SB Nation - Tampa Bay Lightning

Pain Tolerance and Stupidity

John Fontana — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:14:27 -0000

More photos » by Chris O'Meara - AP

Victor Hedman is a game-time decision tonight versus the Red Wings (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

To be a coach in pro sports, you don't just have to inspire your roster, but you have to be involved -- teaching, judging talent, putting together the best lineup for each game. And of course, knowing when to say when for the best interests of your hockey team and franchise.

That being said, it's not a position where you should risk the future of young players by letting them judge how much ice time they get or how ready they are to return from injury. We saw this with Steven Stamkos playing against Colorado: Rick Tocchet let him play despite not being able to take face offs and take shots. Basically playing a neutered Stamkos who judged himself ready to play when he most certainly wasn't.

What good was it to let Stamkos decide his own fate? Does it coddle Tocchet's own ego of wanting toughness and grit in his players?

Now it's Victor Hedman. Big Vik took a slap shot off his foot yesterday and it's swollen up. Unable to participate in the morning skate at Joe Louis Arena, Hedman is a game time decision for tonight's match up with the Red Wings. Hedman's aware the Lightning need their best lineup together tonight:

"It's very close," Hedman said. "But it's also uncomfortable. If I don't feel 100 percent I shouldn't play. We need guys to be at 100 percent. But we need these two points. I want to be on the ice and help to get those."

But isn't the best lineup the one that lets Hedman get healthy for the long season yet to come? Or is it the one that makes sure he shows he can tolerate pain?

Tocchet is quoted in the same article and this just disturbs me as a coach who isn't drawing the line on his players.

"I don't know if he's going to play tonight or not," coach Rick Tocchet said. "We'll ice it today and see if he can put his boot on."

Tocchet said the issue is more pain tolerance than anything else.

"You leave it up to the player," he said. "Pain tolerance and ice. I don't know anything else."

For those of you who see this as a throwback to the days of yore, ask yourself this: Is it better to risk the long term health of the Tampa Bay Lightning's young stars or to revisit nostalgia of players like Bob Probert and Tocchet himself?

Putting players at risk of worsening an injury -- not a cosmetic one, not a cut or busted teeth, not a black eye, but a bruised or broken bone -- where did we see this before? Oh yes, I recall, the 2008-09 Tampa Bay Lightning season. 22 different defensemen used by the Bolts, 52 different players in all. One of the highlights was Mike Smith playing regularly after suffering a concussion and putting his career in jeopardy by aggravating his concussion and suffering post concussion symptoms that ended his season. Smith has not been the same player as he was before the injury in December of 2008.

Ice and pain tolerance does not make up for the damage done by trying to prove grit, and a head coach should know better than to just let his guys go, regardless. That's a mandate in any league, not "if you're ready to go, you are going."

Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it... And "ice and pain tolerance" are not going to improve the overall play of a hockey club that is being led further to ruin.

No Slump For Avalanche Sophomore Stewart

Joe Dunman — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:38:08 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

about 1 month ago: Colorado Avalanche right winger Chris Stewart, front, heads back to the team box after scoring a goal against Chicago Blackhawks goalie Antti Niemi, left, of Finland, during the shootout period of the Avalanche's 4-3 shootout victory in an NHL hockey game in Denver on Friday, Nov. 6, 2009. The score by Stewart proved to be the game-winner for the Avalanche. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Browse more photos »

On November 28, Avalanche fans sighed deeply when early-season revelation David Jones went down with a torn ACL. In just 23 games, Jones had scored ten goals and sixteen points, and had become a 20+ minute-a-game fixture on the right wing of the second line. His season-ending injury meant one less major offensive contributor for a young team still trying to regain its impressive October momentum.

The last player expected to step up and fill Jones' skates was Chris Stewart. From October 30 to November 20, the 22 year-old Avalanche sophomore hadn't scored a single point, and managed only nine total shots on goal. During that ten-game drought, Coach Joe Sacco had reduced Stewart's ice time from fifteen minutes a night to less than ten.

But just before his fellow right winger Jones went down, something started to click for Stewart. On November 23, despite playing under eight minutes, Stewart assisted on a Cody McLeod goal that gave the Avalanche a 3-2 advantage over the Flyers. The team would go on to hold that lead and win 5-4. The next game, an overtime loss to the Predators, Stewart had another assist. Against the Wild on November 27, Stewart scored a goal and assisted on a Paul Stastny power play tally.

Then Jones went down, and the solid Avalanche right wing suddenly seemed as weak as the left.

Coach Sacco moved Stewart into a heavier rotation to fill the hole left by Jones, and he was quickly rewarded. Since the game against the Lightning on November 30, Stewart has scored multiple points in four games out of nine. Not bad for a player who scored just 19 points in 53 games last season. In fact, since the end of his ten-game drought, Stewart has scored 15 points in 13 games, and has fired 39 shots on goal. His ice time now ranges between 18 and 20 minutes a game, more than twice what it was during his dry period.

After a long, unsteady development, Chris Stewart finally seems comfortable in his skates. He's using his size to control the puck better, to hit harder, and to create more scoring chances than he ever has in the past. He's been an invaluable replacement for the injured David Jones, and Coach Sacco has recognized this by rewarding Stewart with more ice time and more time on the power play. Stewart is finally starting to look like the talented power forward the scouts have long predicted he would become.

Lightning look to rebound while visiting Motown; Bolts at Red Wings preview

John Fontana — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:28:40 -0000

More photos » by Mike Carlson - AP

Alex Tanguay feels singled-out after his healthy scratch earlier this week. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

Browse more photos »

WHERE: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan
WHEN: 7:30 PM EST
MEDIA: Sun Sports (cable), 620 WDAE (radio)

Alex Tanguay feels singled out after his benching on Tuesday:

"I'm working as hard as I can, and I'm watching games, too," Tanguay said. "I made mistakes, but I think out of the un-success we've had the last 10 games, I must not be the only one … and I'm the one who ends up paying the price. I don't think that's 100 percent fair."
For the record, Jeff Halpern was also benched... So Tanguay wasn't singled out. Made an example of? Now that's a different story, and the team didn't exactly respond.
Vincent Lecavalier hopes he's turned the corner after his three-point performance in Nashville.

"I'm hoping it's going to build," he said Wednesday. "I've been feeling better as the year has gone on. Scoring chances have definitely been there, so, yeah, I'm hoping to keep going."
...now just when are they going to get on Martin St. Louis' back as much as they've gotten on Lecavalier and Tanguay for lack-of-production? I say that because of the hypocrisy, not because of dislike for St. Louis.
Victor Hedman took a Kurtis Foster slap shot off his foot during practice yesterday.

Hedman continued practicing but took any chance he could to keep weight off his left foot. He limped to the locker room after practice and limped through the arena hallway toward the team bus with his left shoe untied.

He's a hockey player, of course, and said, "I can play."
The Detroit Red Wings' defensive corp is in flux with thanks to injuries, but head coach Mike Babcock is dismissive:

"If we're waiting for them, we're not making the playoffs,'' he said. "So our attitude is just find a way to win every night. I think guys have done a real good job with that, played really hard, given us a chance. That's all you can ask for. We're hanging in there.''

Detroit is an even point better than the Lightning on both the Power Play (19.4% compared to 18.4%) and penalty kill (80.4% compared to 79.4%). That puts Detroit right in the middle of the league in both categories (15th and 16th, respectively). It's also a sign of the Lightning actually improving somewhere in their game while the team flounders in the standings.

Detroit, however, also leads the league in shots... Averaging 33.9. With how porous the Lightning's goaltending was in Nashville, Mike Smith (the likely starter) better be out to redeem himself for the sieve effort that began his mop-up duty for Antero Niittymaking (13 shots, 10 saves, first two shots faced were goals).

The Red Wings are also coming off a trio of 3-2 wins, the last being over the Phoenix Coyotes. They've won four of their past five (while the Lightning have one of their past ten). Henrik Zetterberg leads the Wings with 32 points (10 goals, 22 assists).

After this game, the Bolts head to St. Louis to face the Blues tomorrow before ending the road trip on Long Island this weekend.

We'll have line combos for the Lightning posted later, here is what Detroit's forward line combo likely will be (by way of Mlive.com ):

Bertuzzi-Datsyuk-Holmstrom
Leino-Zetterberg-Eaves
Draper-Abdelkader-Miller
May-Newbury-Maltby

[Note by John Fontana, 12/17/09 5:27 PM EST ] The lineup is admittedly best guess. Zenon Konopka is supposed to be hurting, Steve Downie suffered a concussion in Nashville and Hedman is hurt. I expect Zenon to play but smart moves would have the others rest.

Other Previews

Tampa Bay Lightning official preview
TSN
The Triple Deke
Full Detroit coverage from Winging it in Motown

Tampa Bay Lightning Game 33: at the Nashville Predators

Cassie McClellan — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:00:46 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

Browse more photos »

The Tampa Bay Lightning lost to the Nashville Predators 7-4.

It’s always very frustrating when you can’t watch a game. Radio is fine, if you’re familiar with the team and the announcer, but you do miss a lot of what’s going on. But that’s the same with watching games on TV versus watching games live – there is so much going on behind the play that you just don’t get to see on TV. In the case of this game against the Preds, it was probably for the best that it wasn’t televised after all.

The first period started the game off well enough. The Lightning were up 2-1 at the end of the first. Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos had scored the two Lightning goals, and things seemed to be headed in the right direction.

And then things went terribly wrong somehow in the second. Nashville scored five goals that period. Antero Niittymaki was pulled after letting in four total goals on 14 shots. And then Mike Smith let in two goals on the first two shots he faced. It might’ve been nice to see exactly where and why the collapse happened just for that – as ugly as it probably was.

The best player for the Lightning was by far Lecavalier, from what I could tell. He scored two goals – his first two-goal game of the season – and one of those was his first power play goal of the season as well. He had seven shots on goal out of the team’s total 34, and was 15-9 (63%) in the faceoff circle. The strange part was that, usually when Vinny’s having a good game, the rest of the team typically feeds off of that and plays better, too. In this case, they didn’t seem to. At. All.

They dominated in many ways statistically. They out-shot Nashville 34-27. They won the majority of their faceoffs, winning 57%. They out-hit the Predators 21-17. But they couldn’t play defense to save their lives.

Highlights from NHL.tv

The next game is Thursday, 17 December, at the Detroit Red Wings. Starting time is 7:30 pm Eastern. Let’s see who else off the Wings will get injured, shall we? (Hopefully no one, but that seems to be their thing so far this season.)

Lightning vs Predators coverage [SB Nation]

On the Forecheck [SB Nation Nashville Predators site]

Lightning vs Predators recap [TSN]

Lightning vs Predators boxscore [TSN]

Nashville Predators steamroll Tampa Bay 7-4

Dirk Hoag — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 03:40:12 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

1 day ago: Nashville Predators center Jerred Smithson, top, celebrates with David Legwand (11) after Smithson scored against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first period of an NHL hockey game on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009 in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Browse more photos »

The Nashville Predators put on their biggest offensive display this season, rolling over the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-4 after falling behind in the first period. Seven different Predators scored, and all but four skaters got at least one point on the evening as the Preds pushed their way into 5th position in the Western Conference.

Tonight marked the third time in the last 10 games that Nashville has won by a three-goal margin, after not doing so at all in the first 24.

Follow after the jump for the recap...

Please be patient, it may take a while for video to become available.

Nashville's shutdown line, tasked with defending the line of St. Louis, Stamkos and Malone, instead provided the opening goal for the Preds; Joel Ward put the initial shot on net, David Legwand carried the rebound around behind the net for a wrap-around attempt, and Jerred Smithson ended up stuffing home the loose puck for a 1-0 lead.

While the Predators carried most of the early play, Steve Stamkos got loose through center ice at top speed a few minutes later, and was able to carry the puck wide on Shea Weber, ultimately slipping the puck through Pekka Rinne's 5-hole to tie the game 1-1.

From there, the penalty bug bit the Preds again, as in recent games against Detroit and Columbus. First, Smithson retaliated with a cross-check on that landed him in the box, and while that penalty was still being killed off, Ryan Suter clipped Vincent Lecavalier with an unintentional high-stick. Nashville survived the 5-on-3 but just as it expired, a slapshot from Lecavalier made it 2-1 Tampa Bay.

Early in the second, the shutdown line came through again for Nashville, with Legwand stuffing home a rebound of Ward's initial shot just 1:25 in. Just a couple minutes later, Nick Spaling recorded his 1st career NHL point, as he earned an assist for carrying the puck with speed into the Tampa zone, putting Niittymaki down to the ice with a backhand attempt, leaving a loose puck for Ryan Jones to stuff home. Jones has now scored in three consecutive games.

Patric Hornqvist then scored to push the lead to 4-2, taking a loose puck off a faceoff and firing a quick wrister from between the circles, a goal which chased Niittymaki from the game. Mike Smith came on in relief, but lasted just 28 seconds before J.P. Dumont tipped a Hornqvist shot past him to make it 5-2. Fans in the arena didn't even have time to chant "We Want Frosties" before the key 5th goal was scored.

From there, things just got steadily worse for the Lightning; a fight broke out behind the play between Shea Weber and Steve Downie, with Weber getting the best of the scrap by far. Dan Hamhuis added a long goal to make it 6-2, and another fight between Kevin Klein and Stephane Veilleux failed to generate any momentum for Tampa Bay.

By the end of two periods, the Preds had scored 6 goals for only the second time all season, on only 16 shots!

Smithson got into his own scrap to start the 3rd period, taking a roughing minor in addition to fighting with Ryan Malone, who had been roughing him up along the boards. On the ensuing power play, Kurtis Foster scored on a long slapshot to make it 6-3. The Lightning then crept even closer with 7:40 left in the 3rd, as Lecavalier converted on a breakaway chance for his second goal of the night, making the score 6-4. Fans began to sense trouble, as a blowout appeared to take on a new competitive angle.

Martin Erat got back on the scoresheet to make it 7-4 with 6:13 left, though, extending a remarkable night where the Preds scored a ton of goals, but no player got more than two points or four shots; this was a whole-team effort.

Pekka Rinne turned aside 30 of 34 Lightning shots, a decent night but not particularly outstanding. In the post-game press conference, Trotz offered up that he thought Pekka was a little too active on a couple of the Tampa Bay goals, when a little patience would have served him better.

Given the number of fights in the game, it was somewhat surprising to see Wade Belak skate only two shifts in the third period. Trotz noted, however, that the Lightning came out in the 3rd with good speed and tried to push the pace. They were determined to try and make a game of it, and for a few minutes, came uncomfortably close to doing just that.

NHL Boxscore

Check back tomorrow morning for the advanced stats from tonight's game.

Poll

Who is your Predator of the Game?

Marcel Goc, 2 assists

8 votes

Patric Hornqvist, goal & assist

41 votes

David Legwand, goal & assist

22 votes

Jerred Smithson, goal & fight

17 votes

Joel Ward, 2 assists

4 votes

92 votes | Poll has closed

Lightning take road show to Nashville; Bolts vs. Predators game preview

John Fontana — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:59:34 -0000

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

Jeff Halpern will be scratched tonight by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Start your speculation as to WHY now. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Browse more photos »

WHERE: Sommet Center, Nashville, Tennessee
WHEN: 8 PM EST
MEDIA: 620 WDAE (radio)

The memo that this is all the players fault continues to play out before our eyes with some of the moves that have taken place before tonight's game in Nashville. There was the vote-of-confidence in the players yesterday by Lightning general manager Brian Lawton... There was the call up of Blair Jones today as we noted in a fan shot...

Now, once again, there has been a major shake up... This time it doesn't involve Vincent Lecavalier though. Jeff Halper and Alex Tanguay have both been scratched for tonight's matchup, and the 4th line will be made up of two defensemen. Yes, the Bolts are dressing eight D-men tonight.

But the news playing out from Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune via Twitter:

According to Rick Tocchet, Halpern's scratch is not based on his play, rather something between player and coach, he didn't elaborate

It's Halpern's first healthy scratch in quite a while and Jeff also did not elaborate or comment further on the scratch.

I really think Dirk Hoag at on the Forecheck summarizes this game perfectly in why Nashville comes out victorious tonight (and why the Lightning are floundering, and why people are looking at coaching as a problem):

The Lightning have a decent amount of talent, but right now are a team in disarray, and this is when the structure that Barry Trotz is most famous for should pay dividends. With a disciplined, hard-fought effort, the Preds need to jump on this team early and get them down.

Talent but disarray, bested from a disciplined, hard fought effort. For all the hoopla about dogging the puck, grinding it out, and showing toughness - the Bolts and discipline have not known each other this season. This is a far more broader issue than change-the-chemistry, keep-the-style that some believe will be the salvation for the Lightning. It's a sign of bad wiring.

The Nashville Predators are at the bottom of the league when it comes to special teams -- a 16.5% success rate on power plays and a 26th ranked Penalty Kill unit (78.2 %). Of course, the Lightning aren't too much better in either area. Nashville is also peppering opposing goaltenders with 31 shots a night on average. That means the Lightning defense cannot fall down, go boom again and leave netminder Antero Niittymaki out to dry as they have all too often this season.

Of course, don't let the special team standings fool you: Nashville is 6th in the Western Conference (and the West in whole is showing absolute dominance over the East this season ) and 5-3-2 in their last ten. If Chicago saw Sunday's matchup as a game that could re-invigorate the offense, Nashville should see this as a game that should be improving their special teams.

Lines for Nashville:

Forwards

Sullivan - Arnott - Erat

Ward - Legwand - Smithson

Jones - Goc - Dumont

Hornqvist - Scatchard - Spaling

Defense

Suter - Weber

Bouillon - Klein

Hamhuis - Sulzer

Goaltender:

Pekka Rinne

Other Previews

Tampa Bay Lightning official team preview

On the Forecheck

TSN

Predators Game Day Preview: Tampa Bay @ Nashville

Dirk Hoag — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:38:53 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

Sensational sophomore Steven Stamkos leads the Tampa Bay Lightning into Nashville to take on the red-hot Predators.

Browse more photos »

Tonight the Nashville Predators play their last home game before Christmas, a rare date hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. At 11-12-9, the Lightning are plummeting through the Eastern Conference standings, while the Preds (19-11-3) have kept pace in a very competitive Western Conference.

Follow after the jump for the breakdown of tonight's game...

Meet the Enemy

Raw Charge is the SB Nation blog covering the Tampa Bay Lightning, and they've had the unfortunate task of chronicling a nasty 1-6-1 stretch that dates back to November 30th. For the 17th consecutive year, we hear that Vincent Lecavalier isn't happy and that the team would love to trade him, but his $23.8 billion salary is a holdup.

There's lot to like about this team, though; Martin St. Louis is still a dynamo (think a left-handed Steve Sullivan) and leads the team in scoring, while Steve Stamkos has made a huge step in his 2nd NHL season, leading the team with 17 goals.

On defense, they've got the gargantuan Swede Viktor Hedman, the #2 overall pick in the 2009 draft as well. The future appears to be bright for Tampa, if they can get through the troubles that plague them in the present.

The Tampa lines may look as follows. This comes from Raw Charge's preview:

Forward Lines:

Ryan Malone -Steven Stamkos - Martin St. Louis
Paul Szczechura - Vincent Lecavalier - Steve Downie
Blair Jones - James Wright - Stephane Veilleux
David Hale - Zenon Konopka - Kurtis Foster

Defense:

Mattias Ohlund | Andrej Meszaros
Victor Hedman | Lukas Krajicek
Matt Walker | Matt Smbay

Meet the Good Guys

Riding a 12-3-2 stretch that has lifted them into playoff position in the West, the Predators are on a roll; not especially dominating the opposition each night, but playing well enough to win on most nights. They're averaging 3.57 goals per game in their last 7, a pace that's certainly enough to ensure victory as long as the team defense and goaltending hold up.

With Nick Spaling recalled from Milwaukee today, the lines are likely to look as follows:

Forwards

Sullivan - Arnott - Erat

Ward - Legwand - Smithson

Jones - Goc - Dumont

Hornqvist - Scatchard - Spaling

Defense

Suter - Weber

Bouillon - Klein

Hamhuis - Sulzer

The interesting question for me is whether Ryan Jones or Patric Hornqvist plays on the Goc/Dumont line; both scored last night, but to my eye Hornqvist is a better fit there to finish off the chances that Dumont sets up, while Jones' energy and ability to draw penalties is suited to the 4th line.

Even Strength Play

	5-on-5 data from Behind the Net
TEAM	GP	GF	GA	GF/60	SF/60	Sht %	GA/60	SA/60	Save Pct.	+/- per 60
Tampa Bay	32	49	52	2.0	26.3	7.8	2.2	30.0	.927	-0.1
Nashville	33	56	58	2.1	29.6	7.2	2.2	28.9	.923	-0.1

Other than the fact that the Lightning get outshot a bit in 5-on-5, these are fairly similar teams overall at even strength. They are both relatively low-scoring, and backed by solid goaltending.

Advantage: none

Tampa Bay PP vs. Nashville PK

For a team with so much skill up front, it's a bit surprising to see the Lightning down at 24th on the power play at 17.5%. That's a perfect matchup against a Predators penalty kill which, thanks to two PP goals given up to Columbus last night, sits at 26th, 78.2%. For Nashville, it will be imperative to get back to good, disciplined hockey, as the Lightning do draw quite a lot of calls.

Advantage: none

Nashville PP vs. Tampa Bay PK

The Predators power play has slunk back down to 27th in the league (16.5%), quashing hopes for a sustained presence in the middle of the NHL packs. Fortunately, the Lightning have a pretty average penalty kill (20th at 79.1%), but they take quite a few penalties, so there's hope at least to tip the special teams balance in Nashville's favor.

Advantage: none

Goaltending

Antero Niittymaki was in net for Tampa Bay on Sunday, as they dropped a 4-0 decision in Chicago, and he gets the start tonight as well. There is discussion that Mike Smith is being shopped on the trade market:

Antero Niittymaki

#30 / Goalie / Tampa Bay Lightning

Height: 6-1

Weight: 195

Born: Jun 18, 1980

	GP	MIN	W	L		GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Antero Niittymaki	16	956	6	5		36	2.26	490	454	.927	0

You can expect to see Pekka Rinne in goal tonight for the Preds, who sports a 13-3-2 record in his last 18 games:

Pekka Rinne

#35 / Goalie / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-5

Weight: 206

Born: Nov 03, 1982

	GP	MIN	W	L		GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Pekka Rinne	23	1287	13	6		56	2.61	615	559	.909	2

Advantage: none

Summary

The Lightning have a decent amount of talent, but right now are a team in disarray, and this is when the structure that Barry Trotz is most famous for should pay dividends. With a disciplined, hard-fought effort, the Preds need to jump on this team early and get them down. Even though the various elements here don't favor one team or another, the Lightning are a mess right now.

Recently, Tampa coach Rick Tocchet benched his top players because he didn't like the way they were playing; if Nashville can force that kind of meltdown once again, they should be able to handle this team.

UPDATE: According to Erik Erlendsson on Twitter, Tampa is scratching Alex Tanguay and Jeff Halpern, while dressing 8 defensemen. If that doesn't sound like pushing a panic button, I don't know what does.

And just in case you're looking for another reason to care about tonight's battle, check out Preds 101.

For discounted tickets to this or any other Nashville Predators home game, you can follow this link and use the special offer code "PREDS".

Tampa Bay Lightning Game 32: at the Chicago Blackhawks

Cassie McClellan — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:00:30 -0000

More photos » by John Smierciak - AP

Browse more photos »

The Tampa Bay Lightning lost to the Chicago Blackhawks 4-0.

Despite the score, it wasn’t a bad game by the Lightning. And when I say "bad", I mean "awful". They did some good things, but weren’t lucky enough to convert anything.

Of course, they were out-shot – 29-18 in this instance. And the overall team faceoff winning percentage wasn’t that great at 44%. But they did get some scoring chances early on. And their penalty killing looked very good, especially with the two back-to-back five-on-threes that they had to kill off.

But the power play was ineffective, they took far too many undisciplined penalties, and the defense could play well everywhere but right in front of Antero Niittymaki.

And then there’s the lack of scoring.

The players were making the effort to score, however. Kurtis Foster had five shots, Martin St. Louis and Stephane Veilleux each had three shots, and Steven Stamkos with his bum wrist had two shots on goal. On the scorer’s sheet, the official tally for Vincent Lecavalier was only one shot on goal, but that doesn’t count the three attempted but blocked shots he had, and the two missed shots he took as well.

The problem with scoring is that they’re a perimeter team. The only player willing to consistently put himself in front of the net is Ryan Malone – which is why he has so many goals this season. No one else is willing to take the abuse required to camp out in front of the other team’s goalie. Everyone else is more than happy to stay to the outside and take those long shots that most goalies see coming from a mile away.

The problem with the defense is that the defensemen are jumping into plays and leaving the back end exposed to breakaways, while the forwards are playing too deep. No one’s setting up plays – they all just dive in and hope for the best. You can’t have that. You have to have some kind of on-ice structure spelled out and executed. Guys have got to play their positions at all times, not try to force scoring and therefore giving up their defensive positioning. Scoring is just half of the game.

The next game is at the Nashville Predators on Tuesday, 15 December, at 8 pm Eastern.

Lightning vs Blackhawks coverage [SB Nation]

Second City Hockey [SB Nation Chicago Blackhawk's site]

Lightning vs Blackhawks recap [TSN]

Lightning vs Blackhawks boxscore [TSN]

Poll

Should head coach Rick Tocchet be considered on the hot seat?

Monday Links: Barret Jackman for Captain edition

averagejoe — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 11:00:34 -0000

Well, we have all had a weekend to digest Friday's bed shitting. How are we all feeling?

Blues news

Maybe Chris Gift is right, Barret Jackman sure does sound like a captain. And, he's acting like one following The Loss. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]
The Blues are saying the right things about The Loss, but actions speak louder than words. [Belleville News-Democrat]
It's rumor mongering time: Bruce Garrioch, who a few summers ago had Evgeni Malkin packing his bags to head to the Kings, thinks the Blues might try and deal for Eric Staal. [Ottawa Sun]
What do Erik Johnson and Tiger Woods have in common? Besides hanging out with tall blond Swedes, it's that they landed on this list of bad drivers. [Winnipeg Sun]
Need insight from the father of a Blues player. I mean BESIDES Coach Osh. Bob Boyes, father of Brad Boyes if you aren't good at logic, talks about the OHL draft and what his family dealt with. [CBC Sports]

Hockey news

Guess who is still in last in the Central? Hint: It's the Blues. [NHL.com]
Blackhawks beat the Lightning and the Avalanche beat the Flames on Sunday. [Yahoo! Sports]
After only two games Sunday, the NHL has a pretty full slate on Monday ... to compete with Monday night football. [Yahoo! Sports]
Marty Turco probably is on the trading block. [Defending Big D]
Did Christmas come early for Coyotes' fans? [TSN]
Bettman about suspending the owner of the Anaheim Ducks: My bad. [ESPN]
Not really hockey related, but interesting nonetheless, who should light the Olympic cauldron? [Nucks Misconduct]
You ever wanted to hear Red Wings fans instead of just reading them. Well then, your wish has been granted. [Winging it in Motown]

Other links

Since it's not sports, I'm OK with linking to the Bleacher Report. Here's a collection of Tiger Woods' jokes. Enjoy. [Bleacher Report]
Everyone, meet Mike the Headless Chicken. His name is not ironic. [Life]
More offices in America need this. Including mine. [The Chive]
Hollywood recycles more than just old tv shows into movies. [Cracked]

Video

Doc Whiskey wants to help you get in the holiday spirit.

Awesome way to start out the week. Get used to holiday themed videos because that's all I seem to be finding right now.

That's all for this Monday edition of the links. Got something to pass along? Please do at gametimelinks(at)gmail.com.

Ring Them Bells: Blackhawks 4 - Lightning 0

Matthew Dirt — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 03:47:54 -0000

Lets get this out of the way early - there are two big complaints about this game. The first is the general douchebaggery of the Tampa Bay Lightning, notably Todd Fedoruk and Matt Smaby. Fedoruk had a late hit on Niemi with under 2 minutes left in the game - it's a damn shame that Niittymaki had a killer save to keep the Hawks from putting up a nickle for the night. Smaby was guilty of a trip on Kane that caused him to bang his head off the ice when he couldn't get his arms down to support himself - not too terrible as those things happen. Later in the game though Smaby delivered a late and high hit on Toews that could have taken the captain out again if he wasn't able to brace himself. This also caused Toews to get up and take his wrath out on Matias Ohlund... lucky for him though Toews' wrath consisted mostly of some pushing and probably a few more weird faces..

Don't confuse this with a general complaint of another team targetting our stars - that's to be expected. Smaby just played like a punk with a -17 career rating and a desperate need for his face to be rearranged.

The second major complaint is the fact that for some reason Jim Belushi was allowed anywhere near the Blackhawks. Does anyone in the world like this guy? We all know John Belushi was the shit but he's dead and the last thing we need is some no talent schmuck doing a second rate impersonation of the guy... Jim Belushi is quickly becoming Second City Hockey's public enemy #1. Please never allow him in the building again. Seriously, fuck that guy.

Ok.. now that that's out of the way, lets focus on the good for tonight - and there's plenty of it.

I don't think this was exactly what Sam had in mind when he begged the team to just score in the preview but it was pretty close. Kane's goal almost 8 minutes in was something we've been dying to see for a while. Kane grabbed a pass from Keith and brought it towards the faceoff circles. I saw all lightning players being drawn toward the puck (a common occurrence as we'll see) and screamed for him to hit Keith with the puck as the flash was drifting towards the center of the zone. Instead Kaner ripped a quick as... well.. lightning wrist shot that beat Niittymaki clean. I'll take that too..

The Hawks continued the theme of dominating a game with little to show for it until about halfway through the second when Hossa chased a puck into the corner behind the Bolts net. Our dear old friend Big Country Matt Walker and another defenseman were again both confused as where to go and both weakly chased Panda, leaving Ben Eager streaking towards the net without a defender in the same time zone... Hossa grabbed the puck and wasted no time hitting Eager clean on his tape to take a 2-0 lead.

Not to limit himself to simply pretty passing - Hossa decided to show off hands a bit later, scoring one of those goals where you have to turn to the guy next to you and ask if what you saw just actually happened. In this case, yes, Hossa did actually grab a puck out of mid-air and smack it into the net before it actually hit the ice. He's good.

The third period was again all Hawks as Toews finished off the scoring with another goal that resulted from skating hard towards the net and being ready for a rebound. It was also nice to see Toews lay a big hit on Smaby followed up by drawing a hooking penalty. Toews finished the night with 4 recorded hits..

Random Thoughts:

Just about every Hawk had a great game. I wrote notes mentioning seeing both Brian Campbell and Brent Sopel winning battles along the boards.
If you can, re-watch the game and notice the great stick-play of the defenders, especially Seabrook. The Hawks' d-men are just playing textbook defense, taking away any passing or shooting lanes from the other teams.
Eager had a good showing with a nice physical game when he was needed. Zenon Konopka leads the league in fighting majors but if a player like Eager can drop him that easily he might want to re-think his career plans. Hockey Fights voters only have Konopka winning 3 of his 13 fights this year... soon to be 3 out of 14.
It's obviously poor form to throw punches at a player while he's on the ice - but what is the ruling for a player throwing punches while he's the one on his back? Eager seemed to get a shot or two in after he lost his balance and fell on his back. From the comments section, it seemed like the Bolts announcers had a few problems with that move..
Antti Niemi has played in 8 games this year and has a SV% of 100% in three of them - with another one that was close. I don't really have much to add - that's just pretty damn impressive

Player of the Game:

Another game where it's hard to choose - Niemi got the shutout, Hossa had two beautiful plays and was a force all over the ice, Eager was an assist away from the Gordie Howe Hat Trick, Toews solid all over the ice..

I think I'm going to go with the Happy Panda though - feel free to disagree and tell us who you think is worthy of the prestigious title in the comments..

1 Goal, 1 Assist, +2, 3 SOG, 20:27 TOI - and check out those shoes..

SB Nation - Tampa Bay Lightning

Pain Tolerance and Stupidity

No Slump For Avalanche Sophomore Stewart

Lightning look to rebound while visiting Motown; Bolts at Red Wings preview

Tampa Bay Lightning Projected Lines

Forward Lines:

Defense:

Other Previews

Tampa Bay Lightning Game 33: at the Nashville Predators

Highlights from NHL.tv

Nashville Predators steamroll Tampa Bay 7-4

Who is your Predator of the Game?

Marcel Goc, 2 assists

Patric Hornqvist, goal & assist

David Legwand, goal & assist

Jerred Smithson, goal & fight

Joel Ward, 2 assists

Lightning take road show to Nashville; Bolts vs. Predators game preview

Tampa Bay Lightning Projected Lines

Forward Lines:

Defense:

Predators Game Day Preview: Tampa Bay @ Nashville

Meet the Enemy

Forward Lines:

Defense:

Meet the Good Guys

Even Strength Play

Advantage: none

Tampa Bay PP vs. Nashville PK

Advantage: none

Nashville PP vs. Tampa Bay PK

Advantage: none

Goaltending

Antero Niittymaki

#30 / Goalie / Tampa Bay Lightning

Pekka Rinne

#35 / Goalie / Nashville Predators

Advantage: none

Summary

Tampa Bay Lightning Game 32: at the Chicago Blackhawks

Should head coach Rick Tocchet be considered on the hot seat?

Monday Links: Barret Jackman for Captain edition

Ring Them Bells: Blackhawks 4 - Lightning 0