Bolts Blog

The next Bolt?

2009-04-15T20:10:00.004-04:00

Here is some info on the guy the Bolts will probably take in the draft. Victor Hedman is a 6'5" D Man who has been compared to the likes of Chris Pronger. He is from Ornskoldsvik in Sweden, the same hometown as Niklas Sundstrom, Peter Forsberg, Markus Naslund, Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. Must be something in the water! “He has a lot of energy on the ice, he is a big strong guy. He has offensive skills, he is a good skater with long strides, he has a good sense of play, he can do everything,” said the coach of the Swedish Junior Team Par Marts. He's going to need to be able to do a bit of everything if he does indeed come to the Lightning.

Here are his stats from the past 2 seasons courtesy of Hockey DB:

Time for me to go

2009-04-15T17:56:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone, I'd like to thank you for reading my blogs. The time has come for me to move on to greener pastures. You can still find me posting stuff about the Lightning at Raw Charge on SB Nation. I would like to thank RJ and the Bolts Blog for this great opportunity, and the great Tampa Bay Lightning fans (as well as other hockey fans) for making this such a successful venture

Check back here often since I'm sure that RJ will be coming up with great people and great things. Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy playoffs. I'll see you guys around.

The Lightning pick second

2009-04-14T21:17:00.002-04:00

LIGHTNING RETAIN SECOND OVERALL SELECTION IN 2009 NHL ENTRY DRAFT

Assuming they don't trade that pick away - because it could happen - the Lightning will likely take Victor Hedman of Sweden as the second pick overall in June.

The Pending (?) Lecavalier Trade

2009-04-14T19:24:00.006-04:00

I have to admit that if Vinny Lecavalier is at Tampa Bay Lightning training camp come September, I will be very surprised.

Let's be honest, through serious mismanagement, the Tampa Bay Lightning simply cannot afford him - despite having been the ones who negotiated that 11-year, $85 million contract extension with Lecavalier in the first place. They just laid off 20 people from the front office just yesterday. If you can't see the writing on the wall just with that, then I don't think I can penetrate the level of denial that you're living in.

If Lecavalier's lucky, they'll trade him before his contract extension kicks in July 1st. If he's really unlucky, he could be sitting out or playing hockey in Europe next season because they didn’t trade him before July 1^st but instead tried to trade him afterwards.

To current team ownership, no-trade clauses mean absolutely nothing. They happily signed Dan Boyle to a contract with a no-trade clause last February, and still managed to move him by July. So even if they can't find a deal they like before that contract extension kicks in, they might try to force Vinny into allowing them to move him to another team, anyways - like they did with Boyle. And if Lecavalier gets stubborn about it and says no, then that could mean him sitting out or playing in another league. Or more.

The initial former head coach, John Tortorella, was furious with how he was fired. Boyle complained of being treated very badly when he was forced to waive his no-trade clause. Former GM Jay Feaster was ignored by ownership and management alike until he got the hint and quietly went away on his own. The former head coach after Tortorella, Barry Melrose, was unceremoniously canned after 16 games. Mark Recchi wasn't impressed with how he was treated when he was dealt to Boston. And I suspect that Gary Roberts was conveniently forced to retire in an equally unpleasant fashion, but is so far keeping quiet. Obviously, this ownership/management group already has something of an unsavory track record in how they deal with people they find to be expendable.

So if Lecavalier genuinely believes that they'll follow through with their promise to contact him, and/or his agent, before they start talking with other teams, then he's a wide-eyed optimist. They certainly didn't do that before they almost traded him to Montréal in January. And I seriously doubt that they'll do it before they actually do ship him off sometime this summer.

It could get really ugly, and really complicated, really fast. And it could end up involving a lot more than just a single player, his agent, and the GM. The worst case scenario could involve the players union, the league, the owners, and litigation. It just depends on how both sides deal with any of a number of scenarios.

So what are the facts that lead to the conclusion that Lecavalier is likely gone?

***

Dan Boyle signed a 6-year, $40 million contract with a no-trade clause 25 February 2008.
Steven Stamkos is drafted first overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft in Ottawa 20 June 2008.
Barry Melrose is hired as coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning 24 June 2008
Boyle is traded to San Jose with Brad Lukowich for Matt Carle, Ty Wishart, and two draft picks 04 July 2008.
Vincent Lecavalier signed an 11-year, $85 million contract 13 July 2008.
Melrose is fired 16 games into the season 15 November 2008. Rumors went around that Lecavalier was a reason why he was fired.
By 14 January 2009, while the team was in California, rumors are flying that there's a deal in the works between Tampa Bay and Montréal. Lightning GM Brian Lawton flatly denies the rumors that he has been shopping Lecavalier to Montréal.
Lecavalier goes to the All-Star Game in Montréal 25 January 2009 and holds court with all of the NHL's Canadian hockey media stating over and over again that he has no control over the situation.
18 February 2009, Montréal Canadiens' GM Bob Gainey reveals that negotiations with Tampa Bay for a Lecavalier trade were, in fact, going on in January.
Lecavalier's season ends early by having wrist surgery 03 April 2009.
Stamkos ends rookie season with 23 goals and an invite to Team Canada at the World Championships.
The Tampa Bay Lightning ends the 2008-2009 29th overall in the NHL, and is awarded the second overall pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft in Montréal.

(The bottom line is this: Lecavalier was expendable the moment they drafted a center (Stamkos) first overall in the 2008 draft. It was just a matter of when Stamkos would be ready to carry the team on his own. Since the ownership insisted early on that Stamkos stay and play in Tampa, instead of being sent back to juniors like he probably should've been, that was probably going to happen sooner rather than later in the eyes of the ownership. And that's not Stamkos's fault; that's just how the business side of hockey goes. The younger and cheaper player typically wins out over the older and more expensive player of a similar talent level.)

***

The fundamental problem with Lecavalier's contract situation is one simple fact - under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), players are not allowed to renegotiate standing contracts. Article 11, Section 11.10 of the NHL-NHLPA 2005 CBA states that "No Renegotiation. In no event shall a Club or a Player negotiate a change any terms of a Player SPC [Standard Player's Contract] for the then-current season or for any remaining season of an SPC."

I can understand why the NHLPA would want that little blurb in there, but it's a little shortsighted if you ask me. There should've been some amendment to that allowing renegotiation under certain extenuating circumstances. The economy notwithstanding. It helps the players in the short run, but not in the long run. In Lecavalier's situation, if allowed to renegotiate in the case where the contract is detrimental to the team due to economics (yes, I know - really poor management), and if the player is above a certain age and wants to stay since he has a vested interest in the community and has been with the same team for a certain length of time, then they should be able to do that.

I realize the NHLPA’s argument against that is that the team should never have signed a player to a contract that they ultimately couldn't afford and the team ought to pay the penalty - even if it's at the detriment of the individual player. And it sets a bad precedent to allow a player to downgrade his contract in the overall scheme of the union. It's for the greater good of the union and the players overall and blah, blah, blah. But ultimately, shouldn't it be the other way around? Isn't the union supposed to represent the players and not the players represent the union?

I can't help but wonder if Lecavalier realizes just how much power he has in this situation. It'd be easy for a person in his position to feel powerless, but he's probably got the most power of anyone in this situation. For instance, he can beat the team to the punch and ask for a trade before the draft. Or, in the event that they try to force him to waive his no-trade clause after July 1st, he can refuse and cause all kinds of problems. Not just for the team, but for the NHL and/or the NHLPA. He could force a revamp the CBA all on his own, for good or ill. He doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who would do that, but there are all kinds of options there for him to do, or not do, as the case may be.

***

No one wants to see Lecavalier go - his coaches don't, his teammates don't, the fans don't, and Vinny himself doesn't, either. Whether the owners and management do or not is up for debate. But the fact is that he was as good as gone when they drafted Stamkos, traded Boyle, and signed Melrose last July - even before he signed that contract. It was just a matter of time is all. That was obvious to me at the time, although most people didn't seem to understand that.

Now it's a matter of where he'll end up. The most obvious choice is Montréal, but I don't know if that's likely. They definitely want him, but does he want them? And if it is open season on Lecavalier, and the entire league gets a shot at him, will the Canadiens be able to offer the best deal? Who needs a world-class center in his prime, who has the depth to get him, and who can afford his contract under the salary cap? I'm guessing that there are only a handful of teams that would be able to meet all of those criteria.

I haven't touched on whether or not Tampa Bay will get what they should for Lecavalier in a trade. The reason for that is what most people would agree would be a good deal is probably not what the Lightning will want. In January, the asking price seemed to be pretty high - or so the rumors went. However, I think that the asking price is going to drop significantly this summer for payroll reasons and due to time constraints. There's no way that the Lightning are going to be able to get what he's worth out of another team - even the generally agreed value and not the pie in the sky value they'd placed on him midway through the season. Other teams know that they have to get him off their payroll before July 1st, so other teams will work that to their advantage. I expect they'll end up trading him for almost nothing because of it. Relatively speaking, I mean.

Will Lecavalier stay? Will he go? And if he goes, where will he end up? Your guess is as good as mine. Right now, though, it looks as if he'll probably end up going. We'll see how it ends up. Eventually.

Game 82: Tampa Bay at Atlanta

2009-04-11T22:09:00.001-04:00

The Tampa Bay Lightning lost their last game of the 2008-2009 season to the Atlanta Thrashers 6-2.

Wow. That was a miserable little season, wasn't it? Thank god that's finally over.

So the Lightning end the season how they started it - on a losing streak. The started the season with a five-game losing streak (0-2-3; all one-goal losses), and ended it with a nine-game losing streak (0-5-2; losing by an average of two goals every game). Sadly, with trades, injuries, and all of the other nonsense that went on this season, only five guys that were in the lineup for the season opener in Prague were in the lineup tonight: Artyukhin, Mihalik, Prospal, St. Louis, and Stamkos. And of those players, only Prospal and St. Louis played every game this season in between.

The game started out well enough for the Lightning. They out shot the Thrashers in the first period 13-7, had a power play goal, and had some good energy. Of course, there were three fights, they gave up a shorthanded goal, and also a power play goal. But they were still accomplishing things.

Then they gave up three goals in the second and pulled their goalie McKenna. And it just went downhill from there. They weren't great on faceoffs, and took too many penalties, but they did outshoot Atlanta 35-26 on the game. Strangely, they seem to get more goals when they shoot less. I don't know why that is, unless it takes the opposing goalie out of the game.

There will be a season recap forthcoming in the next few days. Not so much to revel in the agony and horror, or even to point out what went wrong. It's to document the series of events that led the team to this place and to perhaps give us all hints as to which direction it may be going. Past actions typically indicate future ones, after all.

It ought to be interesting to see who's been hiding minor injuries - and who else will be going in for surgery - this coming week. As well as who will be invited to join national teams. Other than the draft lottery on Tuesday, it should be relatively quiet and uneventful in Tampa for the next couple of months. At least until right around the draft in June.

So sit back, relax, and figure out which team you want to follow during playoffs. And there's always World Championships in Switzerland towards the end of the month. If you have the energy or interest for either of those, at this point. I'm hoping that San Jose (with Dan Boyle & Brad Lukowich) wins the Stanley Cup myself.

Thanks for reading and keep checking back for more posts this offseason.

Game 81: Washington at Tampa Bay

2009-04-09T22:18:00.003-04:00

The Tampa Bay Lightning lost to the Washington Capitals 4-2.

I actually got to watch this game on tv instead of on my computer because I live in Virginia. The Caps announcers are alright, I suppose. Sort of middling since I've heard better and I've heard worse. Although, they were a pretty happy couple of guys. But it's easy to be happy in sports when your team is winning, right?

The first period was pretty good. Stamkos's goal in the first was beautiful. It was one of those plays that just magically came together. Konopka had a stumbling poke check that ended up on Stamkos's stick and he one-timed it and it went in.

The second period wasn't so nice. The Lightning looked tired to me. But then, they've collectively been looking tired to me for the last few games. Both mentally and physically.

Penalties ended up being even, strangely. I say "strangely" since there seemed to have been a lot of penalties against Tampa Bay. But maybe that's just because they were one after another in the first. After all of those penalties in the first and second, the refs just let the players play in the third.

Again, being down by a couple of goals going into the third, the Lightning stepped it up and played a pretty good period. Pettinger got a goal to get the team within one of Washington, but that's essentially how it ended. Empty net goals don't really count when it comes to overall team effort. They just count where it matters most - on the scoreboard.

Considering that the Lightning played with only one full-time NHL defenseman against the fourth best team in the NHL, they really did pretty well. I never got the sense that the Capitals were playing down, so it was a genuine effort on their part. Seriously, that's pretty respectable. And maybe they did so well because the defensemen that were playing for Tampa Bay already knew and played together in the AHL. It's hard to say, really.

On a completely different, but still hockey related, note.... Women's Ice Hockey World Championships have been going on in Finland. Tomorrow, the United States plays Canada for the gold, while Sweden plays Russia for the bronze. Women's ice hockey is an Olympic event, with the first medals awarded in 1998. The United States won the first ever Olympic gold medal for women's ice hockey in Nagano, Japan.

Game 80: Pittsburgh at Tampa Bay

2009-04-07T22:23:00.001-04:00

The Tampa Bay Lightning lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-4.

This game started out slow for both teams. You almost had to wonder if anyone cared enough to do anything. Other than St. Louis, of course. Things sort of drifted along until the second period when Pittsburgh started scoring.

And then, true to season form, the Lightning attempted a comeback from a 4-0 deficit in the third period. If they could start a game being down by three or four goals, I think they'd do so much better. It seems to be the way they prefer to play. Or something. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me, but that's the way it's been all season.

Ramo had a pretty good game, but I've seen him do better. Halpern had a great second half of the game. St. Louis finally got his 30th goal of the season. Unfortunately, Malone broke his right hand while blocking a shot - or so I'd heard was the case. Hopefully, that's just a simple fracture and not something more complicated.

Special teams were awful. They couldn't convert on the seven power plays they were given. And they allowed two goals during the five penalty kills they had. But they did out-shoot the Penguins 37-31, so that was something.

Hockey Game Music

2009-04-06T09:45:00.003-04:00

Daily Su: Power Plays & Power Chords: Hockey's Rockin' Deejays

Now here's something a lot of hockey fans don't think about: who's playing the music. We notice when the songs are good, and when they're not, but that' usually about as far as it goes. At least, that's the case for me. Here's an inside look on what's going on behind the scenes. By my friend Su.

Game 79: Tampa Bay at the New York Islanders

2009-04-04T21:47:00.001-04:00

The Tampa Bay Lightning lost to the New York Islanders 3-1.

Is it just me, or does it seem like the worse the officiating gets, the longer the games end up being?

This was the Lightning sixth loss in a row, and their ninth loss in their last ten games. The worst part isn't all of the losses or all of the injuries. It's the fact that they've actually played good games but have not been able to win them. Four of those losses were in overtime, after all.

This game against the Islanders is a good example of that. They actually out shot the Islanders 30-21, and put up a good sustained effort most of the game. But they weren't able to score more than one.

Special teams were about average. They converted one of their three power plays, but allowed two goals on five penalty kills. Along with that, they also took those penalties which gave the Islanders those power plays. And faceoffs, while better than the previous game, weren't that great overall.

Karsums had a good game. He seemed really into things. Of course, his six penalty minutes weren't exactly great, but you take the good with the bad, I guess. Pettinger had a good game as well. Stamkos started and ended strong, but then sort of disappeared for the middle part of the game. So it wasn't the usual characters that really ran the game on the Lightning side.

Game 78: Tampa Bay at New Jersey

2009-04-03T22:27:00.001-04:00

The Tampa Bay Lightning lost in overtime to the New Jersey Devils 5-4.

It's always interesting to see how a team does after they lose a key player. Sometimes they're broken, sometimes they're improved, and sometimes it has no discernible affect - or various stages in between. The Lightning, it seems, were all three.

What was broken were the faceoffs. They were awful. They only won a third of the total faceoffs. It's clear that Lecavalier was the guy propping up those stats. Maybe not all of the time - maybe - but often enough.

What was improved were their special teams. Sure, they only scored on one power play, but they only had two. That's 50% efficiency right there. And their penalty kills weren't bad, either.

What was unaffected were the shots. They started off strong in the first, and then they turned into a trickle in the second and third. They also gave up just almost 40 shots again this game, too.

Ramo was again brilliant. It may not seem so with him letting in five goals, but he was. The score could've been a lot higher. Artyukhin also had a very good effort on the night. He stepped his game, which is a good thing. And I noticed that the defense featured in three of the four Tampa Bay goals with assists. So good for them. By the way, congratulations to Stamkos for tying the team rookie goal scoring record.

I've been asked to participate in a online radio roundtable by the guys with the Hockey Night on Long Island blog. A Colorado Avalanche blogger, myself, and the Islander bloggers will be discussing the draft, and then the Islander bloggers and me will be discussing tomorrow night's Lightning game at the Island. It kicks off at 3:30 pm Eastern, so feel free to tune in. (See previous post)

Being interviewed by Hockey Night on Long Island

2009-04-03T17:29:00.003-04:00

Well, those crazy guys from the Hockey Night on Long Island blog want me back on their internet radio show. Some people are just gluttons for punishment. There will be a round table discussion with a Colorado Avalanche blogger discussing the bottom of the standings and the draft, and we'll be discussing tomorrow night's game between the Lightning and the New York Islanders.

The fun starts at 3:30 pm ET. You can click on the link below; or if you happen to miss it, the episode will be archived HERE. If you'd like to listen to it, that is.

Lecavalier done for season

2009-04-02T13:38:00.000-04:00

Lightning Captain Vincent Lecavalier to Undergo Arthroscopic Wrist Surgery

I'm sure everyone one was sort of wondering about this, since this surgery wasn't done last year because of that dislocated shoulder. It would also explain why he hasn't been taking many shots, why his faceoff percentage has dropped, and why he hasn't been scoring. Sounds like a routine sort of surgery, so I'm sure he'll be ready to go for training camp in six months. Hopefully, he'll be ready for Team Canada's Olympic camp in August in Calgary as well.

Game 77: Tampa Bay at Boston

2009-03-31T22:15:00.001-04:00

The Tampa Bay Lightning lost to the Boston Bruins 3-1.

I thought that the Lightning came out with some good energy. Of course, they only had four shots on goal in the first, but they had a good second period with 14 shots. The third was a bit middling with only seven shots on goal.

They couldn't covert on a 5-on-3 power play. Well, they couldn't convert on any of their five power plays. And they allowed Boston to convert two of their six. I'd really like to know what happened to their special teams play.

Even though the number of power plays seemed pretty a little more than average - comparatively, anyways - this was something of a chippy game. There were three fights, but none of them were by the Lightning regulars. Artyukhin actually got into one fight, which was a little surprising. The stunner was Melichar. I didn't think he had it in him, however he didn't look all that enthusiastic to be involved. And I don't know enough about Petiot to know if he gets into the occasional fight or not.

Recchi looked good. It's good to see him fit in with Boston. And it's good to know that he's on a very good team that will probably go pretty far into playoffs. I wish him the best.

Stamkos got his 20th goal of the season, so good for him. McKenna stopped 36 out of 39 shots, so good for him as well. And St. Louis had four shots on goal, but no points. Still a good effort, tho.

Lecavalier can't buy himself a goal right now. He had two pipes and broke a stick on a shot (or was that a pass...?) on a power play. He seems to be a bit tentative about taking shots these days, and I'm not sure if that's a lack of confidence or a nagging injury - or both. He just needs one more goal for 30, and hopefully he can pull that off here in the next five games. St. Louis, too. And Prospal for 20.

Does it sound like I'm repeating myelf? It's because I am. But I've been repeating myself all season, tho, so this shouldn't surprise anybody. All you'd need to do is throw together the phrases "shoot more," "good goaltending," and a few others and that'd be just about every blog I've written this season. I'm really not a nag, though - I promise. No more so than the Lightning coaches, anyways.

Game 76: Ottawa at Tampa Bay

2009-03-29T20:58:00.002-04:00

The Tampa Bay Lightning lost to the Ottawa Senators 3-0.

This game started out promising enough. The Lightning had some energy, and it looked like they picked up where they'd left off from their last game. And then, things just sort of fizzled out in the second period.

It didn't help that goals were being called off or reviewed. That interrupted the flow of the game. Especially since there were a few of them. Luckily, they were mostly on the Senators, but still.

Shots were way down in the second and third periods. Faceoffs weren't that great either. And being O-fer on the power play didn't help. Their special teams, which had been so good, aren't that great right now. And, of course, with yet another injury they used their 49th player this season.

With six games to go in this miserable season, you've got to wonder if they're just done playing. Not because they're trying to get a better position in the draft, but because they're mentally and emotionally worn out and they just want it all to be over. You can't really blame them for it, if that's the case, but you do hope for better.

You want the team to go out on a good note - a winning note. I think everyone, including the players and coaches, want that. Something that gives everyone hope for next season. And I think that we'd all like to see St. Louis and Lecavalier hit 30 goals, as well as Prospal and Stamkos hit 20, this season.The idea of them packing it in with six games left just doesn't sit well.

So dig down deep and put on a good show these last six games, boys. Pull it together, have a little fun, and remember why you're on the ice instead of sitting at a desk 9-5 Monday thru Friday. Sure, missing playoffs is a drag and you might be on a different team next season, but you're still playing hockey for a living. Try to enjoy it a little bit more.

Being blue in a sea of red

2009-03-28T19:14:00.005-04:00

The away game experience - there's nothing quite like it. You walk into an arena where your team is the visiting team, and everyone around you wants them to lose. It's so much fun. I think everyone should try it at least once.

I've seen NHL games in Atlanta, Hartford (before they moved to Raleigh), Nashville, East Rutherford (NJ), Philadelphia, Tampa, Vancouver, and Washington. I've gone to AHL games in Albany, Binghamton, New Haven, Syracuse, and Worcester. And I've gone to junior hockey games in Chiliwack (BC), Portland (OR), Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma (before they moved to Kelowna, BC), and Tri-Cities (Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, WA). And then I've seen the random exhibition game in Kamloops (BC), as well as some of the places I've already mentioned.

So I've watched hockey in a variety of places. I enjoy going on road trips, and I love sports, and the two naturally go together. I hope to visit a some other NHL arenas in the next year or two as well. Pittsburgh and Raleigh are on my list, and I've been meaning to see a game at Madison Square Garden for years now.

Of the NHL arenas that I've been in, Washington is pretty good. The Verizon Center has struck me as being a touch utilitarian in appearance, but I guess you're there to see things other than the building. Still, it doesn't really have a lot of personality. But I guess Philips Arena in Atlanta more than makes up for what it lacks.

I walked into the arena last night, and ran right into a couple of women brave enough to be wearing Tampa Bay Lightning jerseys. So I stopped by to talk to them briefly. They were a little wary of me at first, since some Caps fans had said some rather uncomplimentary things about the team earlier, so that was understandable. Going to an away game isn't for the faint of heart, after all. I'd found out that they'd flown up from Tampa to watch the boys play. Considering the kind of season they've had, those are some truly dedicated fans.

As is my custom, I watched warmups. You can usually get a pretty good feel for how a game's going to go if you do that. And, as a woman, you kinda want to see what these guys look like without helmets - and a few of them do skate around bareheaded. No one was really close enough or interested in talking to me, tho. Well, a couple of guys that I was in sitting in one of their seats did, but that's almost not even worth mentioning.

So I went to my seat. I like to sit in the corner or the end when I'm at a hockey game. You can see all of the ice that way. But too low, and you can't see plays develop. I was sitting a bit lower than I like - I was ten rows up from the glass - but it wasn't a bad seat.

I'm still relatively new up here in Virginia, so I went to the game by myself. I've done that for a few years now. It's not bad, really. I started chatting with the strangers around me to make friends and to get some idea of the Caps fan experience. I'm not always so chatty when I'm alone at games, but I went into this game with the idea that I should be talking to people.

The guy sitting in front of me, while a very nice gentleman before the game and during the intermissions, was a first class heckler. He did warn me before the game started, tho. So he'd heckle, and I'd make comments back. He never did confront me directly, though. Funny how he heckled less and less as the game went on. He happened to be a big fan of Martin St. Louis, interestingly enough, and was asking me if I thought the Lightning would trade him - hoping that the Caps would pick him up, of course.

Caps fans are very, very vocal and very, very opinionated. I learned that early on with my friend Sean in Richmond. And they feel the need to try to get people to root for their team. There was an older gentleman and his son sitting next to me, and the son kept trying to persuade me to switch sides now that I live in Virginia. I told him that I wasn't a bandwagon jumper. He respected that, but it didn't stop him from trying.

Still, when the game was on the line, and it was looking like the Caps were going to win, no one was disrespectful of me. I heard no taunts, no one called the Lightning any names, and nothing was directed my way. And it's not like I was being shy about cheering for the Lightning, either. I wasn't wearing a jersey - I actually don't own any Lightning stuff at all - but I was definitely rooting them on.

So while the standard Caps fan is intensely passionate about their team, they're not jerks about it. Not even to the visitors. And really, that's the way it should be.

Game 75: Tampa Bay at Washington

2009-03-28T12:43:00.000-04:00

The Tampa Bay Lightning lost to the Washington Capitals 5-3.

Well, the good news is that no one got seriously injured - unlike the last two games that I've gone to with the Lightning at the Verizon Center in DC. (Lecavalier's shoulder a year ago, and Heward's concussion - and being carted off the ice on a stretcher - this season.) So I may not have to ban going to that arena after all.

First off, I'd just like to say that I enjoyed the game. It was a good game with an almost playoff vibe to it. The Lightning played really well, tho they did have a couple of lapses that cost them.

I was stunned by the number of shots on goal that Tampa Bay took. Especially after seeing how they did with that the previous two games. It was great to see, but I couldn't help but wonder why they can't do that all the time.

The problem with going to games is that you don't have any statistics available to you. And while I realize that statistics never tell the whole story - and in fact, you can spin statistics to tell whatever story you want them to - I find them to be helpful. You can only catch so much when you're watching a game, after all.

For instance, while I saw that St. Louis was having a good game, I had no idea that he was credited with nine shots on goal for the night. Yes - nine of the total 36 shots on goal came off of Marty St. Louis' stick. So it adds to what I saw.

Speaking of sticks, they were breaking left and right last night. I really think that those carbon composite and aluminum shaft sticks ought to be banned. It should be like baseball and use only wood. But I know that's not a popular opinion. Still, think of how much money teams could save by not dropping $200 or more on those composite sticks that break ever couple of games or so.

By the way, speaking of St. Louis, those stitches looked pretty ugly. Did they have to use black thread for those? And I know that it's going to look worse today and tomorrow when that shiner really kicks in, too.

Penalties were an issue, though not necessarily the way I usually mean. I've noticed that officials tend to give more breaks to winning teams - as well as to star players. A star player can get away with a lot more than a third or fourth line guy. That holds true for just about any sport, and last night was no exception. The Capitals definitely got more breaks than the Lightning did. I saw some things that the Caps had done that the Lightning were getting called for but they weren't.

Officiating has been so inconsistent this season! And not just with the Lightning, but for everyone in the NHL. They were so consistent right after the lockout, and now they're not that great. I wonder what's up with that?

It was a good game, tho, and I'm glad I went. Even if it didn't exactly go the way I'd wanted it to. Still, it's not a bad deal when a team like the Lightning can keep up and be competitive for almost the entire game with one of the best squads in the NHL right now.

No one targeted Ovechkin - despite the media buildup around that whole silly 50th goal celebration. In fact, Ovechkin was pretty low-key all game. I'm not sure if that was in response to what had happened the previous time these two teams met or not. Yes, he did score two goals and get two assists, but he seemed subdued to me - as did most of the Capitals, really. So that was interesting as well.

Game 74: Tampa Bay at Montréal

2009-03-26T22:48:00.000-04:00

The Tampa Bay Lightning lost to the Montréal Canadiens 3-2 in overtime.

This was the Lightning's fourth overtime in their last five games. And their 22nd overtime this season. And, as with most of the others, they wouldn't have made it that far had they not had spectacular goaltending.

Without such great goaltending, the Lightning would be sitting at the bottom of the league. And they'd be losing games by far more than just one goal. It's the goalies that have really kept this team in a position to at least have a shot at winning games. Despite all that's gone on this season, goaltending has really been the only consistent bright spot for Tampa Bay.

Honestly, I just can't even say enough about Ramo. The Lightning had eight total shots to Montréal's 24 through the first two periods. They finished with 19-36, respectively. And the Canadiens also had eight power plays, which they only converted one of. Without Ramo, this game would've been a huge blowout favoring the Canadiens.

Faceoffs, which had been something of a highlight this season, have dropped sharply in the last week or so. The penalty kill is still looking good, though. But the penalties taken...well, let's just say that I've often wondered about the state of officiating in the league for most of the season - and not just with the Lightning, either.

Other than Ramo, no one really comes to mind as having had a good game. Lecavalier seemed a bit more involved, as did Malone. But Stamkos wasn't so much, and neither was St. Louis. However, St. Louis did take a puck off the face - and some stitches - so I'm sure that left him with a blinding headache. I believe that's like the third time this season that Marty has had something hit his face that he needed stitches for, poor guy.

I will be attending the Tampa Bay game tomorrow night in Washington, DC. If anyone else will be at the game, I'll be sitting in section 115 about 10 rows up from the ice. I'll be one of the only people not wearing red in the arena. Stop by, say hi, and we'll chat about hockey.

So, just in case you missed it, my game recap will probably be posted on Saturday. With maybe a regular blog to follow. Sleep is a good thing, you know?

Game 73: Columbus at Tampa Bay

2009-03-24T22:29:00.000-04:00

The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Columbus Blue Jackets in overtime 2-1.

Let's let that sink in for a second. The Lightning. Won. In overtime. Wait - it'll come to me.

I have to say that the first two period were were sad. Columbus played like they were trying not to get injured, and the Lightning played like they didn't care. Everyone just floated along going thru the motions.

And then they woke up for the third period and decided to make a game of it. When it mattered, I guess. Would've been nice had everyone - on both teams - put in that effort for the entire game.

The Lightning had all of seven shots in the first two period. And then seven more in the third. Maybe their strategy was to lull the Blue Jackets' goaltender to sleep?

They managed to pull this one out in overtime, thanks to St. Louis. McKenna was great. He faced 34 total shots for the game and only let one in.

So, shots were awful. Faceoffs were okay, being even with Columbus. And the power play was great. They converted one of one - 100% on the night.

Game 72: Atlanta at Tampa Bay

2009-03-21T22:34:00.000-04:00

The Tampa Bay Lightning lost to the Atlanta Thrashers in a shootout 4-3.

For the second time this week, a Lightning game went to a shootout. The difference, however, is that they managed to stay in the game in the third period. No third period collapse this time, thankfully.

That line of Malone-Stamkos-St. Louis has really been their best and most consistent line in a long, long time. Stamkos getting those two goals - what's he up to now...18 goals on the season, I guess? Not bad considering the slow start he had this season. He might actually get himself a 20-goal season. And St. Louis is just fantastic, especially with those six shots he had. Sure, he didn't score, but he's making a huge effort and that's inspiring.

What was up with all of the hooking penalties? I mean the calls, not the actual hooking. Some of those seemed pretty questionable to me. And the fact that most of the calls during the game were of a hooking-variety, that seems a little shady.

Ramo, again, had a great game. I really think that the goaltending for the Lightning is pretty solid from Smith on down to McKenna. At least there's one position that Tampa Bay doesn't have to worry about. Assuming they're left alone, of course.

It was a slow start, but they kept it together. And really, that's what matters. I mean, winning would be nice, but trying to iron out the wrinkles now will help in six months when training camp comes back around.

If you hadn't heard, former Lightning player Brad Richards came back from his right wrist injury today with Dallas a week or two early. During the third period of the game with San Jose, though, he broke a bone in his left hand - a spiral facture, apparently, which most likely will require a cast - and is out indefinitely. Dallas hasn't released how or when his hand was broken.

Poor guy. If it isn't one thing, it's another. Hopefully he'll make it back sometime during playoffs. If Dallas makes it in, that is. They're still in the hunt for a spot, if only barely.

Lightning, Bolt, Flash, Thunder?

2009-03-20T13:25:00.001-04:00

Hey guys.

First of all I need to apologize that it took me so long to write something for this blog. I joined almost two weeks ago and didn't do or write anything. I'm sorry for that. Anyway... This is my first post here so I really hope you'll like it. I'm gonna show you my favorite Tampa Bay Lightning players and give you some reasons why I admire and love them so much. Don't worry... it's gonna be short and brief. I'll try to cover only the main points. So here we go...

Martin St. Louis #26

He's been a Bolt ever since I've became a Lightning fan. I've never seen him playing in any other colors but blue, black, white and silver. I love his speed. I love his great passing. I love his backward skating in the shootout. He's wonderful "alternate" and I will never forget what he showed in the '04 playoffs (and in many other games of course). He's small and big at the same time.

Mike Smith #41

I've always liked goalies. I usually have a kind of a bound to the goalie of my fav team. As much as I hated seeing Brad Richards leaving I loved seeing Smitty coming to Tampa. He's definitely great goalie and he'll be becoming better and better (as soon as he's healthy). I love how he can handle his stick. I saw him make lots of tremendous saves which blew me away. Marty St. Louis said that "he's a competitor... he always has to be the best out there" and I loved it.

Vaclav Prospal #20

Vaclav "Vinny" Prospal has always been my favorite player. I saw him in the Czech national team first and I really liked his passion and dedication to the team and game. And he became a Bolt the same season as I did - 2001/2002. It's a real shame that the season he played for the Ducks was the 2003/2004 season. I'd love to see him hoisting the Cup as a Lightning guy. He's great and I love seeing him after scoring a goal. I love seing him that happy.

Ryan Malone #12

Oh, Ryan. To be honest, I didn't know much about him before he became a Bolt. Well... I've never had much interest in the Pittsburgh, you know? Anyway, Ryan's got under my skin. I don't know how or why but it happened. He's my favorite. I think he's a kind of a tough guy who takes some stupid penalties sometimes but on the other hand he's amazing in front of the net waiting for rebounds or deflections. And he can make some good hits when it's needed. That's what I really like about him.

Steven Stamkos #91

My lovely rookie. I was really excited about him when he was drafted by the Lightning and I couldn't have wait to see him playing. I've always had trust in him even though so many people around were saying he's not good enough to be in the NHL. I don't think so. I think Stammer is very skilled and talented guy. I love how hard he tries to become a better hockey player. I love his shootout goals from behind his legs (he's been doing it in OHL). I'm looking forward to see him grow.

Vincent Lecavalier #4

How can I write something about Vinny and make it short, without too many emotions and words like "love", "passion", "best", "sweet", "cute"... Ok, ok I'm little bit carried away. Again. Some people might think that I became a Lightning fan because of him and his beautiful eyes. That's not true. I didn't know Vinny before I started to cheer for the Lightning. But then I started to pay attention to him and I was like: "Who's that guy with number four?" (you need to know that I didn't know much about the NHL yet, I was a rookie NHL fan, you could say). I was blown away. Not by his cute childish face but by his skills and his game. I had only few chances to watch him though (not that I have much more of them now). So it took a while to become as huge admirer as I am now.
I think, oh wait... I KNOW that I am the biggest and the most dedicated Vinny's fan in the Czech Republic. If you say "Lecavalier" aloud in front of me it gives me goose bumps. If I see a picture of him it makes me smile. If I see him smiling (or even laughing) in some video, it makes my day. I've got two Vinny's jerseys and I could stare at them all day long. Yes, I am definitely that crazy about him.
But don't get me wrong... it's absolutely not only about his physical aspects. It's mainly about him as a hockey player. Player, who gives everything to the game - his strength, his skills, his heart, his mind and his soul. I love watching him play (even though it's not as often as I wish). When Vinny's on his game it seems to me that he's flying. His game is so light. His passing is so intelligent. And his shots are pretty amazing. I love him as a captain. I think he's the right one. He stands up for his teammates anytime the situation asks for it. Yes, he's not definitely a great fighter but when the gloves are dropped he'll go for it with 100%.

I'm so sorry for making this so long... I could carry on writing about Vinny actually but I don't want you to get bored. Enough is enough.

So, to close all of this... Vinny is my #1. That's obvious. And he always will be.

What would make me the most happiest person in the world? Try to guess... :)

Game 71: Washington at Tampa Bay

2009-03-19T22:36:00.004-04:00

The Tampa Bay Lightning lost to the Washington Capital 5-2.

Again, the first two period of this game were great for the Lightning. The last one, not so much. From how the players did, it was better then the last game they collapsed in the third. From the score, it was probably worse.

Three things that killed them in the third. One, shots, as usual. Although, six shots isn't bad for them, relatively speaking. Two, faceoffs. They were doing great the first two periods and then it just fell apart in the third. Not sure what the story was there since the Lightning have been pretty strong in the faceoff circle all season. It's one of the few statistical highlights for them.

And three, they started bunching up again on the ice. It reminded me of how small animals congregate when they feel threatened. You know, how chicks (as in, baby chickens) all run for the same corner when you reach into their box to try to pick one up? Okay, maybe you don't know that. But they do. (Yes, my family had farm animals - satisfied?)

Anyways, my point is that they weren't playing on the ice where they were supposed to, and as they had for the first and second periods. Positioning was awful. On the Caps third goal, all of the Tampa Bay players were within a stick length of McKenna. All of them - including the forwards. That's not where most of them should've been.

They got lucky with the reviewed goal, though. That should've been a Washington goal. On tv, that puck clearly crossed the line by like six inches (15 cm).

At the end of the second, the Lightning were out shooting the Capitals 22-19. They were also ahead in the faceoffs, they had a power play goal and Washington didn't, and they were tied 2-2. They were playing just as well as the Caps, keeping up with them or surpassing them in most statistical categories, and doing all that with a young and untried defense that's in flux. It's not that the Lightning are a bad team, it's just that they can't play well consistently for all 60 minutes.

Congratulations to Ovechkin on his 50th goal, by the way. I hope him and his stick are very happy. The should be proud.

On a non-hockey related side-note, I'd just like to complain. Illinois ruined my perfect NCAA bracket today by losing. The weasels. Oh well - at least I'm still 15 of 16 so far. Not bad considering that I've paid almost no attention to college men's basketball this year and did zero research before filling out my bracket (office pool). Yep, totally impulsive picks all the way. Took me all of 10 minutes to fill the bracket out. And no, I didn't pick schools by the nicest names, prettiest colors, or cutest mascots. Sorry.

Game 70: Toronto at Tampa Bay

2009-03-17T22:52:00.001-04:00

The Tampa Bay Lightning lost in a shoot out to the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3.

Where, oh where, to begin...? Let's start with being up 3-0 towards the end of the second. And then losing in the shoot out.

I don't know what was said during the second period intermission - or what not was said, frankly - but whatever it was (or wasn't), it was entirely the wrong thing. The team that came out of the dressing room at the beginning of the third was not the same team that went into the dressing room at the end of the second. In the second period, they were confident. For most of the third, they were shaky and couldn't get the puck out of their own zone.

The only things that saved during that awful third period were special teams and Ramo. Again, their power play was good, and their penalty killing even better. The Lightning didn't allow a Toronto power play goal in five tries. Converting two of their six power plays wasn't too shabby, either.

And Ramo was fantastic. Sure, the score isn't really indicative of that, but it rarely has been this season for the Lightning. I mean, they suited up their 20th defenseman this season. What does that tell you? (If you don't know, then maybe you ought to ask someone.)

It tells me that they weren't that great at limiting shots. Also a season-long problem. Almost 40 - again. I thought they'd gotten past all that. Although, to be fair, there was overtime involved.

One of the highlights for this game - for me, anyways - was a perfectly executed hip check by Stralman on Lecavalier. Lecavalier didn't like it much, and I'm sure I wouldn't, either, had I been in his skates. But it was a legal and very nicely done hip check, and that was a thing of beauty. I've often wondered why that's disappeared from the game.

So this one went into a shoot out, as previously mentioned. And it was a long one, too, going six rounds. It was more of a goaltending clinic then anything else. St. Louis' shot hitting the post, instead of going into a wide open net after spinning around to his backhand, was a bit of a heartbreaker, though.

The Lightning in yet another state of limbo?

2009-03-16T10:00:00.004-04:00

Does Bill Davidson's Death Affect the Lightning?

Now here's something that didn't even occur to me. I'm sure it didn't occur to most people. Makes you wonder, tho, doesn't it?

Basketball (and hockey) tournament picks

2009-03-16T09:54:00.001-04:00

One Who Did It Best Tells How to Pick ’Em

This might be for NCAA men's basketball tournament, but I think that this also works for hockey. Basketball and hockey are very similar positionally. What makes a successful basketball team also makes a successful hockey team.

If you disregard the goalie in hockey, the center is still doing what centers do - playing in front of (or under in basketball) the net at either end. The hockey wingers are the basketball forwards - down low in the offensive zone and up higher in the defensive zone. And the defensemen are the guards - up high in the offensive zone and down low in the defensive zone.

This might help: Basketball Positions (positions on court in offensive zone - picture)

Basketball is a little bit slower game than hockey, since it's not played on ice skates, but the idea is the same. So this not only helps you with your March Madness bracket, but also with the NHL playoffs. I think the advice is pretty much valid for both.

Game 69: Tampa Bay at Florida

2009-03-14T22:11:00.001-04:00

The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Florida Panthers 4-3 in a shootout.

I'm sure the question that Tocchet would like answered is how to get the Lightning to play like they do when they're down by a couple of goals in the third period all game long.

It really has been the best that the Lightning has played. They go in spurts of good and mediocre, and then when they're down by two or more goals in the third, they kick things up a notch and start playing consistently and well to try to win the game. They've been doing that all season. If they played like that all game long for every game from November on, they'd be in playoffs right now.

Now, the question that I would like answered is, why is the coaching staff playing with a short bench? They're running their best players into the ground for absolutely no reason. And worse, they're not giving ice time to the young players to give them some experience for next season when the games are actually going to be on the line. I can understand wanting to win and wanting to make the team feel better about themselves, but this isn't just about this season. How are the young guys - other than Stamkos, that is - going to get any experience for next season if they're playing around 10 minutes a game?

Okay, I lied. I really have two questions. My other question is, why don't they play all game long like they do during the power play or penalty kills? They have pretty good special teams, considering. You'd think that they'd play just as well even strength, but they don't. Not consistently, anyways.

Despite winning the game, they were outshot pretty badly - particularly during the first period. And they were playing a lot in their own zone for the first half of the game. Then things started at the end of the second period after the Panthers went up 2-1. When Florida made it 3-1 at the beginning of the third, that's when the Lightning predictably started playing a lot better. And,
oddly, faceoffs weren't the best.

The St. Louis-Stamkos-Malone line were again the best on the ice for the Lightning. Although, I did really like Halpern playing with the Vinnys (Lecavalier & Prospal). I thought that was a good line as well. And Ramo was great - but I did notice that he held on to the puck more instead of letting out rebounds. I think that was a good move on his part.