You needed to only look at the banter on the bench before Vincent Lecavalier took his penalty shot on Thursday night.

You only had to feel the electricity in the building. The fans on the edge of their seat.

This was the captain going in. This was the franchise going one on one. And you damned well better have seen the reaction from the fans and the bench when he slipped it through.

If you can’t market that, you shouldn’t be in the business. If you can’t find the value in that – you shouldn’t be a player in the game of running a pro sports franchise.

The Lightning returned home tonight to face the rival Flyers and what was accomplished on ice was nothing short of the fantastic. It was the type of effort the Lightning have only shown a handful of times all season: peppering the Flyers with shots, contributions from all. 4-1 final. Check with Cassie at Boltsblog.net for the Recap.

(last updated January 16th, 2009 @ 4:12 PM EST)

If I had to find a word for the Lightning under Barry Melrose’s tenure as coach, I think the word would be disjointed.

The lack of cohesion was apparent, the lack of passion on the ice… and drive to actually play the game. To enjoy the game. It felt like, from a fan perspective, a much hyped package that just could not deliver anywhere close to the promise that was proposed to the fanbase.

The stigma of the roster anarchy will continue to haunt ownership and Brian Lawton for the rest of the season (if not beyond that) unless a clear sense of direction of what the Lightning franchise wants in players is found.

But what a difference a few games make.

It started with Colorado, and I noted that it was the start of a new season for the Lightning where Rick Tocchet had worked with players during their scheduled time off. The Colorado game results and the lack-of-effort in Atlanta didn’t do as much harm as once was thought… Through the negatives and adversity, it looks like the Lightning have found… well, the Lightning.

Maybe I am speaking too soon on this, but the teamt hat I have watched versus the Penguins and Panthers the past week has not been the same club I’ve watched otehr times this season. There is a drive again, there is a cohesion… There’s emotion and passion…

And there’s a clear desire to win.

Things are not all gravy, don’t get me wrong. Thsi team is not suddenly a bunch of world beaters… But as I watch the closing minutes of this Lightning vs. Panthers matchup at Times Palace, the Lightning are playing like sharks when there is blood in the water. A far cry from the comparisons to the days of Steve Ludzik.

Tocchet’s talks, the return of Jeff Halpern, Jussi Jokinen’s “wakeup call”, Evgeny Artyukhin actually playing like he’s on the North American continent once again… Mike Smith being stellar between the pipes, the return of Ryan Malone… It’s all had a profound effect on this club.

Now will it last?

6-4 the final at Times Palace, the Lightning beat the Panthers for the 2nd straight day. Vincent Lecavalier had two goals, Martin St. Louis, Ryan Malone, Steven Stamkos and “Artoo” Artyukhin also contributed to scoring. An outstanding effort for a 2nd-game-in-24-hours matchup.

As the holiday season has passed it’s apex, maybe so has the downfall of the Lightning franchise? One could hope, right?

Two wins in a row… I believe that’s a season high, and shows you how horribly the Lightning have played this year. None the less, it’s two positives for this team which has been surrounded by negatives for far too long.

I took the win at Pittsburgh Tuesday Night as a gift — the Penguins have all the firepower it shoudl take to render the Lightning dead on arrival. Instead, the Penguins played Tuesday’s game as if they were already on vacation. Why be bothered with such a thing as winning a should-win match-up with the bottom dwellers of the NHL?

And last night’s game at Sunrise versus the Florida Panthers was a spirited effort with an ugly constant from the season sus far — a regulation collapse leading to overtime and the shootout. All too often this season, the Lightning have found themselves in this situation — defeat snatched from the jaws of victory, perhaps.

Yet, what happens? With a shootout lineup that is not the top-heavy lineup that so often rears it’s head (Lecavalier, St. Louis, and insert-name-here), we get Hall-Jokinen-Artyukhin and Ryan Malone in the four rounds that it takes to secure the win.

As a result, at least for a night, the Lightning are no longer at the very bottom of the standings. 27 points puts them ahead of the Islanders among the league’s 30 teams. The St. Louis Blues and the Ottawa Senators are the next teams in the standings the Lightnign could very well pass on the road to redemption if this season high carries over into the new year.

Leave it to the on ice officials to ruin a goalie duel by invoking a shootout rule that didn’t fit the situation.

Of course, I will not get on the case of Colorado fans who see my remarks as sour grapes. Or who just see the game as a lucky or solid win… But personally? I look at how this game ended and realize it’s one of the only shootout era games that ended without a goal scored to decide the victor.

Oh, technically a winner was decided by the referees… Which gives me new appreciation for those who prefer the “just let’em play” type of officiating: Refs should not decide games. Especially in the fashion of last night. (Edit: Counterargument- Refs DIDN’T decide the game, Martin St. Louis not scoring decided the game. Counter-counter argument? Hejduk didn’t score either.)

For a better, more in depth review of the game, head over to Boltsblog.net and read Cassie’s postmortem.

Two periods are in the books and the Lightning have looked more like… well, like the Tampa Bay Lightning that I’ve seen in the past — finesse and deftness.

Sadly, the question that stands out in my mind is “How are they going to screw it up this time?”

3-1 as it stands at the 2nd intermission. St. Louis with 2 goals (and having just missed the hat trick), Vincent Lecavalier with the other goal.

EDIT: Oh. My. God… It’s a final. The Lightning actually… They actually… Oh, lemme try to get the words out, forgive me for being challenged in this…

They actually won.

The streak ends at nine. Rick Tocchet gets win number two… The question now is, when and where will win #3 come?

A joke thread was started over at Calgary Puck over the summer. I’m partly to blame for it but not as much as the ticket rep with the Lightning who sent out the mailer in question that was reposted over on those boards:

Don’t miss out on the hottest tickets in town, since the Lightning have welcomed their new owners, there has been nothing but excitement over here at the Forum. In just one week we have added Power forwards Ryan Malone, Radim Vrbata and Gary Roberts. We have also drafted rookie phenom Steve Stamkos and signed Goalie Olaf Kolzig. This team has gone from being in the basement of the NHL to one the best teams in the league, and maybe one of the best teams in NHL history!! Now is the time to come on board in our luxury seating areas.

…

Emphasis added by me and the remainder of the ticket offerings snipped.

Now, we’re 2 games into the 2008-09 season but is a 19 shot effort at all living up to the hype that this ticket rep put out? How about the 21 shot effort the day before, where Vincent Lecavalier was the only player able to put up more than a pair of shots on goal?

Right now, that ticket rep email looks even more like a joke to me. Maybe that’ll change after Saturday’s game versus the Hurricanes back in North America? Or perhaps we’ve been introduced to what will be one of the longest seasons for TB fans since the late 1990’s?

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.

…To Patricia at 2 Man Advantage who figured that the Devils were dead in the water. Surprise, Surprise!

No, Ma’am. Not while Colin Campbell is still in a job. I’ll leave it at that.

One more time, with Feeling!

Well, after the I told you so of game #4….

The pressure is on to put another nail in the coffin — but when the pressure has been on for the Bolts to perform, they’ve faultered.

…I’m wondering if Marty is being pompous?:

Still, he was the 2004 regular-season MVP, so it was notable when St. Louis said, “I agree,” when someone mentioned they believed his overall game is better than his Hart Trophy season.

“I have more experience, more maturity,” St. Louis, 31, said. “I know the level I have to go to in the playoffs to help the team win.”

He backs it up on ice but still — these aren’t always the types of stories you want to hear going into a clutch game.

…and if the Lightning will continue their in-season trend and drop another crucial game when things still are open season? We find out tonight…

Would you characterize this as the Lightning’s game to lose? Not I.

Martin Brodeur has been challenged. He either must raise his game or get out of the way. Vincent Lecavalier getitng into Brodeur’s head may or may not be the truth. Tonights game will prove or disprove the notion if Brodeur rises or falls to the occasion.

The Lightning need another complete roster effort and that will be tltimate deciding factor. For the New Jersey fans out there — this is where I hold my doubts. The Lightning have had several situations this season where they have seemed to be on a roll and then — crashed, burned and looked nothing like they are capable. The pressure is on to put another nail in the coffin — but when the pressure has been on for the Bolts to perform, they’ve faultered.

Here’s hoping for the Lightning to beat that trend and head back to jersey with a commanding 3-1 advantage in this best-of-seven series.

Patricia over at 2manadvantage.com had some choice words to summarize her live-blogging of game 3.

Okay, game is over. Devils lose. Series is only 2-1 Lightning, but it might as well be 3-1 in my eyes. Who should we point the finger at for tonight’s loss? Ah, our wonderful MVP Marty Brodeur. I just love how he claims he needs to be the difference in the game and step it up…well, congrats Marty, you were the difference. It’s not often said, but it needs to be put on the table tonight:

YOU LET YOUR TEAM DOWN.

Step it up for Game 4, prove you’re a damn fine goalie and get the job done. I don’t have anything else to say, because the boys really didn’t look all that bad tonight. All I can do is scratch at my head and shrug my shoulders. Marty hasn’t merely looked human this series, he’s looked downright bad.

What can be said to this? Goaltending has made a difference in this series on both sides of the fray. Martin Brodeur, who has been heralded all season long as the inevitable Hart Trophy winner, has proved mortal indeed. Meanwhile, the guy I think is his chief rival for the Hart has had 133 shots against him and given up 7 goals. 1.60 GAA and a .947 save percentage.

Brodeur? 3.03 with an .871…

Heck, Johan Holmqvist sports a 3.02 GAA with a .902 save percentage.

To summarize the Devils — for what they do right and how well they play their system, their backstop has not been the final frustrating nail in the Lightning’s coffin. Instead, he’s helped give Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier the post-season points lead, Lecavalier the post season goals lead (tied with J.P. Dumont and Zach Parise).

To summarize, Brodeur’s mortality so far, while New Jersey’s loss, has been our gain.

Last but not least, Patricia put up a little graphic in her post that makes me all warm and fuzzy inside…

At any rate, one of the big changes last night that had me enthused from the get-go was the play of Brad Richards with Jason Ward. Ward is not Freddie Modin. He’s not going to give you a booming slap shot that you will dive out of the way of. He’s not going to muscle his way around you and put in a wrap around shot. What he is is the two-way forward that Richards can click with. It doesn’t have to be flashy, it doesn’t have to be neat. Steady and intense however, is a must.

Jibber Jabber and all that jazz related to the game.

The one aspect I loved about the series opener was the fact that I didn’t give up on it — and couldn’t see why anyone would — until goal #5 was scored by the New Jersey Devils. No, I’m not going to take digs at Holmqvist. Not justified at this point. We’re heading to game 3 and the point I want to make was further enforced in game 2.

Again, you couldn’t give up on the game. You were on the edge of your seat throughout when someone scored because you figured the other team would answer… It was back and forth like that. During the season, it’s infuriating to see the Devils play that style because it puts you to sleep. Now? You have seven games to beat them and every moment counts.

Watching them tonight reminded me of something though. I’m making an ill comparison so I apologize to the hockey world but watching New Jersey work tonight and knowing how they played in game one, I thought back to the NFL and the the days of yore with the other llocal team who could stifle fans with boredom while dominating on defense. Yeah, the Bucs.

The Devils system isn’t complex but it has to be — and is — run well. You need to utilize the basics and clog the lanes… And if THAT doesn’t stop you dead in your tracks, there is Martin Brodeur as the last line of defense. A goalie that just about any team would be pleased to have as their backstop.

But just like the Bucs, the Devils are mortal. They thrive on mistakes and you need to thrive by not making them and keeping the puck out of your zone as much as possible. The offense is proficient, not overpowering. The scheme to limit offensive production from opponents and stifle shots is what gives them an advantage – but not impossible to overcome it.

And while I praise how well the Devils run their system, it’s also the reason why Martin Brodeur isn’t deserving of the Hart (or Conn Smythe, as this is playoff hockey). You can just look west and what Roberto Luongo has done in 2 games compared to Brodeur in his two (103 shots faced, 97 saves as to 46 shots and 40 saves). The system limits shots, and therefore limits risks. Make the saves you must and you’re home free.

But I digress. This doesn’t talk at al about game #2 does it? Not Martin St. Louis’ full-damn-body check attempt, not his out-of-thin-air goal; not Jason Ward assisting on that game tying goal… Nor does it talk about the teams showing a little bit of ill will towards each other — much more evident in the 1st and 3rd periods — but not to the point they came to blows.

3-2 from the Meadowlands tonight… Times Palace is the destination of games #3 and #4, with the opportunity to take the series lead.

Thursday’s loss was heartbreaking but it was not a total schooling of the Lightning that should leave fans disenchanted like last seasons drubbing (repeated drubbings at that) fo the Bolts by the hands of the Ottawa Senators…

Yet at the same time we saw the difference between the two opponents. Ottawa flat out outplayed Tampa Bay (as they always do) while the New Jersey Devils played there system of offensive-squelching hockey while feeding off Tampa Bay’s mistakes.

And while Safe is Death, so is stupid…

Fans of both teams are welcome to comment, but keep it civil. Flaming, trolling or other disruptive behavior will not be tolerated.

Without further adieu (or snappy graphics this year)…

The floor is yours.

Fans of both teams are welcome to comment, but keep it civil. Flaming, trolling or other disruptive behavior will not be tolerated.

(Sidenote: for those who prefer the format, we’re running a game night thread on the forum as well)