Zenon Konopka Photo by Linda Hamilton
For those of you who don’t know, former Lightning enforcer Zenon Konopka is on Twitter. He’s chronicling his time with the Minnesota Wild, but has also introduced the hockey world to his slightly unusual pet. Not a dog, not a cat, but a fluffy bunny rabbit named Hoppy.
The NHLPA website had a great feature about Z and Hoppy today. The perfect companion piece to what is surely a food filled Easter evening.
Alex Killorn Photo by Alexis Boucher
It was difficult to know what to expect out of the Tampa Bay Lightning headed into last night’s game against the New Jersey Devils. The first game under the tutelage of a new head coach and Andrej Sustr making his NHL debut on the blue line. It may be late in the season, but a new era was dawning for the hockey club.
The teams scored 5 goals in about 8 minutes in the second period. Three for New Jersey, two for the Lightning. Steven Stamkos recoreded his 24th and 25th goals of the season. Nate Thompson notched his 7th of the year in the second as well.
Alex Killorn brought the drama when he scored with 15 seconds left in regulation to tie the game and send it to overtime. Teddy Purcell and Victor Hedman scored in the shootout, Mathieu Garon stopped the two Devs he faced, and that’s all she wrote. It will be interesting to see what the team brings to the table for Tuesday’s game after more practice time with Jon Cooper.
» Continue reading “Lightning Down The Devils, Thompson Suspended”
Photo by Alexis Boucher
Last night, I had the pleasure of attending the tenth edition of the Lightning’s Hockey ‘N Heels. An annual event geared towards the female members of the fan base, it’s a great opportunity to get a behind the scenes look at the game we love. This year’s event was a little bit different given the shortened season, but it may have been my favorite of the three I’ve attended. Instead of trekking around the building, the event took place entirely in the locker room with four different stations.
Victory!
Tonight’s game was without a doubt one of the most complete efforts the Lightning have had all season. No question. Mathieu Garon was solid in net, stopping 13 of the 14 Buffalo Sabres shots he faced. The rookies were responsible defensively and some familiar names found their way onto the score sheet.
The over riding story going in to the evening was Jon Cooper being named the new head coach. Coop was in the building, but not behind the bench. Assistant coach Dan Lacroix and player development coach Steve Thomas ran things on ice level. All that will change going forward with Friday’s game against New Jersey as Cooper’s first outing as the Bolts’ coach.
Steven Stamkos and Marty St. Louis had the goals for the Lightning. Keith Aulie had an absolutely excellent game. The “No Cup Buffalo” chant was deployed. Andrej Sustr took warm up skate. That pretty much sums up the evening.
I’m attending Hockey ‘n’ Heels tomorrow evening and will bring an update from there.
Photo by Linda Hamilton
Tampa Bay Lightning fans have been buzzing since the news of Guy Boucher’s dismissal broke yesterday. Who is the guy who will take his spot behind the bench? A veteran like Lindy Ruff or the wildly successful AHL coach already in the organization? Per Darren Dreger of TSN, Steve Yzerman’s man is Syracuse Crunch head coach Jon Cooper. Damian Cristodero of the Tampa Bay Times stated that no contract has been signed, so nothing is official as of yet.
Sports radio is already buzzing about the prospect. Is this the right move for the struggling Lightning? Should they have taken on a more experienced coach like Lindy Ruff? The point is a bit moot at this point. Cooper’s success with the Admirals and now the Crunch put him on the radar of a lot of teams. If he didn’t become a head coach at the NHL level, there was a very real possibility he would have done so somewhere else.
The shortened season will hopefully give him time to acclimatize to the NHL and the locker room dynamics here. A number of his guys are already up with the Bolts. Ideally the veterans will buy in based on their success.
Update: And it’s official. Jon Cooper becomes the eighth head coach in Lightning history. Cooper should have his first game with the Bolts at Friday’s home game against the Devils.
Photo by Linda Hamilton
It seems as though it’s been predicted all season long, but it’s finally happened. The Lightning have fired Guy Boucher as their head coach this morning. Assistant coaches Dan LaCroix and Martin Raymond will handle coaching duties behind the bench in tonight’s game at Winnipeg.
Boucher leaves the Lightning with a record of 84-62-16. After experiencing wild success in his first season as head coach, the Lightning never seemed to live up to the promise of the 2011 playoffs. As of today, the Bolts are 13-17-1 and sit in 14th place in the Eastern Conference.
GM Steven Yzerman issued the following statement when announcing the news:
Via the Official Lightning Website:
“Guy has poured his heart and soul into the Lightning organization for these past three years and we appreciate all the work he has done. But ultimately I am not satisfied with the direction we are heading and I believe making a change today is in the best interest of our franchise.”
» Continue reading “Lightning Release Guy Boucher As Head Coach”
Nate Thompson Photo by Linda Hamilton
The Bolts fell short 4-3 against the Ottawa Senators, but there was good news. Fans of Tampa’s Alaskan Assassin, Nate Thompson, had a lot to celebrate today. Shortly before puck drop, Fox Sports Florida announced that the forward had been signed to a four year contract extension. ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun reported the deal is valued $6.4 million, averaging $1.6 million a season.
A checking line center, Nate has made a name for himself in Tampa through his hard working play. His grit and hustle have made him a favorite of head coach Guy Boucher, earning the nickname “textbook” and “Nate Boucher” a few seasons back. Thompson is versatile, often finding himself on the penalty killing unit. Through 30 games this year, he has six goals and four assists.
» Continue reading “Lightning Sign F Nate Thompson To 4 Year Extension”
Brian Lee Photo by Linda Hamilton
There it is. The Lightning have placed defenseman Brian Lee on waivers. The news comes courtesy of Darren Dreger of TSN and Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune. The young defenseman has had more than his fair share of struggles this season. Add in the beating the fan base have been giving him and this isn’t terribly surprising news. Especially with what the Bolts did yesterday.
The move is most likely a result of college prospect Andrej Sustr’s signing yesterday. Per Steve Yzerman, there’s no guarantee that Sustr will see any NHL action but that is definitely their intention going forward. Sustr is eligible to play with the Syracuse Crunch for the remainder of the season.
Anders Lindback Photo by Alexis Boucher
Whew. It was a busy day when it comes to Lightning news. Best to jump right in.
-When Anders Lindback left last night’s game against the Leafs, it didn’t look good. He went in in relief for a struggling Mathieu Garon, and left almost as quickly. The team issued the bad news earlier today. Lindback is out indefinitely with a right ankle sprain. With a little over a month left in the season, it’s pretty safe to say he’s done for the year.
-In light of Lindback’s injury, Cedrick Desjardins has been recalled from the Syracuse Crunch. Twitter buzz suggests Guy Boucher is planning on going with Garon in net for both Saturday and Sunday’s games. Richard Panik has also been recalled due to Ryan Malone’s shoulder injury.
- Tampa signed NCAA free agent defenseman Andrej Sustr to a two year entry level contract. The 22 year old Czech blueliner is literally a huge signing, as he is 6’8″ and 225 pounds. If his name sounds familiar, you may have seen him at last summer’s prospect camp. The University of Nebraska-Omaha Maverick recorded nine goals, 25 points, and 53 penalty minutes through 39 games this season.
-Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Joffrey Lupul was suspended 2 games for his hit to Victor Hedman’s head Wednesday night. The league’s suspension video can be seen here.
Photo by Alexis Boucher
It’s tough to know where to begin. Another rough loss that saw the Toronto Maple Leafs score four goals before the Bolts answered. Another late rally that fell just short. Another injury, this time to Anders Lindback who had gone into the game in relief of Mathieu Garon. Victor Hedman felled by a questionable hit delivered by Joffrey Lupul. Rough times indeed. Definitely not the way you want a road trip to get started.
Let’s focus on the positive. Radko Gudas, and his beard, scored his first career NHL goal. Cory Conacher and Tyler Johnson teamed up for Tampa’s second goal.
Rest, regroup, and get ready for Ottawa on Saturday. And hope Lindback’s lower body injury is only day to day.
