending alone.

"We need as a group to be collectively better," Yzerman said. "Being a better defensive team takes a commitment from defensemen and forwards. And right now we're out of sync."

Yzerman won't act impulsively, because he, like most fans and pundits, still likes his team. But he wants the players and coaches to feel the same urgency felt in the press box.

"We can't keep sliding," he said. "We need to get points, whether it's getting into overtime or shootouts. We're not getting points, and we're falling behind."

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