Wasn’t aware of this but Jay Feaster is writing a series of articles blogging (at least they call it that) over at The Hockey News. He’s only had two articles blogs posted so far but it may be worth a look see for the Lightning fan out there.

My frustration from last night (and recently) is chronicled. We’ll leave it at that. I’m not a sell out though. I’m a Lightning fan. I’ve endured the Lightning through expansion mediocrity, to first-time-playoff mediocrity, to sub-abysmal status during the late 1990’s… I’ve seen the lows, I’ve blogged the highs. Accepting the 2007-08 team as a bitter pill to swallow isn’t something I am proud of, yet it’s something that has to be done.

The being said, this is just pathetic:

…If you’re like me you probably have no desire to see this mess of a team in person anymore. I’m headed back home for New Years and I was planning to go to a Lightning game and catch the Bucs finale. Now? Neither. And if you are a season-ticket holder, my condolences. Sell your tickets if you can, but I would stop going all together if I were you.

…I’ve had it with this team. They are getting what they deserve - and that’s being among the worst teams in the NHL. Who’s to blame? Everyone but the fans, as far as I can tell. The players appear to be quitting on the coach. The coach can’t get even halfway decent productivity with the players he’s got. The GM is responsible for this roster that has his coach so hamstrung, but his hands are tied by lame-duck, apathetic ownership. Wheee!

Everybody but the fans until the fans make declarations like this. The post is titled “Stop going to games, stop showing up”…

You can agree about Torts (and it’s a renown fact the hockey world doesn’t seem to care for John Tortorella’s style), and know the Jay Feaster situation is a truism… Ownership isn’t so much apathetic (this charge always comes out when a team doesn’t spend the cap on players - be they garbage or good) as dealing with a business transaction that has frozen what it can pay for the on-ice product. Yeah, it’s a shit sandwich and we all have to take a bite…

But taking your ball and going home…?

There’s a name for someone who throws his/her hands up in disgust when his or her team lose or go through a rough patch. Bandwagon Fan. Yeah, there are plenty of reasons to be disgusted with the Lightning. Yes, the ownership-in-limbo status doesn’t give much hope for the future or the current. That being said, do you put the team you hold dear to your heart in a bind by trying to syndicate apathy to the rest of the fanbase, inspired by your own despair? Have the Lightning fans, those enveloped in their disgust, forgotten about the poor times this team has gone through in the past that we suffered and triumphed through? Or have we just grown so soft that we’re going to throw a fit and walk away in a knee-jerk reaction because the team isn’t playing like it’s 2004 again?

That was four year ago. Get over it.

October 5th, 2005 was when you were supposed to stop living on the coattails of a championship (I told you as much on opening night that year). The bad times go with the good times — it’s what endears us to our pro sport teams. We may not like them, but that’s what engraves our teams into our souls.

And for the record, anyone who wants to give up on this team and dump off their tickets — I’ll take them, and I’m sure there are plenty of others who would too.

The good news? Tampa Bay is only 8 points removed from the division lead.

The bad news? Where to begin… We’re only 2 points out of the division cellar. That’s a good starting point. The team is playing as if they belong there, that’s another. Many Many goals from the M-V-P line won’t get us out of this mess — that’s not surprising. Holmqvist can’t play to his strength and win shootouts because he can’t last long enough for us to get there? Marc Denis is a seive? Kari Ramo isn’t ready? Jay Feaster won’t trade off D prospects in Norfolk for help in Tampa Bay? “Safe is Death” has been replaced by Wreckless Abandon? Dan Boyle’s injury, Chris Gratton’s injury woes this season?

It goes on and on… I’m just touching the surface here.

Where is Rock Bottom? 6-2 loss to the Thrashers? Or will it take a drubbing by the Capitals? Another wreckless-abandon 9-6 loss to (insert team here)?

Note to Jay Feaster: You already gave the players an ultimatum: Get better or else. Now you have to make good on your threat. Yes, from the fan perspective — all around the Internet where Lightning fans spout off — we need to be careful what we wish for with a trade because we might just get it…

But one thing is for certain — the status-quo can’t stand much longer. Something has to change.

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.