First intermission from Washington

Posted Jan 1, 2009 by Erik Erlendsson

Updated Jan 1, 2009 at 07:57 PM

Leave it to the Lightning to give up a first career goal to somebody, seems they are good for a few of those a year, and this game is no exception as Sean Collins got one past Mike Smith on what was just an absolutely bad goal, and I haven’t said that too often this year in regards to Smith because he has been so solid and consistent that many pucks haven’t gone through him. That one was a weak wrist shot that somehow went through him. Collins is playing his 11th career game this season after being a free agent signee out of the hockey factory at Ohio State.

To make it a Buckeye night, David Steckel scored the second goal of the game when he flat-out beat Andrej Meszaros to the net where Matt Bradley fired a perfect cross-ice feed from along the far boards. And for good measure, the Lightning completley left Mike Green alone at the left point where he was allowed to walk down and take another nifty cross-ice pass, this time from Alex Ovechkin, and beat Smith without a white shirt anywhere nearby.

I’m not going pick on Smith one bit. Sure, that was a bad goal and I know he’ll admit, he’s that accountable for his actions. But I wouldn’t be surprised one bit if Karri Ramo comes out for the start of the second period.

Rick Tocchet completey mixed up the lines from practice on Wednesday, keeping the MVP line together, but putting Paul Szczechura (instead of Artyukhin) at right wing with Jeff Halpern and Ryan Malone, moving Jussi Jokinen to center the third line with Mark Recchi and Artyukhin while Steven Stamkos is centering Matt Pettinger and Adam Hall.