You know, during the Lightning’s playoff run last season, I was extremely upset at the media coverage of the team and the bias that Bristol (and the Extremely Partial Sports Network - EPSN. AKA ESPN) was showing towards the Northeast teams. The Islanders were better than us, so sayeth John Saunders. The Habs were better than us, so sayeth Gary Thorne, The Flyers were better than us - so sayeth everyone.

it was biased coverage like that which ruined the telecasts but made winning all that much sweeter.

On Friday the Washington Nationals played there first game at RFK Stadium in Washington. The DC Sports machine had Baseball again and all ere rejoicing. Well, except the media as ESPN broadcast the Yankees versus the Red Sox for the umpteenth time.

I got into a little discussion on the disappointment that the Nats game was not broadcast on TV and some people ask the question - who cares? It’s the Washington Nationals….

I was over on the Sun Sports message forums and came across rather interesting thread posted by Henri99. The subject of which I haven’t seen mentioned elsewhere on the Blogsphere yet…

On rds.ca, a French Canadian hockey site, they have a big questionnaire about the vision of the NHL for 2006. All kinds of questions about the size of the league, configuration of playoffs, 2-line passing, 3-on-3 in OT (obviously they’ve been reading this forum ), playoffs, All-Star game, who should be commissioner and why, what kinds of HappyCrap they should add to entertain fans, etc. One of the questions is whether the league should adopt, in addition to the normal solid straight blue lines, checkered blue lines that mostly mirror them but then curve inward slightly toward the goal as attackers enter along the wings. This supposedly would allow wingers to take a few extra strides before taking a pass, without going offside. Also, it supposedly would prevent the D from forming a 4-man wall across the zone to prevent entry. Then once the puck is in the zone, the normal blue line takes over its function as usual until it leaves the zone again. Completely unnecessary with the 2-line pass to paint these extra lines on the ice IMO.

At least one of the questions asked, how about just enforcing the rules as written. What a novel idea. I clicked on that one.

Tampa Bay’s hopes for the Frozen Four were kept alive as our southern brethren in Sunrise, Florida didn’t make the cut.

Other venues that made the cut and are competing for the 2009, 10 or 11 Frozen Four are thus: Fleetcenter in Boston, Ford Field in Detroit, Xcel Energy Center in Minneapolis, MCI Center in Washington DC and the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia.

Maybe the question I ought to ask every fan of the Tampa Bay Lightning is, where were you when the Lightning beat the Flyers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Playoffs?

The trek to the Stanley Cup Finals was surreal in the essence that I was told time and again by critics that the Lightning would never contend for the Stanley Cup. Of course that had been five years ago – it seemed eons ago but it still stood out in my mind. Add to the fact that this was a Tampa Bay professional sports team. The Buccaneers had been a laughing stock for 15 years before respectability arrived. The Devil Rays are yet to find respectability. Should the Lightning’s hot close to the season actually matter while the fact we are Tampa Bay take precedent?

The Eastern Conference first round was a traditionalists dream. The Senator’s were playing the Maple Leafs once again in what is becoming an annual right of rivalry. The Boston Bruins were once again paired against their old adversary – the Montreal Canadiens. The Battle of the New Jersey Turnpike continued with the Flyers waging war against the New Jersey Devils…

And there was this quaint little tea party between the New York Islanders and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Devoid of rivalry, fluffed by the media … The Islanders and Lightnign series was the last thing you would call a highlight of the first round.

Yet the Pass the Friggin’ Torch Tour was in full swing by the end of the series. The Lightning and isles played 4 games to a score of 3-0 and the rubber game – game five – fell Tampa Bay’s way in Overtime.

The Boston – Montreal series was a great spectacle – and one filled with bad blood after diving incidents by the Canadiens dampened the intensity of the series. Mike Ribiero and Alexi Kovalov both have earned the ire of NHL fans in general for their acting and actions. The Habs advanced while the Montreal Media set sights on vilifying Tampa Bay and heralding the great saints and imminent champions, Les Habs.

Well, that was until the Lightning spanked and swept them in four games. Is anyone ever going to forget Brad Richards play in game 3, with the OT goal that silenced Les Habitants and put the team on the verge of the Eastern Conference Finals?

Of course, Philadelphia and Toronto played another gruesome series, where Keith Primeau dominated through physical intimidation and physical play. The Toronto media thought this series was indeed the Eastern Conference Championship because… Well, the winner of this series has to face Tampa Bay in the finals. Ha. Tampa… Can you imagine them causing anyone grief?

Imagination is not what was needed. It was only to see and believe.

And that takes me back to the original question I posed – do you remember where you were when the clock ticked down against the Flyers in the then-biggest game played at home by a Tampa Bay team? Were you flooded with the same oh-my-god-this-can’t-be-real sensation that swept over this blogger? This franchise had now reach maturity and was within striking distance of Lord Stanley’s Cup.

It was one year ago this week that the Stanley Cup playoffs began. Eight teams began the second season with diverse expectations. The Red Wings and Avalanche were looking for yet another title. The Canucks were trying to gain some playoff respect. The Flames and Predators were just happy to be there.

I had hoped to write a retrospective of the entire first round, but the “other three” series are a blur. I have vague recollections of the Predators putting a little scare into the Red Wings before Curtis Joseph came off the bench to push the Wings into the second round. I remember the Blues showing a distinct lack of discipline as they very quickly bowed out to the Sharks. I don’t even remember anything of the Dallas Stars. They were that unremarkable in their series against the Avs.

Truth be told, I couldn’t care less about those series. No, as a Flames fan there was only one playoff series that mattered. And it wouldn’t have mattered if we had lost the series in four games. All that mattered was that after seven agonizing seasons in the Western Conference basement, we were back.

While many in Vancouver were predicting the Canucks would easily go through to the second round in four or five games, we in Calgary were simply enjoying the moment. Just knowing that we were playing in April again put the city in heaven. Even losing the first game was a victory in its own way.

The first playoff game at the Saddledome was surreal. Fans were so excited that the team got a standing ovation when they came out for the warm-up. The zamboni driver received a giant cheer afterward. Simon nearly blew the lid off the building by scoring the first goal. The fans in the 300 sections beating their thunderstix in a cadence that sounded like a war drum.

We all forgot how extreme the emotions are in the playoffs. The elation as the Flames came back from 4-0 down to take game 6 to overtime. The dejection as Brendan Morrison scored in triple overtime to salvage the game for Vancouver. When Matt Cooke scored with 6 seconds left to tie game 7, the entire city just stopped.

Calgary, a city of 1 million people was just too stunned to move.

And then, Chris Cuthbert’s call:

“Here’s Yelle, a shot! Auld big. A rebound. Huge! Another! They score! A rebound. And its Martin Gelinas, the former Canuck, and the Calgary Flames will end the Cup curse, and move on to Detroit in round two!”

With those words, the Red Mile was born.

Someone think The Stanley Cup should be awarded this year….

This blogger happens to agree with those going forward with the lawsuit. Though there had been negative press here in the Tampa Bay area with regards tot he Free Stanley campaign, I do believe that the Cup isn’t ours to keep (you have to be an idiot to see it THAT way). Just that we are the last chajmpiosn of the NHL and shoudl be treated like it when play resumes.

Credit Eric and the Off Wing Opinion for news on this news… :p

The NFL unveiled the schedules for all 32 franchises today and of course that means the Buccaneers found out when and where they will be playing next season….

And my confidence is not being restored by the teams transactions and rumored moves. yes the QB-Draft talk may be a red-herring but I could see the team going in this direction….

….because it continues in the direction of straight down the tubes.

I said 6 and 10 was a stretch last year…. i’m feeling the same way this year. The season starts in Minnesota. It ends at 5-11or below, unfortuantely.

Sometime late last night - Boltsmag hit it’s 15000th unique visitor on our tracking program…

15K and going… Now only if the NHL would get back in action

Even as the lockout continues and an end does not seem in sight, I couldn’t help but thinking back to the long road it took the Lightning to put together a roster that would lead to Lord Stanley’s Cup.

Bill Davidson, Tom Wilson, Ron Campbell, Rick Dudley and even Art Williams are the men that, I believe, must be thanked in full for the Lightning being where they are today. I’ve made no secret that I am someone who is thankful for what Rick Dudley did for the franchise, and I make no secret that Phil Esposito’s last draft had also helped build the Lightning to where they are now…

But what exactly got us there? What key moments in Lightning history over the past six years helped the Lightning reach the apex of the NHL — having the right to raise Lord Stanley’s Cup over their heads in triumph? This won’t be a complete retrospect because I could include players that were acquired that helped acquire other players that got a player on the Lightning roster and that would be exhausting. Never the less, lets take a look back:

NHL Entry Draft 1996 — A mostly unspectacular draft where Phil Esposito wasn’t sure who or what to grab or when (not faulting Phil, most GM’s were unsure as well). Mario Larocque was the first round selection by the team but he didn’t pan out anywhere in pro hockey. Fortunately a seventh round defensive selection did defy the odds: Pavel Kubina has become an NHL All-Star defensiveman.

January 1998 — Jassen Cullimore was claimed off waivers from the Vancouver Canucks. It would be a slow progression, like Pavel Kubina, but Cullimore would become a mainstay on the Lightning blue-line and a critical asset

NHL Entry Draft 1998 — Vincent Lecavalier is taken #1 overall in the entry draft which was a gimmie selection. Brad Richards is selected in the third round at Lecavalier’s urging. Dmitry Afanasenkov and Martin Cibak would also be selected. All four players served vital roles on Tampa Bay’s 2003-04 championship run.

October 1998 — Phil Esposito’s tenure as Tampa Bay General Manager and father of the Lightning is brought to a halt after a spending-spree on mediocre talent during the off-season (and mis-reporting that spending to new owner Art Williams). Jacques Demers would assume duties of GM and Head Coach before his own removal at the end of the season.

1999 Off Season — To the ilk of Tampa Bay Lightning fans, outgoing owner Art Williams rejects a trade that would send agitator and fan-favorite Darcy Tucker to the Dallas Stars for goaltender Roman Turek (who was a rising star at the time). Williams’ reason for rejecting the deal was Palace Sports slowness in finalizing their purchase of the Lightning. Williams wanted to take on no extra costs while he remained owner. This rejection would cause a ripple effect - positive ripple effect - for the franchise as Tucker would later be traded for Mike Johnson, who would later be dealt for a much stronger goaltender than Turek will ever be…

October 1999 — In a move that Lightning fans rejoice in remembering, Cory Cross was traded (along with a 7th round pick) to the Toronto Maple Leafs in return for a struggling left wing by the name of Fredrik Modin. Cross was and is basically a #7 D-man who had served in the top defensive pairing on the Lightning defense during his tenure. Modin, free of the pressure to perform in Toronto, blossomed into a mainstay power forward and a leader on and off the ice.

A day later, Ben Clymer, a then-defensiveman, was signed by the Lightning to a three-year deal. Clymer would later switch to forward and at times be used in defensive pairings. The versatile Clymer was a mainstay during the teams struggling years and a bright spot as well.

March 2000 — Center Chris Gratton, who had been re-acquired from Philadelphia a year earlier by Jacques Demers, is traded to the Buffalo Sabres for Wayne Primeau, Brian Holzinger and a young defensive prospect named Cory Sarich. Sarich has become a mainstay in the defensive zone. Some like to crap on Cory for his mistakes but he has grown into the role and will only improve with time.

2000 Off Season — Rick Dudley takes a chance on a former Hobby Baker finalist who had been playing on the lower lines for the Calgary Flames. Martin St. Louis had been changed from an offensive threat to a checking-line player who rarely saw ice time with the Flames. This would change greatly with the Lightning as St. Louis was allowed to regain his scoring touch and has become the mighty-mite superstar of the NHL.

January 2001 — Steve Ludzik, who had taken several Detroit Viper IHL teams to the Turner Cup but was not having success at the NHL level, was fired and assistant John Tortorella promoted to the rank of Head Coach. It would be one season before this move would pay dividends, as the Lightning would return to the playoffs under Tortorella’s leadership and ultimately win the Stanley Cup. Tortorella is credited with vastly improving Vincent Lecavalier’s game (along with almost running Vinny out of town in 2001-02).

March 2001 — In the move that woke up Lightning fans and gave birth to hope in Tampa Bay, Rick Dudley sends defensiveman Paul Mara, forward Mike Johnson, Ruslan Zainullin, and a 2nd round draft pick in 2001 Entry Draft for defensiveman Stanislav Neckar and the rights to goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin who is later signed to a lump sum contract. Khabibulin had not played in nearly 2 seasons in total and Dudley was taking a definite risk at the time. But it paid off in the end. Khabibulin played one game during the 2000-01 season before coming back full-on in 2001-02 and dominating mercilessly at both the NHL level and during Olympic play at the Salt Lake City games. Finally the Lightning had a backstop on par to once-great Darren Puppa and fans now had the legit belief there was a commitment to winning.

Neckar would later leave the team and be re-acquired at the 2004 trade deadline.

2001 Entry Draft — Besides the #1 selection of Russian center Alexander Svitov, Tampa Bay traded a 6th round selection to the Colorado Avalanche for Nolan Pratt. Pratt has played a shifting role for the Lightning as new faces and injuries have changed his playing time over the years.

2000-2001 Off Season — Lacking a center that is strong with face offs, Rick Dudley sends forward Nils Ekman and Enforcer Kyle Feadrich to the New York Rangers in return for the services of veteran center Tim Taylor. Another reason for Taylor’s acquisition was due to his leadership abilities.

The Lightning’s young nucleus sorely lacked veteran guidance and Taylor would help solidify the attitude needed to become a contender, but probably not as much as Dave Andreychuk. A then-18 year NHL Veteran who had made several runs for Lord Stanley’s cup but never once won it, a gritty forward and needed strength on the Power Play, he was signed to further provide leadership, guidance and maturity to the Lightning roster. Andreychuk, would be named captain soon after then-captain Vincent Lecavalier returned from a contract dispute.

January 2002 — Dan Boyle is acquired from the Florida Panthers for a 5th round pick. Boyle is undersized for a defensiveman and languishing in Mike Keenan’s doghouse. Keenan has expressed his displeasure with having Boyle at all and this fuels the fire in Boyle after he escapes from Iron Mike’s clutches. Boyle has proven to be a very formidable offensive defensiveman with speed and skill to match his scoring touch. Keenan will never regret, and Dan Boyle will never forget.

March 2002 — Goalie Kevin Weekes, a solid backstop but lacking playing time with Nikolai Khabibulin as the #1 goalie for Tampa Bay, is traded to division rival Carolina for RW Shane Willis and C Chris Dingman. Dingman played a limited yet solid role on the Tampa Bay 4th line while Willis has played the role of depth more than not for TB.

In continuation of his first actions as General Manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Jay Feaster sends Juha Ylonen to the Ottawa Senators in return for a 6th round draft pick in the 2002 entry draft and an enforcer by the name of André Roy. Roy’s playing time has fluctuated and he has resided at times in John Tortorella’s doghouse for taking bad penalties at bad times, yet Roy does provide depth and a physical element to the franchise.

January 2003 — a 2004 fourth round selection was all it took for the Lightning to land another backstop. John Grahame was a huge upgrade for Tampa Bay over Kevin Hodson, who had been signed on the cheap by Jay Feaster during the off-season and retired again after this acquisition. Grahame provided the Lightning with a legit chance to rest the oft-overworked Khabibulin, and still have a shot at winning on goaltending alone. During the 2002-03 Playoffs, John Tortorella sitting Khabibulin for the final game of the Stanley Cup Conference Semifinals was a tell-tail sign of sending a message to Khabibulin ( who had been weak during the playoffs). Grahame’s performance, some say the game of his life, proved Tampa Bay had a competent tandem in goal now.

2002 Entry Draft — During his first draft, Jay Feaster earns the ire of Tampa Bay fans with two trades that would later turn into vital pieces of the puzzle for Tampa Bay. Ruslan Fedotenko is traded from Philadelphia to Tampa Bay for the Lightning’s #1 pick that would turn into Joni Pikaten. While Joni has shown that he will be a force in the NHL at the blue line for the Flyers, Ruslan has proved his worth by becoming one of the reasons the Lightning are Stanley Cup champions. He could very well have won the Conn Smyth with his performance over the playoffs, scoring 17 goals and silencing his critics.

The other acquisition for the Bolts in a separate deal that was tied to the Fedotenko trade was Brad Lukowich. Lukowich played for the Dallas Stars but was not getting the chance to be the top 4 defensiveman he was capable of being. The trade with the Lightning gave him the chance to play in the top two pairings and Brad has made the most of his opportunity.

In another draft day deal, another 2nd round selection is sent away, this time to the St. Louis Blues, for left wing Cory Stillman. Stillman was to fill the void left by Vaclav Prospal who was a UFA at the time and who would later sign with the Mighty Ducks. Stillman provided a rugged scoring compliment to Vincent Lecavalier

January 2004 — The Bolts were still questionable on defense at this point and beginning their true Cup Run. Jay Feaster said goodbye to former first-round draft pick Alexander Svitov, trading him to Columbus for Defensiveman Daryl Sydor. Sydor, who was lobbied for by former teammate Brad Lukowich, added strength to the blue line along with vital playoff experience.

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There are players on this team I do not mention who are members of the Lightning Roster. Eric Perrin played only a little bit with the Lightning after his signing during the 2002-03 off-season (at the urging of Martin St. Louis). Darren Rumble played only 5 games in the 2003-04 season and only 17 in 2002-03.

And while I make mention of Richards, Afanasenkov and Cibak’s drafting in 1998, I should make a point that it was an endeavor to get Richards signed and Richards, Affy and Cibak would not be making contributions to the roster until 2000-01.

But in essence, this is how the 2003-04 Champions were put together. Cullimore has since signed with Chicago, Cory Stillman has since been let go and been replaced by Vaclav Prospal. Oh, yeah, and every single one of these players are locked out by the owners. Looking back was fun while it lasted.

There is talk - rampant speculation - that the Bucs will trad eup for a QB.,..?

I say last temptation because if this team is goign to continue on this putrid track, he will not be Head Coach much longer…

I’m deeply confused about this tract that Gruden is taking. No, deeply troubled is more like it. What are your thoughts? Join the QB discussion…..