TB LIGHTNING back in CHAMPIONSHIP FORM?

<TABLE cellSpacing=10 cellPadding=2 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=content_press_header>Thoughts?


LIGHTNING'S OFFENSE ROUNDING INTO FORM
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=content_press>11/10/2006</TD></TR><TR><TD class=content_press4>Courtesy of USA TODAY - Kevin Allen

Tampa Bay Lightning coach John Tortorella likes how free agent defenseman Filip Kuba has fit into his lineup except he wishes that Kuba would remove the brakes from his offensive game.
"We want him up the ice as much as he can," Tortorella said. "We want all of our D up the ice - we want them pinching whenever they can."
Those words primarily are Tortorella's attempt to prod his defensemen to play more offense, but if you listen carefully, what you might be hearing is a coach who senses that this Lightning team is evolving into one of the NHL's most dangerous offenses this season.

The Lightning might be the predator hiding in plain sight in the Eastern Conference. Because of the lockout and last season's struggles, it has almost been forgotten how dominant this team could be when it won the Stanley Cup in 2003-04.
The team's Big Three of Vinny Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and Brad Richards were all performing like they were the stars of the circus when Tampa Bay won that Cup.

But since then, it seems as if they haven't been able to play well all at the same time. Last season, Richards was the megastar, and St. Louis was the slumping star. Lecavalier was somewhere in between.

This season, St. Louis has rediscovered his verve and Lecavalier looks like he could compete for the scoring title. The two have combined for 35 points in the past 10 games. They both look like they are always one stride away from a breakaway. St. Louis suddenly looks like the most elusive player in the league again, darting, twisting and rocketing up ice with overflowing passion.
Now suddenly this season, Richards hasn't been as productive as he was last season. This comes after the Lightning gave him a five-year deal $7.8 million a season.
One theory is that Richards' deal simply removed the pressure from St. Louis, who now seems inexpensive at $5 million.
"But (Richards) is a notorious slow starter," Tortorella said. "But he has done a lot of good things offensively, too."
General manager Jay Feaster says he believes Richards "is very close" to re-igniting.
"He beats himself up," Feaster said. "You can almost see the gears grinding in his head. He's thinking too much. He's not just playing. If we can get him going, I like our chances."
No one is paying any attention to the Lightning and yet they are averaging 3.3 goals a game, and they have scored four or more goals in four consecutive games. Suddenly, they look dangerous again.
Surprising Ryan Craig is expected to be back from injury soon, and the Lightning are getting contributions from Dimitry Afanasenkov, Nikita Alexeev, Eric Perrin and Andreas Karlsson.
"And maybe our most consistent player and our hardest worker every night may be (Ruslan) Fedotenko," Feaster said. "He's also added even a bit of a physical presence."
Defenseman Dan Boyle, their prime puck mover on the blue line, doesn't have a goal yet, but there is a sense that his game is coming together again. Defenseman Paul Ranger has been a pleasant surprise. On Wednesday, he blocked a Ryan Whitney shot that led directly to the overtime goal.
Meanwhile, Kuba has been one of the best summer free-agent acquisitions, and Tortorella believes that he can even do more. He skates well, and he owns a hard shot. They can see him complementing the Big Three.
Tortorella said Kuba, who came from the Minnesota Wild, simply needs to become comfortable with having the green light to turn it up ice.
"When you play a system like we play, you have to think offense right away," Tortorella said. "When you hesitate as a defenseman - should I join? - then you are in trouble. We want that to be an instinct."
The Lightning coaching staff believes that Kuba has the speed to jump into the play and still get back to cover up defensively. If he can enhance his offensive firepower, the Lightning offense could be one of the most dynamic in the East. Not many teams can put together two dangerous scoring lines like Tampa Bay can.
Maybe the Lightning are one defenseman short. But the real difference between this team and the 2004 team is the difference between Nikolai Khabibulin and Marc Denis.
Last season, the Lightning's struggles clearly involved a lack of confidence in their goalkeeping. Tortorella never hid the fact that he was disappointed with John Grahame and Sean Burke.
The Lightning traded for Marc Denis with the hope that he would provide stability.
"He has given us a chance to win," Feaster said. "Marc does a good job of controlling his rebounds, and when he plays he looks in control. The guys believe that they will get a solid effort from him. As a result, we have been more aggressive."
Although Khabibulin was more celebrated than Denis is when he won his first Cup, he was still considered unproven. He had some ups and downs in Tampa Bay.
What Denis has been is solid this season. If Richards starts to surge and the Lightning become as dangerous offensively as they were in 2003-04, then solid might be good enough to give Tampa Bay a chance.
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=content_press>Source: Courtesy of USA TODAY - Kevin Allen</TD></TR>
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D Paul Ranger is an emerging star defensemen.......the kid has lots of game.

Still early. What concerns me is the lack of consistency on this team. They look great one night and then like dogcrap the next. After their bad days, you hear Torts in the paper saying that they're not working hard enough and you read about how he puts them through a punishing practice and they look better the next game. If he has to keep resorting to kicking the crap out of these guys to play consistently, I'm worried.

That aside, they are coming off a great road trip. We'll see.

"Unproven" or not, Denis is no Khabibulin. That's the biggest difference IMO in this team and the championship squad.

Black Bart said:

Still early. What concerns me is the lack of consistency on this team. They look great one night and then like dogcrap the next. After their bad days, you hear Torts in the paper saying that they're not working hard enough and you read about how he puts them through a punishing practice and they look better the next game. If he has to keep resorting to kicking the crap out of these guys to play consistently, I'm worried.

That aside, they are coming off a great road trip. We'll see.

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VERY TRUE and an excellent point.

Sort of expect them to come out tonight and lay a small egg against a very good ATLANTA club(even though they played last evening). They have some great scorers on this ATL team and they are definetly for real. Should be one helluva game this evening at the ST. PETE TIMES FORUM.

HOWEVER, it is great to see Marty back in form............as he looks like he has found his legs and drive again, which is a great sign for the Bolts.

They are missing outstanding goaltending you need to win, Khabibulin gave them that but he's over the hill now. They are also missing some leadership, not to knock Ranger who I think is their captain but they don't have a Dave Andreychuk on their team anymore. He is over the hill too but they need someone there to step up and replace that gap. They should have picked up Shanahan.

Kuba has fit in nicely too and now has a spot on my fantasy team!

Dubpoet said:

Kuba has fit in nicely too and now has a spot on my fantasy team!

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If Torts has his way, Kuba should be scoring more points in the future as he is determined to have Kuba become more offensive minded.

Last monday when I watched the lightning play the islanders and win 5-1. I was obviously at the game, the lightning dominated every part of the game, scored on numerous power plays and only commited 1 or 2 penalties themselves. They sure looked solid

bakinbaconwithMacon said:

They are missing outstanding goaltending you need to win, Khabibulin gave them that but he's over the hill now. They are also missing some leadership, not to knock Ranger who I think is their captain but they don't have a Dave Andreychuk on their team anymore. He is over the hill too but they need someone there to step up and replace that gap. They should have picked up Shanahan.

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TAYLOR was awarded the C in preseason, taking it away from Lecavalier.


These are only exhibition games and a "C" is just a letter, so let's not make too much of Vincent Lecavalier's pistol-hot pre-season start. But could there be a connection between his 12-point outburst in his first three contests and the decision during the off-season by Tampa Bay coach John Tortorella to award the captaincy to Tim Taylor, a popular third-line, team-first winger with as much skill in his entire body as Lecavalier possesses in his skate laces?
Here are a few ways to compare the two: Playing in a full 82 games for the third straight season, Taylor amassed 13 points last season, a total Lecavalier, who totaled 75 in 80, should reach by Thanksgiving, even if his season is a turkey. Taylor makes $725,000, or roughly a tenth of what Lecavalier, 26, will earn this season, which means he'll have pocketed Taylor's yearly take-home by Halloween. Scary, huh?
Taylor has played in 83 career playoff games and has scored only twice, but he also brought his Stanley-Cup pedigree to Tampa, having won one with the Red Wings in 1998 before adding a second with the Lightning in 2004. Taylor is an experienced leader, but the choice to make him captain was much more about not giving the honor (and responsibility) to Lecavalier. Tortorella's decision could work in one of two ways: relieve a burden from a star's shoulders or anger him into playing better. Either scenario works.
Remember when Lightning owner Art Williams, the insurance magnate who didn't know a hockey stick from hacky sack, clumsily said that Lecavalier would be the next Michael Jordan after the team drafted him No. 1 in 1998? "I'm not sure why people keep asking me about those comments after so many years," Lecavalier says now.
Instead, Lecavalier has steadily improved, but never to Jordanesque heights. He saved his best hockey for the World Cup during the lockout, when he was named MVP of the tournament. In many ways, he has been caught between two worlds: at 6-4, 220, is he the power forward who scrapped with 6-foot-9 Zdeno Chara in last year's playoffs, or the finesse scorer who eludes defenses with ease? In his eighth year, is he the leader the Lightning predicted he'd be when they named him the youngest captain in NHL history in March 2000 or the overburdened talent they realized he'd become when they took the "C" off his chest a year later?
Tortorella felt the distinction was too much pressure for someone who wasn't yet ready to carry the franchise. Even now, he says, it is better not to let symbolism get in the way of a player's comfort level.

-Marines- said:

Last monday when I watched the lightning play the islanders and win 5-1. I was obviously at the game, the lightning dominated every part of the game, scored on numerous power plays and only commited 1 or 2 penalties themselves. They sure looked solid

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Your an ISLES fan then?

Patrick McIrish said:

"Unproven" or not, Denis is no Khabibulin. That's the biggest difference IMO in this team and the championship squad.

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The back-up gets his 3rd straight start this evening.

Tort playing the hot hand.

Will be challenged this evening by the top two scorers in the league........HOSSA and KOVALCHUCK.

I am looking forward to seeing the TB Lightning taking on Montreal on December 30 when I visit to see my Nittany Lions play in the Outback Bowl.


Friday Night- Yokos, St. Pete Dog Track for Poker and bars on Howard

Saturday-Oysters at Riks on River, Channelside, and the Lightning game

Sunday-TB Bucs!

Monday-Outback Bowl

Tuesday-Leave and depressed all the way home

No clubbin with the college kids in Ybor? :thumbsup2:

got the lightening as my xxx/top pick tonight...

We should change Fish's avatar to one of Homer.

:missingte

Paterno said:

I am looking forward to seeing the TB Lightning taking on Montreal on December 30 when I visit to see my Nittany Lions play in the Outback Bowl.


Friday Night- Yokos, St. Pete Dog Track for Poker and bars on Howard

Saturday-Oysters at Riks on River, Channelside, and the Lightning game

Sunday-TB Bucs!

Monday-Outback Bowl

Tuesday-Leave and depressed all the way home

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Live a mere 3 miles from DERBY LANE, see ya there.

They have been on a roll lately, I'M A NEW FAN OF THIS TEAM:

3-1-07

Lightning slide past Capitals in 10th round of shootout

WASHINGTON -- An unknown quantity trumped Tampa Bay's usually dependable snipers in an extended shootout.
Nick Tarnasky scored the lone shootout goal in the 10th round, goalie Johan Holmqvist was perfect during the tiebreaker and the Lightning opened their longest road trip of the season with a 5-4 victory over the Washington Capitals on Thursday night.
Tarnasky sent a low shot between Brent Johnson's pads to help the Lightning improve to 10-1 in shootouts. It was Tarnasky's first career shootout attempt.
"Not just in the NHL -- my first ever as a pro," Tarnasky said. "All I'm thinking is 'I've got one move, I'm going to try it and I hope it works."
Washington is 1-10 in shootouts, but Johnson did his part to keep the Lightning at bay in the tiebreaker, using his pads to make five saves and gobbling up Ruslan Fedotenko's low shot in the sixth round.
"I'm pro shootout," Johnson said. "I think it's great for the fans (and) it's fun for us. It hasn't been that rewarding for us this year. ... There are so many losses in the shootout this year I can't even remember how many it is."
Holmqvist -- who is 6-0 in shootouts and has made 26 saves in 27 attempts this year -- was equally adept with his legs, blocking six Washington attempts. He turned away Matt Bradley's drive with his stick before Tarnasky ended it, then couldn't bring himself to watch the decisive try.
"Tonight it was a long one. ... I was just trying to stay focused," said Holmqvist, who has won 13 of 17 starts. "I barely wanted to watch our guys. I was trying to stay in the zone and be ready for the next one."
"Unbelievable," Tarnasky said. "I don't know how he does that. It's pretty phenomenal to stop that many shots in a row and not even have a close one."
Holmqvist's heroics followed a furious finish in regulation. With 3:18 left, Martin St. Louis scored to give the Lightning a 4-3 lead, taking a pass from Vincent Lecavalier, getting a step on Milan Jurcina in the slot and poking in a falling-down shot past Johnson.
But Alexander Semin tied it with 10.9 seconds left, on a left-post attempt that went in off defenseman Nolan Pratt's stick. The Capitals had pulled Johnson and were on a two-man power-play for a 6-on-3 advantage.
Vaclav Prospal, Fedotenko and Lecavalier also scored in regulation for the Lightning in the first game of a six-game trip. Tampa Bay has points in 10 of 11 road games, going 9-1-1 in that span.
Shaone Morrisonn, Alex Ovechkin and Matt Pettinger also had goals in regulation for the Capitals, who have lost three straight and eight of nine.
Morrisonn swept in a left-point shot for just as a slashing penalty on Tim Taylor expired for a 1-0 Washington lead 11:35 into the game.
Tampa Bay tied the game early in the second period, when Lecavalier's shot from the top of the zone caromed off two players in front of the goal and to Prospal, who beat Johnson from the right circle.
Ovechkin's team-high 38th goal gave Washington the lead at 10:11. Jiri Novotny, acquired from Buffalo on Tuesday in a deal for Dainius Zubrus, passed out of the right corner to Ovechkin, who beat Holmqvist to the glove side.
Pettinger tallied at 14:04, pulling a loose puck out of the crease and scoring from the left side. Before the shot, Holmqvist had failed to corral the bouncing puck, and defenseman Dan Boyle whiffed on a clearing attempt.
The Lightning got within 3-2 with 28 seconds left in the second when Fedotenko scored on a power play. On a rush down the slot, Fedotenko wheeled around defenseman John Erskine and connected on a low shot.
Lecavalier's short-handed goal tied it with 7:16 left in regulation. St. Louis took a turnover by Brian Pothier deep into the right corner before dishing a centering pass to Lecavalier, who netted his 42nd on a wrister between the circles.

If they win it all will Fishhead make an appearance in this thread?