How many fans were at the edge of their seats during the 3rd period? The Lightning were fighting back and it appeared this team was firing on all cylinders again. Brad Richards ties the game at 2 with help from Coy Sarich, Vaclav Prospal and especially Robbie DiMaio (Prospal go the assist)..

Then the team stops playing urgent and starts playing loose. They make mistakes, there are breakdowns. Nolan Pratt is called for delay of game for putting the puck over the glass with only 4:02 on the clock and that leads to Tom Poti netting the GWG (his first since scoring against the Lightning in 2004)… Jaromir Jagr decides to put icing on the cake and scores on the empty net…

And I’m left feeling empty inside. 4-2 final from Madison Square Garden tonight as the Lightning suffer another defeat after coming back and tying the game. Ruslan Fedotenko scored on the power play early in the 3rd to show the Lightning were still alive (down 2-0 before the goal).

Rob DiMaio played like a madman and the ice played like a villian in typical Madison Square Gardenfashion. The Lightning continue to resume their losing ways and I’m wondering more now than ever if their focus is indeed impaired by Olympic talk.

Just a thought that went through my head during the loss to the Hurricanes the other night: Are the Olympics being detrimental at current because players are focusing on the wrong games?

The Lightning played like a different team after New Years 2004 and it was what helped them propell themselves to the playoffs and ultimately the Cup… If this team is going to start firing on all cylinders, it would help if they did it soon… but that likely would be after the Olympics, and fans should hope the Bolts don’t put themselves out of contention before then

That’s posted just to allude to the entire situation. You have the NHL coming back from a year off and a shorter-than-it-should-be training camp, you then have a few months of play with a plethora of new rules and new approaches all before grinding to a 2 week halt. Befor t hat, you have players wondering if they have a hsot at their respective countries Olympic teams, or players already thinking about the games… You got players adjusting to one set of rules and then that changing a bit for International play in the middle of February…

Everyone’s going to enjoy the Olympics like usual - not ratting on that - but it is making things additionally difficult from one degree to another - for this NHL season. You might not agree that it’s throwing players off at current, or has affected players on ice, but it will effect the league in one degree or another - that really is hard to argue against.

First off, congratulations are in order for several players on teh Lightning… Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards, Martin St. Louis, Vaclav Prospal, Pavel Kubina, Freddie Modin and John Grahame have all been named over the last several days to their respective Olympic Teams (Team Canada, Team Czech Republic, Team Sweden and Team USA). They all will be journeying to Turin, Italy to take part in the Olympic Games this February. No word yet on Team Russia but that shoudl be announced soon.

There has been an ugly rumor circulating for the past few weeks about Brad Richards… The rumor has him heading out to Calgary and of couse: Flames fans are salivating at the idea. Yet if we learned anyting during the 2004 playoffs and this off season, it’s that these rumors have next to no merrit and that the fans get on them regardless… And seeing Brad is the marquee RFA of teh 2006 offseason, the rumors will continue to swell until he is signed - or traded.

Speaking of Brad Richards… Eric at Of Wing Joe Tasca at Off WIng Opinion decided to comment on today’s story in the St. Petersburg Times highlighting Brad’s charity work.

Too often, athletes get nailed to the cross unjustly. It’s one thing to pick on a guy for supposedly lacking leadership qualities, but to go to town on someone who has repeatedly dedicated his free time to disadvantaged young children is just tasteless. Kudos to Cristodero for penning a fine, and fair, profile of Brad Richards.

These comments were inspired by the Summerside Journal Pioneers Character Assasination attempt of Richards in 2004.

Tonight’s game pits the Bolts agaisnt the New York Rangers at MSG. Both teams are reeling… This is one where I hope Pavel Kubina can re-acquire his taste for physical play as he faces off against his foe and fellow countryman, Jaromir Jagr. Expect John Grahame in goal — but don’t expect things to be better just because John is starting again. Last time out Grahame was lit up by the Detroit Red Wings.