Got a busy day with various stuff on my palette… The news came out yesterday that Marc Denis went on waivers… He’s likely Norfolk bound…

All that being said, who decided to schedule this game versus the Flyers at one in the afternoon?!

I watched parts of the Lightning game last night… Parts. Oddly it was always the parts where the Lightning stood around and couldn’t move the puck up ice. They played a poor mans dump-and-chase and had no desire to do much more than give the Capitals what amounted to even-strength power play opportunities.

John Tortorella is pissed and wants “no excuses” for the loss. Of course, he wouldn’t flat out call his team pathetic or inept… But that’s exactly how they are playing. There’s a lack of passion once you get below Lecavalier, St. Louis, Richards and Prospal. Jan Hlavac is doing so poorly he’s been demoted to the fourth line (note to my friend Jes Golbez — it appears you were right when you scorned the addition of Hlavac this summer).

I feel flat out sorry for Karri Ramo who has played his ass off the last few games. Here’s a 21 year old goaltender standing toe-to-toe with one of the NHL’s elite netminders in Olaf Kolzig and what’s happening? His team gives up in front of him.

Read that again: his team gives up in front of him.

That’s the only way to term last night. They flat out gave up. I won’t say that everyone on ice didn’t try or put an effort out there. They did, however, fail to look like they were competing in the end. And the lame duck season will continue unless the ownership situation solidifies soon (meaning don’t expect cavalry to swoop in via a trade or management change any time soon).

Meanwhile, Caps land is rejoicing a new found glory in their new coach… Oh, and the win. RJ can find two positives — and only two and that’s not surprising. Ramo, Lecavalier, and then suckage… that was last night.

One night, just one night…

But I will say this, if the team didn’t rally around Karri Ramo near the end — when they couldn’t rally any other way — this game was a lost cause. Likewise, if Ramo hadn’t played above what we in Tampa had been seeing the last few games, this would have easily been a Toronto win with a 3+ goal advantage in the end for the Leafs.

Vincent Lecavalier scores with 41 seconds left in regulation to lift the Bolts to a 2-1 win. Karri Ramo stops 31 shots in his season debut.

I gotta get on a jet plane in the morning and travel ou twest. That being said, rumors of my return to Boltsmag and blogging my discontent about the Lightning at the moment have been greatly exaggerated :p. I’ll be back around Sunday though.

We got a few games between then and now - including tonight versus Florida. Matt Smaby has been recalled, Dan Boyle is back on IR and Absolute Hockey’s purchase of the Bolts couldn’t come soon enough.

Is it just me or does it seem as if watching Lightning games has become a grasping competition by Rick Peckham and Bobby Taylor when it comes to bright spots? Heck, let me go further and blame producers as for the umpteenth time since preseason the Lightning will be broadcasting a Chris Gratton piece, referencing his status as a former Kitty.

Here we are, with the Lightning in a 2-1 hole during the first period and Rick and Bobby were musing several times that the Martin St. Louis opened scoring. More talk about Marty — he scored the opening goal! — more talk about that opening goal by St. Louis and an overall neglect of what was going on, on ice. Then, chip in references to Saturday’s game against the Thrashers: repetitive talk about how well the team played, how great the team played, what a great effort by the Lightning.

To steal a line from Jim Rome: Scoreboard! 6-4, on the losing side, ultimately is a failing effort.

Sometimes you gotta face facts that things aren’t bright and rosy. Of course, this gets blurred a bit too often on TV and through the media. In some of the losses this season, the effort has been there along with consistent errors in how the Bolts move the puck — slogging ahead with razzle-dazzle attempts when the passing lanes have been clouded, if not closed. This further infuriates me when Bolt forwards decide to be selfless and dish off the puck instead of finishing a drive to the net or taking the shot. Yes, selflessness on ice will pay off if you’re able to deceive the goalie on a one-on-one, but how many times have the Lightning been in a position to do thisso far this season? Or more importantly, been in a position where an opposing defensiveman or forward isn’t in position to swipe the puck and ruin the play?

Another disappointing loss tonight where effort came up for naught. Effort can be trumpeted all over the land, but it comes down to wins and losses because there are no points for moral victories in this league… and the Lightning aren’t supposed to be a team vying for moral victories alone to begin with. Bobby Taylor can say this is really gotta be disappointing because the Lightning were playing so well… But if they capitalized on opportunities and played with a little more urgency before the final minutes of the 3rd period in Miami tonight, having a late goal scored by the Panthers wouldn’t have mattered.

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.

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.

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.

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.

(Note — down and out lately. Didn’t know recovery was supposed to have downs to go with ups)

Marc Denis starts tonight at the Forum. Denis has been having a stellar time during camp during intra-squad scrimmages but it’s a bit different now.

I don’t expect a heavy turnout tonight but guess what? That’s our loss, the fans. Why? Players — every one of them at camp — are signing Autographs tonight. Those who were playing were available for autographs early on this afternoon (4:30 or so). Those who are not playing (including Martin St. Louis, Dan Boyle and Vincent Lecavalier) would be available throughout the game tonight on the concourses at Times Palace.