Martin St. Louis Photo by Linda Hamilton

A Lightning goalie pitched a shut out in their debut game with the club while wearing their old team’s mask. If this sounds familiar, that’s because Dwayne Roloson did it in his first game with the Bolts in 2011. Ben Bishop joins those ranks tonight after backstopping a 5-0 Tampa Bay victory against the Carolina Hurricanes. Even more impressive, Big Ben faced 45 shots over the course of the game.

The entire team had a different personality. Bishop was quick, moves extremely well for being such a big guy. Jon Cooper allows the offense to be extremely creative and that made this one a whole lot of fun to watch. An offensive flurry in the second period saw Teddy Purcell, Tom Pyatt, and Keith Aulie score. Marty St. Louis and Benoit Pouliot extended the lead in the third.

- Captain Vinny Lecavalier made his return to the line up after missing nine games.

-Victor Hedman sustained a lower body injury and did not return to the game after the first period. He is listed as day to day.

Another solid win that ties Tampa with Carolina in the Southeast division standings. The Bolts head off to meet the Islanders on Saturday.

Photo by Alexis Boucher

It’s a little difficult to remember the reaction to Benoit Pouliot’s acquisition last summer. With the rage of the lockout still fresh in our minds, a lot of the details went out the window. The fourth overall draft pick in 2005 has struggled with consistency in Minnesota, Montreal, and Boston. That’s changing quickly here in Tampa. Benoit is finding his game in a big way and the Bolts are more than reaping the benefits.

Through his last 10 games Pouliot has amassed 12 points. That includes a three assists in Tuesday’s victory and two goals in Saturday’s win (including the game winner in overtime). His speed and great shot have been a very welcome addition to Tampa’s arsenal. He earned a reputation of not wanting to mix it up in the tough areas of the ice earlier in his career, not that you could tell by his play so far. A number of his goals have come from right near the crease, a rough spot usually inhabited by Ryan Malone and Dave Andreychuk before him.

» Continue reading “Benny & The Bolts: Pouliot Making His Presence Known”

Well, that was a rough one. The Lightning’s offense sputtered a bit in the wake of Philadelphia’s swarming coverage in the offensive zone. Benoit Pouliot scored the only goal for the Lightning and Andres Lindback made 22 saves.

What seemed to make the most news were two fights that took place. First B.J. Crombeen and Zach Rinaldo dropped the gloves at 6:19 in the first.

» Continue reading “Bolts Go Down Swinging, Lose 2-1 to Flyers”

Victory! Photo by Alexis Boucher

So… you guys saw that game too, right? We’re not just imagining the 8-3 thumping the Lightning delivered to the Winnipeg Jets?  The strength of Tampa’s start this season has been pretty unbelievable. After tonight’s victory they are 6-1-0 and have scored five or more goals in four straight games. If this is a dream, please don’t wake us.

Tampa’s power play has been extremely strong and definitely took advantage of Winnipeg’s penalties. Cory Conacher got things under way with the first goal. Chris Thorburn was given a five minute penalty for checking defenseman Sami Salo from behind. Salo left the bench for a bit to get patched up but did return. The Jets were called for two minor penalties while the 5 minutes ticked off the clock, giving Steven Stamkos and Vinny Lecavalier the chance to score their own goals with a 5-3 man advantage.

» Continue reading “Soarin’ : Lightning Down Jets 8-3″

Photo by Linda Hamilton

Like most of you, we didn’t get a chance to watch the Lightning’s matinee match up against the New York Islanders. Based on how the first two periods went and the reactions on Twitter, that might be for the best. The score makes it seem closer than  it actually was. Things started off in rollicking old time hockey fashion. Just one second into the game B.J. Crombeen paired off with Matt Martin. As if it couldn’t get better, Pierre-Cedric Labrie dropped his mitts and took on Joe Finley.

» Continue reading “That Escalated Quickly: Lightning Fall To Islanders 4-3″

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.

The arena lights dimmed and AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” blared through the sound system. A spotlight illuminated the tunnel exit on the home team’s bench. Fans went wild as their team took to the ice and the famed Tesla coils cracked to life amid wild cheers. If it sounds like any number of Lightning home games, you wouldn’t be too far off. It was a bit different, though. This was training camp.

Tampa’s shortened season is just 6 days away and they started things off with a bang. An estimated 5500 fans poured into the Tampa Bay Times Forum and I was privileged enough to be one of them. Festivities kicked off with an autograph session by all attendees of training camp.

Guy Boucher spearheaded his first practice of the year and definitely put the boys through their paces. A few thoughts on the session:

» Continue reading “The Bolts Are Back In Town As Training Camp Opens”

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!”

Steve Yzerman Photo by Linda Hamilton

No, you’re not imagining it. This year’s NHL free agency is off to a bit of a slow start. Sure, a lot of guys are changing teams and signing new contracts. A lot of things have yet to fall into place. The main reason for this is two men: Ryan Suter & Zach Parise.

It’s not just other players who are waiting to see what deals these two will sign. General Managers are also keeping an eye on these contracts as they could set the precedent for second tier players like Matt Carle that will be looking for new teams to call home.

Why is this information important? A lot of fans have taken to social media decrying their team’s GMs for being lazy.

Yes, that is correct. People were questioning the wisdom of Steve Yzerman. Pouliot and Salo clearly aren’t enough.  The fact of the matter is, the two big items need to be taken off the market for things to get going again. Remember Stammergeddon from last year? It’s basically the same type of thing.

“It becomes a bidding frenzy for the next level of free agent,” said former Flames GM Craig Button, an NHL Network analyst.”Potentially, you could be leaving money on the table by signing now. There’s nothing like a lover scorned, especially if they get the feeling that, ‘We have to go after the next guy.’ (Quote Source: Tampa Tribune)

Yzerman has said that he isn’t in on the Suter Sweepstakes, mainly because of the high asking price. He did add depth at the defensive position by signing Sami Salo and is sure to do more once everything is decided.

Parise and Suter’s contracts will help set the prices for the next round of guys.  For now we wait and celebrate our independence.

Voodoo enjoys a day at the beach. Photo by Linda Hamilton

It’s finally here! Free agency is set to begin in about 30 minutes. Steve Yzerman has made it known that the Lightning are in the market for D-men.

Stick with us as we keep you updated on the latest news. Let’s get started!

» Continue reading “NHL Free Agency Frenzy 2012″