Yeah, yeah… It’s pre-season and it don’t mean jack…

But the Lightning were listless tonight after a few days rest - falling to opening-night rival Carolina 5-2. Ruslan Fedotenko and Pavel Kubina accounted for the Lightning goals and Daryl Sydor notched a pair of assists.

I don’t know exactly what John Tortorella wanted to focus on with the Bolts in tonights game but it wasn’t shooting. The Lightning, over the course fo three periods, notched only 15 shots on goal. This was a trend when the Springfield-bound prospects were playing games against mostly-NHL-Calibre players a few days back, I would not expect it to be the same just five days before Opening Night.

Andy Rogers started tonight in the #6 defensiveman slot, he was a minus 1 with 4 PIM’s with 15:48 of ice time. Sean Burke gets the loss while stopping 23 of 28 shots.

The Lightning also lost the shootout — 1-0. Cam Ward stopped the Lightning snipers dead while Rod Brind’Amour notched the lone goal for Carolina.

Eric at Off Wing has a question regarding the NHL’s “MyNHL” Ad Campaign:

Over and over again, I’ve been told that this ad isn’t meant for the hard core fan, but rather that it’s meant to attract the casual fan.

Fair enough. But tell me, what happens when you try to market to new customers in such a way that you seem to be deliberately antagonizing your most loyal customers?

It’d be nice to have an answer from the league over it.

Well you have already been informed that every single Lightning game will be televised (on NBC, OLN and SunSports TV)…

Now here is new news– The HD Broadcast schedule of Sun Sports:

SUN SPORTS/BRIGHT HOUSE NETWORKS
2005-06 TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING HD GAMES SCHEDULE

Available to Bright House Networks’ HD customers in Tampa and Central Florida

Pre- and post-game coverage for games will also be offered in HD

Wed Oct-5 7:30 NHL Carolina @ Tampa Bay
Fri Oct-28 7:30 NHL Washington @ Tampa Bay
Mon Nov-14 7:30 NHL Philadelphia @ Tampa Bay
Thu Dec-8 7:30 NHL St. Louis @ Tampa Bay
Sat Dec-17 7:30 NHL Detroit @ Tampa Bay
Tue Jan-24 7:30 NHL Florida @ Tampa Bay
Sat Feb-4 7:30 NHL Washington @ Tampa Bay
Sun Mar-19 5:00 NHL NY Islanders @ Tampa Bay
Sat Apr-8 7:30 NHL Pittsburgh @ Tampa Bay
Tue Apr-18 7:30 NHL Washington @ Tampa Bay

Subject to change.

DirecTV may also select some or all of these games listed above to offer their HD customers in the NHL-approved Lightning TV territory (N. and Cent. Fla.). They usually place them on their HD Ch. 95 and have indicated they will most likely select next week’s season home opener as one of their HD NHL offerings that night. But customers should check with DirecTV to verify.

Saturday and Sunday were tryouts in Ontario for the WHA Super Junior hockey league… On Sunday in the US, there was a tryout camp as well at the Tampa Bay Skating Academy in Oldsmar, Florida where WHA brass showed up to begin the launch of the WHA Super Junior league.

The first portion of the WHA SJ consists of the Southeast Junior Hockey League which I’ve covered from time to time on the site. The SEJHL still exists, as I had been confused about what would become of it, and has been purchased by the WHA for their use. The SEJHL continues to be a C-level Junior hockey affiliation under USA Hockey bylaws but the quality of play is supposed to be improved under WHA ownership.

Bobby Hull was in attendance, as was Brad Park of New York Rangers fame and several other former pro hockey stars. Hull and Park, during evaluations, were impressed by the number of “diamonds in the rough” that were participating in the tryout camp. There were around 60 local kids and bay area based hockey players that participated.

Hull tried to explain to players and parents the fact that the WHA was alive and well and that this was an extension of that. He also spent time trying to explain that the players would be put under a microscope by the media because of who the organization was and what they were trying to accomplish.

Hull hoped to compose two teams out of the players who showed up (out of the planned six) and the league was planning to use the uniforms for the LA Sharks for the Oldsmar Sandsharks. Other teams would have original WHA monikers in the league. There was also talk of more Junior Hockey leagues being purchased by the WHA but that talk will remain speculation for now.

The WHA still hopes to re-launch at the professional level - with perchance some of the kids that are to partake in the Junior Hockey(s) that the WHA will own and operate… but for the moment, eyes will shift to Florida for the continuation of the grand experiment: Junior Hockey in the sunshine state.

Andy Rogers has impressed Jay Feaster and John Tortorella enough to keep him after two cuts of Training Camp envitees. Timo Hebling and Rogers are the only two defensivemen left who haven’t been given starting roles and Andy has a legit shot to be on Tampa Bay’s opening night roster…

If he’s signed, that is… Or the Lightnign do not pick up another defensiveman off waivers or hrough trade.

Damian Cristordero reports that Andy’s willing to take much less than the standard going rates of a first round draft pick to stay on TB’s roster. To play in the NHL takes precedence to a payout in Andy’s opinion.

Number Nine…
Number Nine…
Number Nine…

Eh, sorry for the redux with the #9 stuff…. But Nine are off the Lightning training camp roster as of this evening:

C Ryan Craig Springfield (AHL) Training Camp
LW Andre Deveaux Springfield (AHL) Training Camp
G Brian Eklund Springfield (AHL) Training Camp
LW Mitch Fritz Springfield (AHL) Training Camp
C Jason Jaspers Springfield (AHL) Training Camp
RW Marek Kvapil Springfield (AHL) Training Camp
D Doug O’Brien Springfield (AHL) Training Camp
D Todd Rohloff Springfield (AHL) Training Camp
C Nick Tarnasky Springfield (AHL) Training Camp

Artyukhin, Hebling and Rogers remain… Defensively: Timo does not surprise me but Andy Rogers? That one does. Big time.

“We will continue to monitor the situation in terms of our presence, and just as importantly our opponents,” Feaster said. “Detroit, Montreal, the Panthers … haven’t been doing much scrapping in their preseason games. But Sunday’s opponent Buffalo appears to have a couple of guys trying to fight their way on to the team, at least that’s what it looks like from here.”

This article was actually published yesterday in the Tampa Tribune but it brings to light a concern the fans have expressed with regards to the Lightning’s lack of physical presence - IE an Enforcer.

At 6′8″, 258 lbs. Fritz fits the bill but does not have the hockey ability to keep himself on the Tampa Bay roster full time (skating ability is lacking and such)… Yet for opportunities that need on-ice policing (rivalry games with the Panthers and such) Fritz will always find himself a spot on the roster.

It’s nice to trounce your “rivals” as the Lightning did tonight with a 5-0 Shutout… But there was a bigger feat in Tampa Bay sports that this entry will be devoted to…

The University of South Florida came of age tonight… In it’s first game in the Big East versus top ten ranked Louisville, the Bulls overcame the Cardinals offense and staked it’s claim in both the Big East and college football rankings with a 45-14 win. Both timely defense and timely penalties played their part in the Bulls taking down the Cards…

But, don’t rejoice for two long… South Florida is headed to South Florida to face the Hurricanes next weekend and this victory will be short lived.

For those who want to WATCH the game live… Arenavision is still broadcasting at this moment (mid 1st period).

Not the easiest to follow everything but it’s better than nothing

EDIT: And no sooner than this gets published, the Arenavision feed is turned off. Bah!

Yes, it’s only the pre-season…

Yes, it matters worth nothing at all…

But tonight, for the first time since defeating the Calgary Flames in game seven of the 2003-04 Stanley Cup Finals, the Tampa Bay Lightning will take to the ice at the St. Pete Times Forum where they will face off against the Florida Panthers.

It’s the first of ten meetings between these two squads (2 pre-season matchups and 8 regular season matchups) and of course - it being pre-season - there are plenty of tickets availible for tonights game. $20 dollar donations to the Red Cross thru Ticketmaster gets you a seat… (and from what I’ve heard of ticket sals, there will not be many other opportunities to grab prime seats this cheaply durign the regular season).

John Tortorella plans to play most of his starts tonight and Sean Burke will be in goal…

And there’s just a chance that Arenavision may still be up and running during the game so keep that in mind around 7:30 tonight…