Yeah it's been rough games so far but we have to remember:
1) Compact season with less rest days
2) No preseason for warming up
3) New coach / new system will take time to adjust. Based on how we've played with prior new coaches I feel like it's taken 20-30 games before we really get into a groove
What do we have going for us though? We have a coach who's a real coach. Last time we had a real coach we were able to win the Cup. I wouldn't put pressure on Lavi to win us the Cup this season considering the circumstances but I sure as hell hope we get into a groove by next year and can really go for it. I also get the sense that our defensive depth will be helpful. Lots of NHL capable defensive players will pay off when we're playing on a tight schedule and guys are tired but have to play 20-30 mins a night. Other teams without the same level of depth may end up overworking their top guys. We can shift out someone and bring in a TVR, MF, Siegs, etc.
We also have a bigger team than most (top 5 heaviest teams in NHL), and we've got some tough guys who can really hit and punish. I think this size can also pay off if we're properly punishing opposing teams (and their D) and wearing them down. I do think over the course of a lengthy series this benenfits us.
But we are fighting against: 1) we have an older team than most so maybe the tight schedule will cause us to get a little more winded than younger teams; 2) adjusting to a new coach/system. If we were a little more youthful and this were season #2 of Lavi I'd probably feel more optimistic. But of course we wasted time with dumbass TR.