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.

Nate Thompson Photo by Linda Hamilton

This was a game the Lightning needed to win. Scratch that. They’re all games they need to win if they want to even think about bumping into the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Turn overs and mental mistakes were hallmarks of this evening’s game against the Islanders. The Bolts did show some resiliency and tied the game twice, but ended up falling short and losing 4-2.

New York struck first and Richard Panik evened the score about five minutes into the second period. Josh Bailey pushed the Isles ahead again, but Matt Carle tied it yet again. What seemed to seal the deal was the third New York goal. Ben Bishop was screened and didn’t even see the puck until it was already behind him. Right through the five hole. An empty net goal in the final seconds of the game put the kibosh on any hopes of Tampa come back.

» Continue reading “Lightning Falter On Long Island, Lose 4-2 Against Islanders”

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.

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”