Posted by  Don in St. Pete,  on 10/12  at  09:10 PM

Don’t throw the team under the bus yet. We dominated for a period and a half, before the string of penalties wore out our forwards and D. Melrose needs to better manage the players minutes. V4 only played 1 shift on the pk and tipped in a goal. Vrbata had 3 shorthanded goals for phoenix last year but has yet to see a shift on the PK. Melrose needs to find a way to get Stamkos and R2KN more ice time, even if it means throwing them out there with MSL and V4 once in awhile. Ranger’s return will be huge and help spread the minutes for the D. Word is they may sign Marek Malik.

Posted by  Len "Barry", Chanelside Drive, Tampa on 10/12  at  04:05 PM

WANTED: NHL team is looking for an experienced coach in order to save my a… Candidate should have led a team from the cellar to winning a cup, sort of like John Tortarella did. TV analysts need not apply, as we have found they really don’t know anything.
Also, we are looking for some skilled, experienced defensemen that will hit hard along the boards and be able to skate the ouck out of the zone.

If you can help, give me a call.

Posted by  BillSmith, Central FL on 10/12  at  03:49 PM

OK this is serious. My Beagle just came in a demanded we change his name from Vinny to Evan.

Is Stan Neckar doing anything?

Posted by  Mike Joyce, Bangkok, Thailand on 10/12  at  01:43 PM

Goalman,

By your own admission the FIRST responsibility of a defenseman is to stop the other team.  At that, Boyle sucked big time.  I have expressed concern about the fact that the owners spent all of their money buying offensive players and nothing on defense.  Look at the first three games and the Bolts high priced offense has been outshot pretty badly. 

Melrose took Prospal off the first line to make Stamkos look better, then only gives that line 6 minutes of playing time; meanwhile, Malone is spending all of his time trying to catch up to Marty and Vinny or in the penalty box.

They benched the most stable defenseman during the OT - go figure.

Posted by  Dustin, Tampa on 10/12  at  12:07 PM

So just to say what everyone is thinking. Carle and Meszaros suck, good job trading good defensemen, Boyle, Kuba and Picard for ##### ones. To be honest if you really wanted to improve the defense, you would have picked up a nice sized guy with a lot of talent and years to play in Jay Bouwmeester. Our D was never the problem anyways, it was never having an offense to keep a sustained attack in the opposite zone. Well this might come as a shock St. Louis probably won twice as many battles on the boards for the puck than the rest of the team go figure, this team needs heart, a lot of it.

Posted by  Katya, Tampa, FL on 10/12  at  11:37 AM

Mike - you summed it up perfect!

Posted by  Mike, Brandon on 10/12  at  11:08 AM

two comments, one question.
1) Melrose sucks.
2) Defense non-existent

3) SEEN STAMKOS?

Posted by  Jason H, Springfield, MO USA on 10/12  at  10:22 AM

Anyone remember these ‘horrible’ defense men who used to play here?

Filip Kuba   Ottawa 3 games played, 4 assists

Dan Boyle San Jose 2 games played, 2 assists

Pavel Kubina Toronto 2 games played, 1 goal

Hmmm maybe they were not so bad afterall, huh? Especially considering our team leaders Vinny and Marty, both only have 2 points each.

Posted by  Jay, Tampa on 10/12  at  10:11 AM

Guys, we are only 3 games into a long season.  97.4% of the season still needs to be played.  Give the new management, new players, new coaching staff, new scouts a chance.  I believe they see the numbers and stats we see.  Give them a little time and I stress “little”. It took consistently winning teams like Detroit, NJ, SJ, Ducks, Stars and now Pitt, NYR and MTL sometime to put it together.

Posted by  Fredinator, Bradenton on 10/12  at  09:45 AM

OOPS-forgot to add Danny’s stats were in comparison to his equally dysfunctional replacement, Matt Carle.

Posted by  Fredinator, Bradenton on 10/12  at  09:44 AM

Goalman, you are correct.  Boyle could usually get the puck out of the zone.  Defensively, though, he was pretty average.  His team may have more wins than the Bolts do, but ol’ Danny Boy has more penalty minutes and a worse plus/minus in fewer games.

Posted by  Goalman, Sarasota on 10/12  at  09:27 AM

And by the way. Hooking is usually the penalty of choice when you’re not moving your feet and are either lazy or tired. Enough said?

Posted by  Goalman, Sarasota on 10/12  at  09:16 AM

“Oh Danny Boy, the pipes,the pipes are calling” All you Boyle bashers need to fess up. He was the engine that made our machine run. He wasn’t the reason we were at the bottom of the pile, but he sure was the reason we could GET THE PUCK OUT OF OUR ZONE. Mike, you were negative on Dan and now your negative on his replacements.Make up your mind.I know that you played the game and have hockey knowledge,but you were wrong about Boyle.The object of the defense is to stop their offense and the GO FORWARD WITH THE PUCK.They can’t score if the puck is in their zone

Posted by  Mike Joyce, Bangkok, Thailand on 10/12  at  09:12 AM

John,

I agree with you except for the goalie comment.  If it hadn’t been for Smith, the Bolts would have been buried alive.  He made some incredible saves and was staggered a couple of times when he put his body on the line.  When you consider that Carle and company were allowing Staahl and company to maul Smith, it made his effort even greater.

Posted by  John Suanders, Bristol, CT on 10/12  at  08:50 AM

Early obversations of the Lightning…

1) Melrose belongs in the TV booth
2) Oren must be related to Daniel Synder
3) Malone will be a bust
4) they still don’t have a #1 goalie
5) Stamkos will not be the Rookie of the Year

Posted by  Natalie, Orlando on 10/12  at  08:27 AM

Agree that Malone does not look good on the number one line. He seemed to be behind the play all night. This team has 13 or so new players so I don’t expect a miracle overnight and will reserve judgement. Some things don’t look good but I really think it’s a bit too early to tell. It will be good to get Ranger back.

Posted by  Jay, Tampa on 10/12  at  08:20 AM

Let’s not blame Melrose for ice time. Carle was the most consistent D he had and w/ Staal going on 8 cyls, no choice but to put your best D out there.  He works within the confines of who he has to go to battle with.  Stamkos,not have a game, caught in so many bad positioning choices.  Said it before and saying it again.  We need 2+ stay at home D.  Maybe giving Matvachuck a try would not be a bad idea.  Had a chance to talk to Koules, casual chat w/c ended on the D situation. Enough to hear for now that Lawton and Kurvers are trying.

Posted by  Mike Joyce, Bangkok, Thailand on 10/12  at  08:00 AM

Malone doesn’t belong on the line with Vinny and Marty.  He can’t skate with them.  He should go back to the Stamkos line and get his 5 minutes or less and put Prospal back with Vinny and Marty.

By the way, Kraijek didn’t seem to be as much like butter as advertised.  Compared to Mesznaros, Heward and Carle, he played pretty well.

Posted by  dale, fl on 10/12  at  07:49 AM

U.G.L.Y.the bolt’s ain’t got no alibi.

The cowboys must be crapping tacks, if a miracale doesn’t happen these guys will be playing in front of 10,000 fans a night. I hope they get it turned around quickly. 

Ugly loss.

Posted by  BillSmith, Central FL on 10/12  at  06:41 AM

Evidently our “cowboy owners” aren’t quite the judge of talent their free spending says they are. Malone is a penalty machine, no hitting, too much chasing the puck, and a clueless coach.

It appears after they spent all of their money, they said “oh crap, we forgot about the defense”

I have seen some bad hockey in Tampa, the current team reminds me of the Jason Bonsignor, Steve Smith, Stephane Richer days. Mike Smith should break his next stick over the heads of the owners.

Posted by  Geografer, Spokane, WA on 10/12  at  04:50 AM

Of course Melrose didn’t throw Carle under the bus - it is his fault not Carle’s. This is a man that kept saying that Marty and Vinny were being played too many minutes last season yet has turned around and for the 2nd straight game playes this kid over 30 minutes. By the 3rd and into OT Carle had to be dead tired. What do you do when you are tired and can’t catch a guy? You bring your stick up to hook them to slow down. It is nuts to keep playing this kid half a game every night. How long can he keep going??

btw - another game another assist for Boyle. 2 games 2 points 2 wins

Posted by  Mike Joyce, Bangkok, Thailand on 10/12  at  02:58 AM

I think that it is interesting that Mike Lundin played almost the entire time that they were two men down, and the team held off the 2 man advantage.  When they went to overtime, he didn’t get a shift. Overall, he was the steadiest defenseman, but was benched in the overtime.  Some of these defensemen must have pictures of Melrose in very bad situations.

Posted by  hockeyWA,  on 10/12  at  01:19 AM

The following players..please leave the ice:

Vrbata…Can’t handle the puck. Doesn’t have a clue on what is going on.

Meszaros…Can’t handle the puck. Not the defeneman we NEEDED.

Posted by  berlin, sarasota on 10/12  at  12:39 AM

Its a shame how often refs flat out ruin games, by getting to envolved!

Posted by  leanmean43, Tampa, Fl on 10/12  at  12:36 AM

You can’t blame Smith for this game.  The goals that were scored were deflections or defensive mistakes.  Matt you can’t blame Smith for the OT goal, a 2 on 1 is a guaranteed goal.  Smiths save % was 91.3% SO YEAH NOT HIS FAULT.