A casual October has left the Lightning in 2nd place in the Southeast division but trailing the Carolina Hurricanes with thanks to that casual-October. Today and tomorrow will be the biggest test — endurance wise — the Lightning have yet to face this season as they play back to back games.

Is Jason Ward a better fit on the 2nd line than Michel Ouellet? He’s not a natural goal scorer but… well, Michel Ouellet isn’t proving to be much of one either. The difference is there is more click-age between Bradmaster and Jason Ward than with Ouellet.

On the blue line, the question is which D-man stays and which one goes when Dan Boyle comes off Injured Reserve? Matt Smaby seems like the most likely suspect at this time — and I feel sorry for him knowing that things in Norfolk are complicated defensively right now.

At any rate, Jaspers Rink has a rundown on tonights matchup (with complimentary quotes from me and RJ to boot).

The game is not a brush-off campaign that the Lightning can fart around with – it’s another must Southeast Division matchup. Yeah, it’s a long season, but with the team ending slow the previous two, winning now will likely prove vitally important if they end the season lackluster once again this season.

Dan Boyle has returned to practice with the Lightning. Praise the hockey gods for giving us a lax schedule to start the season so Dan doesn’t miss too many games. Of course, the flip side of the lax schedule is, as Martin St. Louis put it, a detractor to the team getting intoa groove.

Of course, Boyle is not 100% and the above-linked article blares with the headline that he practices through pain. Boyle also has every intention of playing through pain — but I don’t know if it’s worth it this early on to force a return. We want Boyle back, of course (and hats off to the Lightning defense for playing well without him) but we want the full Dan Boyle — not a rushed, shell-of-himself version.

The one telling sign that there is trouble in the House of ‘Ning (and by God I vowed to never use that nickname to describe the Bolts, shame on me!) was Jay Feaster loading up on defensive depth this off season. Those acquisitions have bogged down the Norfolk Admirals in while they have been short on forwards. The Lightning franchise as a whole lacks offensive depth at this time as well (and please, no one cite Alexander Polushin. That ship has sailed)

Last weekend, at the request of Jay Feaster, Mike Egener was inserted at wing on Blair Jones and Kyle Wavnig’s line. Mike was Jay Feaster’s first draft pick as GM and has been bounced around in the minors while trying to adapt his game to the “New NHL™”. While Matt Smaby, Vladmir Malhik and Andy Rogers have kept the Lightning’s attention as defensive prospects, Mike seemed to fall out of the teams graces (even if certain fans by the name of ME kept hoping he’d get his shot).

So the Egener Experiment commenced. And lo and behold what happened? OntarioFan’s comment surmises Egener’s weekend on the wing:

On a unrelated note. Mike Egener had a good weekend playing forward and surprised the coaches with his ability to battle in front of the net and actually score. Few realize that because his father was in the army and the family moved often that he was forced to play defence to make new teams. He began as a forward and played that position until he was 11-12 and was a goal scorer! If he is given a lengthy chance he might be an asset.

Mike clicked on the wing? BoltProspects.com furthers the tale of the Wing and the Eg:

With the Norfolk Admirals short on forwards to start the year due to four recent signees experiencing work visa issues, and a hoard of defensemen vying for coveted starting spots, it seemed like the perfect time for a career change of sorts for Egener. At Lightning General Manager Jay Feaster’s request, Egener was moved up to the wing. The 6-foot-4, 213-pounder responded with an honest effort each night, physical play, and even chipped in a rare goal against his former team, Springfield.

Egener’s career high for goals in a year – at the WHL, ECHL, or AHL level – is three (2004-05 Springfield).

…

“We are going to continue experimenting with him on the wing,” Feaster told Bolt Prospects. “We need his toughness in the line-up and we think he is a better fit on the wing. He likes it and is having some success.”

So what can be made of this in all honesty? A fast skater, booming slap shot who has played defense most of his amateur and professional career now playing a proactive role on offense instead of reactive role on defense? While Boltprospects article compares Egener’s position switch with Ben Clymer’s switch in 2001-02, I’d like to think the sky is much more the limit for Mike and what he can accomplish for himself and the team. A power wing with two way prowess is a commodity in this league.

Hartley’s gone in Atlanta.

TSN.ca’s reporting Don Wadell has cut loose Bob Hartley and will take over duties behind the bench for the Thrashers. While TSN.ca notes the slow start, they should have made a point to stress the team has lost 10 straight if you include the Rangers sweep of the Thrash in the 2006-07 playoffs last April. One could have expected both Wadell and Hartley to be handed walking papers after a retooled-for-the-playoffs team fell down and went boom, but that wasn’t the case. Hartley survived, Wadell survived.

Now Bob is gone… And one has to wonder how much more time ownership will give Wadell to make something out of the team he’s been stewarding?

The NHLFA — National Hockey League Fan Association — is celebrating their 10th anniversary this season. For those of you who do not know what the Fan Association is, it is (or was?) an attempt to give fans a direct say in National Hockey League matters.

Jim Boone, one of the founders of the NHLFA, sent out this email:

This note is being sent to the 29,633 Members of the NHL Fans’ Association.

Welcome to the 2007-08 hockey season, hopefully the most exciting season of
NHL hockey ever.

This is a special season for the NHLFA, since it marks our 10th anniversary.
It seems like yesterday we recognized a lack of representation for NHL
hockey fans and decided to create a Web site and announce to the hockey
world we were accepting Members at www.nhlfa.com. Within a few short months
we had over 3000 fans join our team. Today we are inching close to 30,000
fans and are proud to say that we are the largest body of NHL fans in the
world.

Our colorful plans 10 years ago didn’t materialize as colorfully as we had
hoped, but nonetheless we skate forward and continue to nurture the NHLFA.
We have forged trusted relationships with the NHL, the NHL Players
Association and many hockey media. We are respected in this industry and
have gained a reputation as a valuable source of NHL fan opinion. Our
credibility is our strength.

Can you please take a minute to answer a brief mini-poll? Please complete the poll by Sunday, October 14 at 11:59 p.m. ET. We will share the results of the poll with you next
week.

I’m surprised the NHLFA has not grown larger than 30,000 members. There are no dues, there are no meetings (that I am aware of). With the power of the Internet, people join groups with ease. I’m wondering why there hasn’t been more of an electronic push to make the league relevant?

I mean, jeez, Rory Fitzpatrick got the Netroots (in this instance, grassroots-internet-based hockey fans) to almost land him on the All-Star ballot last season. Where’s the Myspace group? Where’s the Facebook community? Where’s the email list? Where’s the blog network of supporters? Or are hockey fans too apathetic to really take part in an organized coalition of fans? You saw these protest groups by the dozen during the lockout and yet how many of them can say that they are still around?

The NHLFA is not irrelevant in any case — simply look at the fans that belittle Gary Bettman, Colin Campbell and other league changes and issues and you will find a passionate fanbase that wants to influence the game of hockey… But with such a rabid base come volatility (”Get rid fo the southern teams! Add more teams to Canada! Ban the salary cap! Ban the New York Rangers!”) and a voice of moderation representing those fans is needed.

Now the question is, can the NHLFA take the next step forward and make itself more relevant to the fans and the National Hockey League? Or will it continue to muddle on and remain on the outside, looking in? I interviewed Jim Boone in 2004 at the beginning of the NHL lockout and he cited costs and time among other issues that hold back the NHLFA (a non profit entity). There are ways to get around those issues, of course, but reaching out to members and the Internet hockey community is the first step in finding that. Boone and Jim Spendlove (his partner) need to take that step.

At any rate, there is a mini survey being conducted at by the NHLFA with some current league issues being among the questions.

If there was one thing apparent watching Johan Holmqvist and the Lightning defense against the Florida Panthers on Friday, it was the fact that they drove home the idea things would be different this season early on. How many odd-man breaks Holmer thwarted and how many times the Defense swept in from behind to rescue Johan is beyond count for me. Indeed, something was different tonight.

Holmer stops 30 of 31, Chris Gratton scores twice and the Lightning hang on to win 2-1.

The most disturbing thing about this game was the M-V-P line being pass-happy while the Panthers were clouding passing lanes rather well. Add to the fact that the Lightning tended to shoot low on Craig Anderson — resulting in Lightning shots eating goalie padding — and the teams 23 shot performance doesn’t particularly wow those who have seen the Bolts offensive surge the past two games.

This game was won on defense and between the pipes — hats off to Johan and company for doing what the Bolts failed to do last season and (mostly) shutting down the Panther offense. Their lone goal being a flukey, bouncy, roll-around tip in that got through Holmqvist’s pads. The team improves to 3-0 and heads on the road to Miami.

Johan Holmqvist starts in net tonight for the Lightning against Florida…

…

Let me say it again, maybe this will register for some of your die hards and some of you non-die-hards. Johan Holmqvist starts in net tonight versus the Florida Panthers. In six games versus the Kitties in 2006-07, he was 1-2 with a 4.88 GAA and a .841 save percentage. Do I need to go on? To put it shortly, Johan was a disaster versus the Panthers for one reason or another. Versus numerous opponents last year, he looked fine if not great in net. But when it came to the Panthers it wasn’t the greatest performance that he could put up… And that’s putting it lightly.

18 Goals allowed and 113 shots faced in six games. That’s only close to 19 shots a game for the mathematically challenged. That’s unacceptable.

But here we are, it’s a new season, a new start… Will Johan make the most of this tonight or will we see Marc Denis getting his first action of the season to spell Holmer? I’m hoping for the former and fearing the latter. I made a big deal about the Lightning playing a division rival on Saturday and this is just as big… Division rival trying to reverse it’s losing ways with a new backstop with a reputation all his own. If the Lightning fall into the same trap as last year against the Panthers, this could end badly.

That’s why I’m wariest about Holmer regressing into 2006-07 form for tonight.

Greg Wyshynski over at AOL’s FanHouse alerted me to this, uh, video…

I’ll let Greg do the talking and then let Courtney the Hockey Fan further do the, um,talking?

Atlanta visiting Tampa Bay on Saturday night was overshadowed in the south with college football (LSU hosting Florida and a full slate of college football games in the ACC, Big East and SEC) that got everyone’s attention.

It hit me during the 2nd period, before Brad Richards break away short handed goal, how big a game this first match-up between the Thrashers and the Bolts was. It wasn’t just the 2nd game of the Lightning’s season but it was a matchup between a bitter division rival — last year’s Southeast division champion. A team that gives the Lightning fits at times and takes advantage of the Bolts when they aren’t firing on all cylinders.

The Thrashers vs. the Lightning is something hockey fans in the area should know is a big deal… how come it felt like anything but going into this game? It’s a long season but to be competitive, the Lightning are going to have to play well against all SE teams, not who they chose and when they chose.

And seeing the Thrashers are the reigning kings of the hill — with thanks to the Lightning not playing as it needed to at times down the stretch last season — and meeting them head on and trumping them in a contest should be looked at as imperative even this early in the season. Getting lucky and playing them on no rest (Atlanta only mustered 13 shots as proof of them being tuckered out) is a positive and the Lightning didn’t waste the opportunity.

The M-V-P line (Martin St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier, Vaclav Prospal) continued it’s play as an offensive juggernaut that became apparent last season. Proposal especially is benefiting at the moment from Vincent Lecavalier’s incredible play, netting two goals with thanks to Lecavalier and redirecting a Martin St. Louis shot.

Meanwhile, Brad Richards finally stepped to the plate and scored twice — both on special teams (SHG and PPG). All in all it was a good night of play and a 5-2 victory to show for it.

…Now if there had only been more hype to this game before hand, as it may carry great weight come spring 2008.

I was checking news feeds from my favorite blogs and David Singer’s The Ice Block got my attention… “NHL Network Coming to America” was a compelling post title seeing people have been waiting for this forever…

Well, forever is here. Forever is now. Especially in Tampa Bay.

I haven’t checked the other local cable operators but Bright House Networks offers the NHL Network as part of their Sports Tier package ($2.99 extra) on channel 808 on digital cable boxes. Note, the station is NOT listed in the above link — but it’s there from my own surfing-the-cable-box verification. I personally don’t subscribe to the sports tier — but that may change now that the NHL network (and how long before the NFL network?) is here.

So where do we go from here?

The Tampa Bay Lightning have had two consecutive seasons of up-and-down play where they start off ok, trail off for November and December, then go into overdrive for January and February… Only to start playing half-heartedly by the end of March and into April.

Lack of heart and desperation helped the Bolts to lower seed placement in the playoffs in ‘05-06 and cost them the Southeast Division crown in ‘06-07.

But that’s the last two seasons. Point in fact is Vinny Lecavalier and Brad Richards are hitting their prime, the team has added a few tools here and there — nothing major — to shore up the 2nd and 3rd lines. This you know from the off-season moves. This you know from pre-season ponderings. Will Ouellet shed his cement hands reputation? Will Chris Gratton enable the 3rd line as a threat on both offense and defense (and I have no doubt it’s a possibility. Between Gratton and Ward, there is potential there)? Will the kids — former collegiate’s Mike Lundin and Matt Smaby prove they belong in the NHL?

And of course, will Johan Holmqvist or Marc Denis stand up and prove they are #1 goaltenders?

Yeah, questions are around. Pondering the future, the St. Petersburg Times painted this as a possible last-dance for the Lightning’s top 4 players (Lecavalier, Richards, Boyle and St. Louis — the Lightning’s own Entourage)

Questions, questions… but to hell with the questions right now. Tonight is the (NON) Trap versus the Fly. Tonight is Brodeur vs. Holmqvist — a whole new round of fun. Tonight is not a night of worry – it’s a night of hope as once again, hockey is upon us.

Tonight’s the first step. That’s not questionable. The key word isn’t question though, it’s quest. A quest to regain stature in the Southeast Division as it’s champion and vie for the glorious Cup again. And on that quest, there will be ups and downs, ins and outs, worries and aggravations.

And a lot of fun along the way.

I’ve been pushing for prospects to get a shot at Lightning defensive roles… I wasn’t happy that the Bolts didn’t give an extended shot in the past to many younger players outside of Andy Rogers in 2005’s pre-season during the search for a #6 D-man.

Of course, these guys have to appeal to John Tortorella when they are here, but getting an opportunity should be a right of anyone labeled a prospect.

So the Lightning are entering the 2007-08 campaign with two rookies on the roster — Matt Smaby (who I’ve heard only pleasant things about from fans) and former University of Maine defensiveman Mike Lundin. Will they stay with they stick around and contribute while Dan Boyle is mending? Should they even get a shot?

My thought is it (a chance to play) has to come sometime… Some faith by the Lightning in giving both players (if not others in the system) a chance.

[poll=17]

Just a heads up to readership here at Boltsmag — I wrote up a preview of the Lightning’s 2007-08 season for Pensblog. Of course, Pens fans aren’t going to be cheering anything about the Lightning (we being the thorn in their side last season and now employing one hugely frustrating players on the Pens last season) but that’s a different story (or an explanation for the comments on Pensblog, take your pick ).

As the reigning champion of Mike Chen’s Crappy Player Pick’em, it’s my duty to announce that the Crappy Player Pick’em contest has returned! Get over to Mike Chen’s Hockey Blog and play along, or perhaps just watch as bloggers and fans around the league make their selection of best of the “worst” in the NHL. The ground rules are simple — A player making under the league average, over the age of 26 and a contributor on their teams lower lines. Read more on Mike’s blog in both the content and the comments.