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Forum: Talk Lightning
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Good morning from the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. Sunday sure felt like a long, long day. After spending a third day in a third different time zone, then sitting on the tarmac in Denver for over an hour before take off followed by a nearly four-hour flight, it was a short night last time with dinner, some football and a couple of Simpsons episodes on the DVD player in my room and it was time to sleep. I had set my alarm this morning to get up at a decent time, but of course slept through the alarm, turned it off and woke up 45 minutes later. Nice. Had just enough time for a coffee and breakfast sandwich at Au Bon Pain before heading over to practice. I plan on getting over to see the Liberty Bell for the first this afternoon as it’s only a few blocks from the hotel. I’ve walzted around Independance Hall one time before during the Eastern Conference final in 2004 but haven’t seen the Liberty Bell, so I plan to change that today.
As far as practice, Matt Pettinger skated on his own before the rest of the team hit the ice, the first time he’s been on the ice since being injured in practice last week. Marek Malik is practicing so it looks like he’ll return tomorrow against Philly.
Some mixing of the lines going on as well today. Here are your combos:
Ryan Malone-Vinny Lecavalier-Marty St.Louis
Vinny Prospal-Jussi Jokinen-Radim Vrbata
Steve Downie-Steven Stamkos-Mark Recchi
Gary Roberts-Adam Hall-Evgeny Artyukhin (or Ryan Craig)
Jeff Halpern is dressed in red (injured) but was doing some battle drills in the corner with assistant coach Wes Walz where he was doing and lot of quick starts and stops and looked pretty good. Don’t think that means a return is imminent, but certainly he’s not too far off.
As I’m sitting here typing this, Gary Roberts just slammed his stick against the boards and walked back to the dressing room. I didn’t catch what happened to him, but he looked like he had a slight limp going on.
Also of note, and I think this is interesting, Mike Sullivan is running a lot of practice today. I’ve spoken to a couple of players and they are happy to have Sullivan back because of what he can add in terms of how he thinks the game and how he adds another teaching element.
That’s all I have for now. Here’s hoping no more trades go down today so I can head over and see a piece of history this afternoon.
Posted by BillSmith, Central, Fl on 12/02 at 02:54 PM
Being a fan is not about the checkbook, its about the passion a person has. Granted, the more you spend the more you want to complain because the ROI is not acceptable.
No matter what, the results are not acceptable from the team so far. Blame should be laid at the threshold of the owners box. The mix of players/coaching changes/inexperienced GM and owners all have a part in this 98/99 season repeat.
Posted by HockeyFLA, Tampa on 12/02 at 12:06 PM
Hey Grinder, you would just wish that you had as much discretionary funds as I do. Maybe in your wildest dreams. You do not have that much money as I have being stupid and gullible. But maybe you do not know that. A fan supports the team and spends the money to enable management to get the best personnel and players to make the team a winner. If they fail on that commitment, fans that spend the money are entitled to complain and voice out their opinions. But since you do not spend the money and since you do not have any, you are limited to name calling of fans that do.
Posted by lightning fan, sarasota on 12/02 at 11:51 AM
Grinder is in a bad mood! Bottom line is the changes that were made in the off season are not working. The top line is not playing like the top line and that trickles down…......We never had the goalie since The Wall. Now we have the goalie and we can’t support him. It’s a shame what has happened to this team in 4 short years…........
Posted by Grinder, Tampa on 12/02 at 11:46 AM
Hey HockeyFLA- Give it a rest already. We don’t want to hear about how gullible you are and how much money your stupidity cost you. This is a forum for hockey discussion not a forum for your whiney-##### complaints. You’re not a fan your a moron.
Posted by Steve, Lutz on 12/02 at 11:35 AM
Hutchinson and Carle were both terrible, and I like what Eminger has done so far. Our defense has a ways to go, but there is a reason Carle was a healthy scratch in San Jose last year and that nobody else was interested in Hutchinson this summer.
Posted by HockeyFLA, Tampa on 12/02 at 09:43 AM
Have enough of this. Got suckered into licensing a box for over $100K. Drank the cool aid. Fire Brian Lawton. Lawton has to go!
Posted by Bill, Blairsville Ga on 12/01 at 09:43 PM
After watching 3 games tonight on NHL Package, BOLTS are in NEED of many GOOD players and they have very few players any other team needs!!! How can you make a trade to improve if you have no trade bait? Looks like a very LONG season!!! Too bad as they did try to put together a GOOD TEAM but it did not work. Watch out for Caryle tomorrow night, but BOLTS did get 2 fairly GOOD players for him. Still a VERY good backer and supporter, GO BOLTS!!! Please have some good games!!
Posted by Gary Meleski, Sebring, Florida on 12/01 at 05:56 PM
Quote: “I’ve spoken to a couple of players and they are happy to have Sullivan back because of what he can add in terms of how he thinks the game and how he adds another teaching element.” Eric, I really like your blog posts and such, but as you sit there typing the article, do you still need someone there to “Teach” you how to do your job? If so, you are in bad shape. Now these guys have been playing Hockey all their lives, maybe they need guidance but if they still need to be taught the fundementals of the game this team is in real trouble.
Posted by victoria, tampa on 12/01 at 04:45 PM
can we please get rid of marek malik. he is horrible and is so lazy. i call him and meszaros, lazy dee and lazy dum. we need a different defenseman andi though hutchinson was awesome. hello TBL, as a season tix holder, i am getting tired of the stupid crap going on.
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Posted by Derek H, Tampa, FL on 12/02 at 03:00 PM
Hmmm. Some points to make.
I think the season is salvageable. I think that the offense will get it in gear as the defense gets more table. More time is needed.
HockeyFLA has every right to be upset. This is a free country (for now) and he can say what he wants (for now, until the Thought Police come to take him away).
This team has good offense, the trouble I see, is that we can not get the puck up the ice. I have been watching on TV and the bad guys are in our zone with the puck for a long time. They are in there for so long, I sometimes think that they are on the PP. I do not recall seeing this much sustained pressure in our zone. Ever.
I do not think trading anyone is the answer, the roster needs to stabilize now.