Photo by Alexis Boucher

With all signs pointing towards today’s trade deadline being uneventful, there were more than a few surprising moves leading up to 3 pm. The Lightning joined in as well, making headlines with a shocking trade. Their quest for a number one goaltender sent them to Ottawa and a goalie they expressed interest in last year, 6’8″ Ben Bishop. In return, the Senators acquired forward Cory Conacher and a fourth round draft pick. This was a head scratcher for many fans, the jury here remains out until we see exactly what we’re working with.

There have been some other moves so far this week as well. Defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Bolts picked up a seventh round draft pick and forward Adam Hall. Yes, the very same Adam Hall that the ‘Canes claimed off of waivers on March 16th. To make things even more confusing, the Philadelphia Flyers claimed Hall off of waivers today. No one would have been surprised to hear he was dealt back to the Bolts yet again, but it looks like he’s sticking on Broad Street for now.

Today also saw a number of roster shifts between Tampa and Syracuse. Brett Connolly and Dana Tyrell were called up from the Crunch. Cedrick Desjardins, Andrej Sustr, Mike Angelidis, and Ondrej Palat are on their way back to the ‘Cuse. Moves done most likely to bolster the Crunch ahead of the AHL playoffs.

Tyler Johnson Photo by Alexis Boucher

As the third period was about to get underway at the Tampa Bay Times Forum last night, the scoring summary was shown on the video board as per usual. What was a but of a change was the names showing up on that list. Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, Alex Killorn, and Cory Conacher. All recently played for the Syracuse Crunch. All have joined the parent club and have been impossible to ignore on the ice.

Johnson scored his first NHL goal last night and also registered an assist. Sadly there were no fisticuffs to complete the Gordie Howe Hat Trick, but the W is more important. Ondrej Palat also scored his first NHL goal last night as well. The “green” players lead the Bolts to a 4-1 victory over the division rival Carolina Hurricanes.

Take a look at Johnson’s goal. The hard work of that line helped the Lightning to open the scoring. The magic these guys were creating in the AHL has definitely translated to the bigger stage of the NHL. It couldn’t come at a better time for Tampa Bay.

» Continue reading “Luck O’ The Crunch: Rookies Lead Lightning to 4-1 Win”

Adam Hall Photo by Linda Hamilton

Are the Lightning looking to rebuild right here and now? We may have a bit of an answer. TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that the Bolts have placed RW Adam Hall on waivers this afternoon. He has been a healthy scratch pretty frequently as of late. It’s highly unlikely he would end up with the Syracuse Crunch. A solid defensive minded player like Hall would be a great addition for many teams. It would also allow him to see more playing time.

Hall has 4 assists through 20 games this season. His most impressive state is his team leading  56.4% face off percentage. This loss could be a huge blow for the Bolts. Captain Vinny Lecavalier, who has the second hised FO % on the team, was placed on IR yesterday.

More as this story develops.

With great mustache comes great responsibility

With the April 3rd trade deadline less than a month away, the time is now for teams to begin assessing their playoff chances and deciding what kind of moves, if any, need to be made.  My goal is to do a few of these over the coming weeks, hopefully with more and more conviction as the standings continue to take shape. » Continue reading “Trade Deadline Talk: Nate Thompson”

Guy Boucher Photo by Linda Hamilton

Following the Lightning’s loss in New Jersey last night, there were a lot of things that  could have made headlines. Anders Lindback. The questionable calls by the officials. Steven Stamkos’ birthday. Those all became mere footnotes in light of head coach Guy Boucher’s reaction to several penalties in the third period.

It started when Marty St. Louis was called for hooking. Less than a minute later, the officials miss a Devils’s icing call and when Adam Hall tried to clear the puck, he was called for high sticking after catching Travis Zajac on his follow through.  The whole thing can be seen here:

» Continue reading “Guy Boucher’s Derp Face Captivates The World”

Pretty much, Guy.

So. Yeah. Things started off well enough in Newark this evening. The Lightning got off to a stronger start, looked a lot less sluggish, and were putting pucks on net. Unfortunately,  a number of the same issues that have reared their heads over the last few games came with them too. Unable to sustain pressure in the offensive zone and turnovers played a big part on the 4-2 loss to the New Jersey.

Oh and those funny penalty calls in the third period, but we’ll get there soon enough.

» Continue reading “Devil In The Details: Lightning Fall In New Jersey 4-2″

Pierre Cedric Labrie Photo by Linda Hamilton

The Tampa Bay Lightning announced their opening night roster well ahead of Friday’s deadline. Here’s how the team is going to look:

Forwards: Vinny Lecavalier, Steven Stamkos, Marty St. Louis, Teddy Purcell, Ryan Malone, Benoit Pouliot, Tom Pyatt, Dana Tyrell, Adam Hall, Nate Thompson, B.J. Crombeen, Cory Conacher and Pierre-Cedric Labrie.

Defensemen: Victor Hedman, Sam Salo, Eric Brewer, Matt Carle, Brian Lee, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Keith Aulie and Brendan Mikkelson.

Goaltenders: Anders Lindback & Mathieu Garon.

So there you have it.That’s how the 2013 Bolts ( Not 2012-13. There was no 2012 involved in this season) will get started. The coaches seemed extremely positive about Conacher, so his addition isn’t exactly a surprise. Labrie on the other hand? Wow. For a while it seemed like Tyler Johnson could make the jump to the main club. Both he and Conacher have been insanely prolific when it comes to scoring. Johnson’s time is definitely coming, but not this Saturday.

The addition of Labrie and Crombeen have the potential to change the landscape of the on ice product if you will. With the exception of Steve Downie, the Lightning have been more about skill and finesse since Yzerman & Boucher came to town. The mantra was reacting to the opponent. Labrie and Crombeen play their game with a healthy amount of grit and physicality. They’ll be expected to play with discipline, but it could make other teams think twice before they take physical advantage of the Bolts.

Yup. Officially getting excited.

Vincent Lecavalier Photo by Linda Hamilton

While we’re all up STILL waiting for the NHL schedules to be released, how about some news?

- The Lightning will open their training camp tomorrow at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. They’ll remain in town for camp again on Monday before hitting the road. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday’s sessions will take place at Germain Arena in Estero, FL.

- As part of tomorrow’s festivities, fans are being welcomed back to the Tampa Bay Times Forum with a.. well, Fan Fest. Practice, specials on merchandise, and autograph sessions with the entire team. Season Ticket Members are privy to an exclusive autograph session in the Club level. No word on who exactly that will feature. More info can be found here.

-Update: The schedule is here!

» Continue reading “Nuts & Bolts: Training Camp, Fan Fest, Schedule, & Sexy Vinny”

Photo by Alexis Boucher

With the NHL’s impending return, the fans are buzzing with excitement of having actual hockey to talk about again. Our players are returning from near and far. Training camps are right around the corner and many squads have already begun informal skating sessions.

While flipping through photos of the Lightning’s skate the other day, an unsettling moment occurred.  There was a player in a Tampa sweater. And I had no idea who the hell he was. Summer signings feel like they were a million years ago, so we can cut ourselves a little slack. We need a refresher course as to who exactly plays for our team now. What better way to do that than with a little game?

Here’s how it works. A series of roster photos will be shown along with multiple choice answers. Pick your answer until you reach the end. The answer key will let you know how you did. Winner gets… the satisfaction of a job well done.

Now it’s time for NAME… THAT… BOLT!

» Continue reading “Name That Bolt!”

Adam Hall Photo by Linda Hamilton

It’s been a while since we checked in on the Lightning players plying their trade in European league. With NHL negotiations essentially exploding last week, this list is probably going to get a bit longer in the near future.

- Friday’s game that saw the Ravensburg Towerstars fall to the league leading SERC 5-2. The loss was forward Adam Hall’s 7th consecutive game with a goal. Adam Hall: Scoring Dynamo. Who knew?

- Goalie Anders Lindback.. seems to be doing well. We’re assuming this based on the numbers Bolts Prospects is coming up with. Apparently Google Translate has issues with Finnish. For example, a translated excerpt of an Ilves game recap:

“The second tranche was dominated by IFK. Away team statistics, the Lynx did not get any item category one paint the place. Got a great job with Lynx goalkeeper Anders Lindbäck rejected item 15 times.” (Source: YLE.fi)

Sure.

» Continue reading “EuroTrip: Catching Up With The Bolts Abroad”