Mark Barberio Photo by Linda Hamilton

Sunday night’s loss against the Washington Capitals pretty much sealed the season for the Lightning. They were playing well enough to win but mistakes hounded them and two points against a division rival were lost. So what now?  The front office seems to be signaling that they are starting to get a feel for next season’s blue line. Defenseman Mark Barberio was called up today, Matt Taormina was reassigned to the Syracuse Crunch.

Through 70 games with the Crunch this season, Barberio has eight goals and 44 points. He leads all Syracuse defensemen in goals, points, and assists.

In a stroke of luck, Barberio’s parents were going to vacation in Florida soon and were able to come down a bit early to see their son play. He is expected to make his NHL debut in tomorrow’s game against the Ottawa Senators.

Eric Brewer Photo by Linda Hamilton

My second topic for this segment is veteran defenseman Eric Brewer.  This one is tough because I think the Lightning have the tools to turn things around quickly – and Brewer would be an important piece during the stretch run.  That being said, there are some young defensemen like Mark Barberio and Radko Gudas knocking on the door. Keith Aulie is already in the NHL and proving that he belongs. Let’s take a look at both sides: » Continue reading “Trade Deadline Talk: Eric Brewer”

Cory Conacher Photo by Alexis Boucher

Three glimmers of light could soon give way to an entire sky full of shining stars.  This lame analogy is in reference to the three Lightning rookies currently on the roster – Alex Killorn, Cory Conacher, and Richard Panik – and how their success at the NHL level could be indicative of what’s to come for this franchise.  » Continue reading “Lightning Rookies Providing A Glimpse Of The Near Future”

The Lightning are set to take on the Washington Capitals tomorrow evening. February 14th may be known more for romance, but there’s going to be few fuzzy feelings on the ice. That doesn’t mean love won’t be in the air in other ways.

Last year we enjoyed pink and red heart graphics on the video board. During a trip to the team store last weekend, there were pink Valentine’s day pucks for sale. A perfect gift for the sweetheart in your life? Sure, why not.

The Syracuse Crunch are also getting in the spirit of the day. They took to Youtube to share some of the things they love most. And it’s a must see.

» Continue reading “Tampa Bay Lightning & Syracuse Crunch Feel The Love”

A number of their players may have stayed up with the Lightning following training camp, but the Syracuse Crunch are going to be well represented at the AHL All Star Classic. Five representatives of the team will be participating in this week’s festivities in Providence.

Mark Barberio and Radko Gudas will represent the Crunch blueliners. The forwards will also be more than accounted for with Tyler Johnson and Richard Panik there. Head coach Jon Cooper will also be there as part of the Eastern Conference coaching staff.

So the Lightning’s AHL affiliate will have the most players of any other team at the game and the most in franchise history. Not bad.

» Continue reading “Syracuse Crunch Invade The AHL All Star Classic”

Photo by Linda Hamilton

The Lightning issued an announcement on Sunday that they were going to add 4 additional players to their training camp roster. J.T. Wyman, Mark Barberio, Tyler Johnson, & Radko Gudas have joined the squad by now ahead of their first session in Estero, FL this evening.

Syracuse is well represented during this week’s session. Mike Angelidis, Cory Conacher, Pierre-Cedric Labrie, Keith Aulie, and Matt Taormina took place in Sunday’s session.

Defenseman Evan Oberg was placed on waivers, ending another rash of “Oberging” before it even begins.

Dustin Tokarski photo via the Bolt Prospects Facebook page

Friday night’s game will be the first time that last year’s Calder Cup champions return to the city they won it for.  Coach Jon Cooper and nearly the entire team moved to Syracuse after Tampa Bay changed their AHL affiliate in the offseason. » Continue reading “Everything Old is New Again: Crunch Return to Norfolk”

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”

Keith Aulie Photo by Linda Hamilton

One of the good things about organizational depth is that it protects a team from taking a big hit if a trade doesn’t pan out. » Continue reading “Interesting Times For Keith Aulie”

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”