I’m trying to get back into the swing of things posting on Boltsmag. I’ve been doing a few changes to the site the last two days — Ajax comments are installed now. You should see the difference. Captcha’s are also in place (which may get annoying).

Speaking of annoying — the Lightning game is not being broadcast on Sun Sports but will be picked up on Center Ice for those who have it.

…Not the Power Play conversion crew, because the Lightning remain vastly impotent on the power play.

I’m talking about the St. Pete Times Forum arena conversion crew. The game flowed fine and I didn’t see problems with the ice. I also didn’t see Marty’s goals, if you can believe it.

For tonights Lightning/Hurricanes game. It should be noted that Guns and Roses (more like “Axel Rose and Friends”) performed last night at the arena… Late Last night. We’re talking after midnight.

So keep this in mind (ice conditions) if you’re watching the game on TV and think the ice is crapola tonight…

Friday night opens play of the first annual Lightning College Hockey Classic at the St. Petersburg Times forum in downtown Tampa. All of this is a prelude to Tampa hosting the Frozen Four in 2012.

The ironic thing about the event (which is taking place on Friday and Saturday) is that Notre Dame is officially listed as the host college of the tournament. The University of Alabama-Huntsville is the closest hockey program to Tampa. That’s not saying there aren’t hockey programs at the universities of Florida, Florida State, South Florida, Miami and other places in the state — that is saying they aren’t NCAA sanctioned hockey programs.

Don’t know if anyone will be here but I am back around…

OK, so last night I didn’t post.. Nor during the Bruins game (I was out with a friend - it was my birthday too. Forgive me? Nah, hold it against me instead).

And now? 4 day sojurn to the west coast. I’m out of the office and off the blog, so to speak. Comment away on relevant matters here.

So the regular season for the Lightning at home gets underway tonight with Zdeno Chara returning to the scene of the crime in downtown Tampa where he and the Ottawa Senators piledrove the Lightning into the ice (not that the refs had anything to do with stopping the better team from winning… Nope, they just prevented a regulated hockey match from occurring). He’s back, yet with a new team as the Boston Bruisn come into town as the Lightning’s second opponent of the season.

Things to keep an eye out for remain Marc Denis and the Lightning offense — will Denis further underline his cool play in net? Will anyone on the roster besides Ryan Craig score before the shootout? Will Dmitry Afanasenkov please shoot the puck?

I want to underline that — Afanasenkov must learn to play more selfishly and shoot the puck. Opening night, he seemed to keep trying to play center and pass, pass, pass the puck in hopes of getting assists for others scoring goals.

I’d expect that from Brad Richards… Not from Afanasenkov.

For opening night of the 2006-07 hockey season, I have to think the Lightning’s efforts started and stopped with Marc Denis’ first game between the pipes for the Bolts.

The game itself was drab — on and off the ice as the broadcast on local television where the picture and sound quality were pathetic at best — and ended in a 3-2 shootout win as you know. But Denis’ effort was of note… Even though you didn’t see acrobatics in net.

That’s part of the reason it’s of note.

During play, you weren’t on-edge wondering if the desperation shot would get past him. Denis performed both coolly and collected when faced with pressure. He did give up 2 power play goals to put the Lightning in a hole — but those are as much defensive faults as a great effort by the THrashers.

Maybe I’m making excuses for him? Maybe not.

Onto the rest of the Lightning — it was odd watching the Bolts and not seeing the familiar #33 and #13… It was even odder witnessing #15 on ice once more as it’s been 3 years since Nikita Alexeev was last on the Lightning roster. But the change in members on the roster didn’t change around enough with the Bolts. They still have a weakness on the top lines — especially non-shooting Dmitry Afanasenkov. They still aren’t playing as well as they should on the power play…

Oh, yeah, that and Ryan Craig will go in front of the net and do the dirty work… That and Vincent Lecavalier is a nightmare to defend on the shootout.

2-0 hole already and here I am shouting “Shoot” over and over again…

Is this what theyve sunk to? Is this what I’ve sunk to?