Photo by Alexis Boucher

It’s difficult to know where to even begin with tonight’s game. There was a whole lot of bad from start to finish. Whether it was allowing 41 shots, giving Evgeni Malkin space to work his magic, and missing good offensive opportunities. If it sounds like a broken record, that’s because a lot of these issues have plagued the Bolts all season. Pittsburgh came away with two points in an absolute beat down.

Guy Boucher may be gone, but Jon Cooper is dealing with an offense that continues to try to be too fancy. Instead of putting the puck on net, they’re dipsy doodling around with passes. Getting too complicated leads to turn overs and a lot of scoring changes for the opposition. It also means the Lightning lose quality chances to score their own goals. This has to be addressed.

As for the Lightning’s goals, all three came with the man advantage. Teddy Purcell scored twice and Brett Connolly scored his first of the year. The success on the power play is pretty much the only good thing that happened tonight.

This is a lesson to us all. The Lightning have a long way to go to be able to stand with the elite teams in the league. There’s a lot of work ahead of them this summer, that’s for sure.

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.

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!”

Brett Connolly, Cory Conacher, & Alex Killorn. Photo credit to: Alex Killorn’s Twitter.

The Syracuse Crunch are sitting on top of the AHL standings with one third of the season played. That being said, it’s good to see the guys are taking some time to remember what’s really important about this time of year. Ugly ass sweaters. Whatever works… Alex Killorn is riding a 5 game point streak after all.

After a successful Teddy Bear Toss, the Crunch have been everywhere spreading the spirit of the season. Pierre-Cedric Labrie and Radko Gudas were at an outdoor skate with fans last Wednesday. The team holiday party was full of good cheer.

Oh, and Cory Conacher got in his first pro hockey fight last night.

» Continue reading “‘Tis The Season To Be Crunchy: Checking In With Syracuse”

Slater Koekkoek photo by Jason Haas

Junior hockey fans on Twitter are all…a-flutter over a tweet from Barrie Colts beat writer Gene Pereira: Lightning prospect Slater Koekkoek has requested a trade from the Peterborough Petes.  Pereira also says that Alan Quine (Red Wings) and Nick Ritchie (not yet draft eligible) have requested trades as well.  Petes Insider also tweeted this rumor.  Even if this proves to be untrue (of course there will be denials), it is easy to believe given that Peterborough is dead last in the OHL with a record of 8-23-3-1 through 35 games. » Continue reading “Rumor Mill: Slater Koekkoek Requests Trade From Peterborough”

Brett Connolly Photo by Linda Hamilton

The topic du jour today is the apparent leap forward in the NHL’s labor negotiations.  Optimism seems higher than ever before and many people think the lockout could end as early as this Friday.  While I’m not denying the importance of this, these injury updates from Syracuse should make Lightning fans happy as well. » Continue reading “Crunch and Grind: Injury Updates from Syracuse”

The month of November has become a very special time among hockey players and this year was no different. A number of locked out NHLers participated and raised money for men’s health issues. The AHLers got in on the action as well. After a month of stiff competition, Mark Barberio’s mustache reigned supreme among the Syracuse Crunch.

If there’s one thing Lightning fans learned about their minor league affiliate this year it’s that they are a gifted lot when it comes to facial hair. We all remember those beards on the way to a Calder Cup Championship.

As Movember comes to a close for the year and our players pick up their razors, it’s a perfect time to relive their journey.

» Continue reading “Syracuse Crunch Crown A Movember Winner”

Tyler Johnson gets low for faceoffs…so low that no one saw him on draft day. Picture from the Syracuse Crunch FB page

This Syracuse Crunch team sure is special, isn’t it?   The NHL lockout drags on, but one benefit for the Tampa Bay Lightning is the ability to see its young guns play together and grow as a dominant team.  The Crunch played three games this weekend (2-1 loss vs. Binghamton, 4-1 win at Albany, 6-1 win at Worcester) and are now 12-3-1-1 through 17 games.  This puts them in first in the East Division as well as the entire Eastern Conference.

Take some time to absorb all of these bullet points and try not to get giddy (I couldn’t resist) thinking about some of these guys contributing at the NHL level. » Continue reading “Number Crunch: Syracuse Dominating As A Team”

Halloween may be over here in the USA, but the celebration continues in other parts of the world. For example, it’s “Dia de los Muertos” in Mexico.  It’s a time to remember and celebrate loved ones who have passed on. What a perfect time for the Syracuse Crunch to share their best Halloween costumes:

Was Riku Helenius Keyboard Cat?? Tyler Johnson as Mike Angelidis? Brett Connolly’s favorite candy is Rolos? Good Lord, someone post pictures.

J.T. Wyman Photo by Linda Hamilton

Tonight’s Crunch/Senators game had pretty much everything. Old time hockey toughness, tons of goals, a dramatic late game comeback. Oh, and a goalie fight. A European goalie fight no less. Don Cherry would lose his shit.

This game was pretty ugly from the outset. Bingamton held a 5-0 lead through the first half of the game. That’s when Sens goalie Robin Lehner and Crunch goalie Riku Helenius met at center ice and, well… see for yourself.

Update: Clearer fight footage.

» Continue reading “Crunch Battle To 6-5 Win Against Binghamton”