First intermission, Lightning vs. Carolina

Posted Oct 11, 2008 by Erik Erlendsson

Updated Oct 11, 2008 at 07:29 PM

Apparently, the Lightning left their game back in Prague. And trust me, that’s a good thing. Through the opening 20 minutes, Tampa Bay has already equaled its goal output from the two games played in the Czech Republic against the Rangers with two goals. As far as the shots go, well, they are attacking like we didn’t see over in Europe. After averaging 20 shots on goal through the two games, Tampa Bay has 16 shots through 20 minutes. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that they will finish with more than 20 shots on goal this game. Call me crazy, but I feel safe in that assessment.

The first goal was the result of a solid forecheck by the line of Jussi Jokinen, Mark Recchi and Evgeny Artyukhin. Down the corner, Artyukhin lost the puck, but wheeled around and fought to get it back, along with Jokinen. Jokinen ended up with the puck, sent it back to Matt Carle at the point. Carle fired a shot on goal that popped into the air and over the shoulder of Michael Leighton and as it was on its way down, Recchi made sure it found its way into the net at 8:20.

Defenseman Janne Niskala scored his first career NHL goal - he had 18 of them last year with Milwaukee of the AHL - on a 3-on- 2 when Vinny Prospal was able to sidestep a hit at center ice with the puck, carried into the zone and found Niskala down the slot for a slap shot that beat Leighton high to the stick side into the top corner at 10:27 for the 2-0 lead.

Mike Smith looks solid, once again, having stopped all 12 shots he has faced. He’s wandered a bit too far out of his crease to collect the puck - including once when a couple of Carolina players were honing in on him along the side boards.

And system wise, Tampa Bay just looks more organized than they were over in Europe, at least from what I was able to tell on television. They seem to have a bit more of a forecheck and they definitely look like they are hungry for the puck, something Barry Melrose has talked about quite a bit this week from what he called “hunting the puck’‘. Haven’t really noticed Lukas Krajicek, who has played just over four minutes, but as we often say with defensemen, that’s not a bad thing.

There was a pretty cool moment before the game when Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon appeared on the video screen, saying “Hello Lightning fans, we wish we could be with there with you tonight. But say it with me, Let’s Play Hockey’’ From what I understand, Vinny Lecavalier taped something that was shown over at the Rays’ game tonight. Maddon’s luck is working so far, Vinny’s is not as they just showed the score here on the video screen, Boston 2, Rays 0.