Karri Ramo (whose name I mispeeled in the previous story) and Jay Leach have been called up by the Bolts.

This doesn’t get me excited whatsoever. Ramo needs time. Leach? Career AHL’er.

Oh, it gets better:

Ramo said at practice that he’d been told he would play Thursday night against Toronto.

So the Bolts are prepared to potentially toss Karri Ramo to the wolves, eh? Fantastic. I’m not doubting Karri Ramo entirely - except he has no numbers to justify some of the hoopla I’ve seen about this move… The chips are also down and this isn’t the type of situation anyone would want a young goalie to be used under.

It’s a rather simple equation, repeated nightly by the Lightning… It’s what’s kept me silent for so long - because I thought there would be change as the season progressed…

What seems apparent is the team is flying, on ice, by the seat of it’s pants. With deadly offensive weapons and then a sharp fall off in offensive contributions and with a younger defense that is learning on the go.

I don’t mind the team actually playing with younger talent on the blue line, what bothers me is the lack of veteran leadership there. There is a stability void on defense with Dan Boyle being down and out after his accident earlier this season. A stability void that hasn’t been remedied by players growing up or the older guys covering the younger guys slip ups.

And then we get to the backstops — where the term “stability” isn’t applicable. Between Johan Holmqvist and Marc Denis, you have two goaltenders that have proven they are not #1’s. Two #2’s doesn’t equal a #1.

It’s just one large math problem that leads to the Tampa Bay Lightning’s also-ran status right now: top gun offense playing a go-go-go system + a younger, less experienced defense x unstable goaltending = a fine mess of mediocrity.

I knock Holmer and Denis but I need to be honest that their style of play (cynics, please don’t quip at that :p ) is more adequate for this team — it’s not a chicken-with-it’s-head-cut-off overcommitment and hyperactivity that we saw with John Grahame in the pipes (who was either brilliant or a monstrosity) during 2005-06. But what is lacking, clearly, is the ability to make routine saves that they must. That leads to more weight on a young defense and more errors with thanks to the go-go-go offense…

My long time Lightning-on-the-Internet friend, Sharon Loe, once got into a discussion on the Usenet Lightning group (referenced here through Google Groups) with a younger fan about the Lightning needing to simply score more to win. Thus, Sharon mocked (in a playful fashion) that the Bolts only needed to score “many MANY goals” in order to win.

The recent failing against the Flames brought that discussion back to my mind. Tonight’s loss to the Capitals — where seat-of-your pants play ruled, furthered it along.

Where is the stability? It’s Jay Feaster’s job to deal with that… And yet call-ups from Norfolk just won’t cut it.

Dan Boyle’s returning will not solidify things alone… There needs to be some solidarity brought onto the team…. Some clutch defense to go along with the offensive storm the Bolts can invoke. Between the pipes could do it, on the blue line would be nice too.

That, or the math of the current roster will continue to foil the team.
many MANY goals

RJ had stated this offseason that trading Vaclav Prospal for Anaheim Ducks goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov was a possibility. At least that was the rumor.

Forget a trade now, Bryzgalov is on waivers. Would Jay Feaster want to, or be able to, pick up Ilya if he wanted? Or does the in-flux status of ownership prevent him from taking on more payroll? Also, would acquiring a new goalie show too much of a lack-of-confidence in Johan Holmqvist?

It’s worth exploring, but the team is ultimately handcuffed unless PSE/Absolute Hockey reach an understanding.

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.