Oh, put a microphone in front of a man's face in a room full of bored hockey reporters and see what happens next...

With the hockey press on the prowl at the NHL's Research and Development Camp in Toronto last week,  former Lightning co-owner Oren Koules let it slip that he's been talking to Gary Bettman about becoming an NHL owner again. (Read RC's take on his announcement here).

And my jaw dropped, just a little bit. Why would he come back? He must have lost a ton of money with the Lightning. Everyone thought they were broke. And why would the the Commish listen? This guy was one half of a super-duo of stupidity that required muzzling by Bettman himself.

But hey, if Oren has more money to spend at the casino of NHL ownership, why wouldn't Gary listen?

I imagine Oren's news probably opened some newly-healing wounds in Bolts Nation. So we go straight to the source and ask the Boltosphere:

What do you make of Oren Koules' announcement that he'd like a second try at owning an NHL team? 

Answers from the Raw Charge staff and guests are only a click away.

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Do you know what's weird about the Florida Panthers right now? The color scheme and crazy-eyed panther in their current ad campaign reminds me of Darth Maul. Creepy. If they could somehow get their whole uniform to remind me of Darth Maul (who was the only good thing about the prequels), I would probably buy a jersey and wear it all the time not laugh out loud at people wearing Panthers stuff. 

So, there are only two things wrong with the title of this article. First, the Panthers are not a beast, at least not in the literal sense. They are a professional hockey franchise, and not a beast. Metaphorically they might be a beast... a confused Frankenstein's monster of a beast with a brand new head and a bunch of weird limbs that have just been stitched on.

They are also really not a serious rival of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Sure, the teams share a state and that makes them logical rivals, but a rivalry based on nothing more than geography is a little sad.

Could this be the year that both teams ice strong, competitive squads? Well, I don't know about that, but I know this: a whole bunch of people are hoping for this lame-ass rivalry to heat up in a big way.

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The draft has come and gone, free agency season is well underway, and unbelievably, trading players is cool again in the NHL; teams are cleaning house and bringing in the fresh meat. Some NHL teams, including some of the Lightning's Eastern Conference rivals, have complete re-imagined themselves.

The Philadelphia Flyers have changed everything but the city they play in, the Panthers have added ONE HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS to their payroll, while the Carolina Hurricanes have signed Tomas Kaberle, the greatest open-ice hitter in hockey (giggle). Oh, and that guy who used to play here, Brad Richards, is going to play somewhere too. I wasn't really paying attention where. What? New York Rangers? Okay, if you say so.

The Lightning have been focusing mostly on keeping last year's team together, while adding a few fringe pieces. My question to you, the mighty Bolt-o-sphere:

"Some of the Eastern Conference Teams have already undergone massive makeovers during the offseason. The Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers, and New Yorker Rangers (to name a few) will all have new identities in the fall. What teams are you most interested in seeing the Lightning lock up with when next season rolls around? Are are the Bolts doing enough to keep up with the pack?"

Answers and poll after the jump. What do YOU think? Leave us your comments!

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So the Lightning and the Bruins will lock up for Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Final on Friday night in Boston. This will mark the fourth time in Lightning history that a playoff series is decided in a winner-take-all game.

You may be aware that the Lightning are a clean 3-0 in their previous game seven matches.

Did you also know that all three previous sevens were decided by a single goal?

And that in two of them, the Lightning were short-handed in the final seconds?

How much more exciting can a series get?

Below the jump, we'll do a quick recap of the Lightning's past visits to the hallowed "Loser Leaves Town" match.

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As you may have heard, the Tampa Bay Lightning are doing quite well in the playoffs this year, and as a result, closet and fairweather fans from around the continent will be coming out to watch the Eastern Conference Finals in their local watering holes, or maybe over at their friend's house because he has a really big TV.

"Oh yeah, Auntie Sue gave me a Lightning t-shirt back in '98," these fans will say. "But they sucked then, and I never wore it. I wonder if I still have it?"

If you are this type of fan and you find yourself surrounded by other "insta-fans" (just add one playoff run and shake), you may find awkward pauses during the actual games, because you actually know jack-ola about the Bolts.

If this is the case, we suggest playing The Official Lightning-Bruins Playoff Drinking Game (not actually official). This will get the beer flowing, make for some chit-chat with the other bandwagon jumpers, and should make for a good night of cheering for a team you've never even actually watched before.

Of course, hardcore and longtime fans can also play, as long as they aren't driving home. Remember, drink yourself into nihilistic oblivion responsibly. And if you're underage or don't drink alcohol, just substitute juice for beer, and see who can hold out the longest without using the bathroom.

The rules are below the jump. And we want your suggestions! More rules mean more drinking.

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Late last season there was a discussion about key rivalries in the NHL. Most people jumped to the conclusion that the Tampa Bay Lightning's number one rival was the Florida Panthers, despite the Cats being rooted in a decade of ineptitude. The answer that came out of the Lightning's dressing room however, pointed farther north, straight at Washington D.C.

The Lightning and Capitals have been beating the hell out of each other over the last few years, with the Caps generally having the upper hand. But after going back and forth with the Capitals for the lead in the Southest Division this season, the Lightning have won the only battle that really matters this year: they have eliminated the Capitals from the Stanley Cup playoffs on the strength of a 5-3 win in Game Four, sweeping the vaunted Red Machine in four straight.

They beat them on the strength of timely scoring, a sound defensive structure, and world-class special teams.

For the Lightning, this means a rest and a chance to get wounded soldiers like Pavel Kubina and Simon Gagne healthy again while they wait for the victor of the other Eastern Semifinal series, either Boston or Philadelphia.

For the Capitals, it is time to decide not whether to change, but how much.

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(Tampa Bay Snarking is a new feature that will appear periodically on Raw Charge. It intends to reward silliness with the glaring light of internet scrutiny, focusing on the Lightning, the broader NHL and the hockey blogosphere.)

Welcome to the inaugural post of Tampa Bay Snarking, Raw Charge's new outlet for wise-crackin' and sarcasm. The intent is to allow our writers to have a little bit of cynical fun with the constant swirling nonsense of the hockey world.

We have a brief moment before the second round begins, so let's give this whole thing a try. And in the spirit of good sportsmanship, we will make ourselves the subject of the first Snarking post. And we'll do that by pointing an accusing finger at the one writer who has earned the title of worst writer in the boltosphere (or at least the worst writer on Raw Charge): me.

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The Raw Charge "Question of the Week" is a weekly feature that poses a question to Raw Charge writers and sometimes other writers within the Boltosphere, discussing the ins and outs of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Guy Boucher was a highly touted choice for coach this season. His hiring, along with that of GM Steve Yzerman, was seen as a major score for a team trying to rebuild its credibility on and off the ice. Everyone talked about Boucher's education in psychology, his innovative ways of dealing with players off the ice and his forward-thinking systems. He also had a great track record in major junior hockey and in the AHL. But even so, this is his first NHL coaching job.

This season the Lightning have performed at least to preseason expectations, and have even spent time in first place in the division. They have also suffered stunning blowout losses, given up far more goals than a playoff team should, and stumbled their way through an ugly March swoon.

Through all the ups and downs the team has seen this year,  how do you rate the performance of first year coach Guy Boucher and his staff?

The answers from our staff are below the jump.  Leave a comment and answer our poll!

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So, that Dwayne Roloson trade is working out okay, isn't it?

With last night's blanking of the Maple Leafs, "Roli" now has three shutouts in ten games played since being added from the Islanders for minor leaguer/prospect Ty Wishart. More importantly, the team's goaltending has been stabilized, good feelings are radiating from the crease, and the team is blossoming into an actual contender.

And as for Roloson, statistically speaking, he has a chance to tip-toe into the Lightning's team record books.

The Lightning's record for shutouts was set by Nikolai Khabibulin in 2001-2002, when he recorded seven goose-eggs in seventy games played. For you statistic freaks out there, that means he blanked Lightning opponents... um... ten... percent... of the time. Yes. Ten percent.

Roli has three shutouts in ten games, so he is shutting out opponents in... thirty percent of games.

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Steven Stamkos has had one fighting major in his NHL career according to hockeyfights.com, a brief, spirited tilt with fellow young offensive player Nikolai Zherdev, and it took place on November 26, 2008-- less than two months into his NHL career, and less than two weeks after Rick Tocchet replaced Barry Melrose.

Through his first two seasons, he averaged less than half a minute per game, or a minor penalty every four games. The buzz about Stamkos has always been about his torrid scoring pace after blooming late in his rookie season, and never about his physical play.

He's doubling his penalty average so far this season, with 50 PM in 46 games played, and that's in no small part due to his 14 PM outburst in Saturday's game against the Hurricanes, when "Stammer" picked up a minor holding penalty, then an unsportsmanlike conduct minor and a ten minute misconduct for banging his stick on the glass and arguing the call.

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The January 17th issue of The Hockey News features the magazine's annual "100 People of Power and Influence" list, and a number of Lightning members made the list.

Highest was GM Steve Yzerman at #10 on the list. "After assembling Canada'a 2010 Olympic team, Yzerman, 45, became the hottest GM candidate on the market," writes Alan Adams. "Tampa Bay instantly gained credibility by hiring him."

Lightning center Steven Stamkos appears at #37, and head coach Guy Boucher is #73: "Look for him to win the Jack Adams Award if the Lightning keep going strong."

Other people with Lightning ties after the jump.

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When rookie GM Steve Yzerman traded Matt Walker and a fourth round draft pick for sniper Simon Gagne this past summer, I think the consensus was that it was a terrific trade. Because the Philadelphia Flyers were so cap-strapped, they were forced to give away a long-serving warrior and consistent scoring threat for below straight-trade value, and the Tampa Bay Lightninggot a top-six forward for very little: a mid-round pick and a defenceman they could afford to lose.

And how has that trade worked out for everyone?

Walker underwent hip surgery in late October and hasn't played a game this year. It's expected that when he returns, probably in 2011, he'll be somewhere around the eighth spot on their blueline depth chart.

In Tampa, Gagne failed to record a point and was -8 through six games, before being lost to a neck injury. There was some muttered speculation that the term "neck injury" is sometimes used to cover up concussions, but nothing further has come of that speculation. We've been teased for a while about Simon's imminent return, but so far nothing. And when he returns, will he provide anything at all?

So how does the trade look now? (More after the jump).

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We're now several weeks into another NHL season in Tampa Bay. Another new season, with another new owner, new GM, new coach, a new batch of faces on the ice...

The Lightning have been in a real state of flux over the last few years, with "unstable" practically being the club's default setting. But now, with the current edition looking pretty good (both on and off the ice), the club is looking both to the future and to the past.

With Steven Stamkos ripping up the league on the scoresheet, the future is looking good, and with Steve Yzerman running the on-ice show, the club has an absolute shine to it.

As for the past, the club has been making attempts to instill a sense of pride in the dressing room, and remind the players and fans about the team's history and past successes. Hanging photos in the halls and dressing rooms of the St. Pete Times Forum is an example of what they've been trying to do.

Usually Lightning history focuses on the Stanley Cup winning season in 2004, but the team has a long history prior to that. In the interests of highlighting some past fan favorites, great former Bolts, and interesting figures from the team's past, Raw Charge is proud to present the first installment of its alumni interview series (yet to be cleverly titled). The first Lightning alum to be featured is former defenceman Enricco Ciccone.

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The point of this column is to let Lightning fans know what is happening with the other four teams in the South East Division, but it still gives me warm fuzzies to mention that the Bolts are up around the league lead in points. And it might not last forever, especially the way the goalies are letting them in, but it's nice at the moment.

You know who I'm all about right now? Sean Bergenheim. Have you ever seen anyone get as many clean breakaways as this guy? Sure, he didn't convert the penalty shot against Pittsburgh the other night, but seriously, the guy gets his chances. If you're a nickname person, "Breakaway Bergie" is looking pretty good.

But yeah, let's look at those other four SE Div teams after the jump.

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Hilarious? As of this writing, the three teams leading their respective divisions in the NHL's Eastern Conference are the Maple Leafs, Islanders, and Lightning. Maybe there is something to this whole "parity" thing. Then again, the season is two weeks old. Let's not plan parade routes yet (I'm looking at you, Toronto).

But all the same, after the gratuitous amounts of crap that these three teams have managed to heap upon themselves over the last several seasons, it must feel nice for their fans to look at that points column and see their normally hapless teams at the top of the pile.

Especially nice for Lightning fans, who see their Bolts not only on top of the South East Division, but leading the East. Once again, it's too soon to plan a parade, but let's all take a moment to bask in the glory of the moment. One, two, three, and bask... ahhhhhh.

You might have been expecting the Washington Capitals to be in this position about now, but the Caps are, in the words of some fan named Ted (whoops, he's their owner), "just an average NHL team right now." (Ted's Take, via Puck Daddy).

And how about the rest of the teams in the SE Div? Check 'em out after the jump.

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With the season one week old, the Lightning stand at two and oh, with a tussle with the Philadelphia Flyers on tap tonight. The Lightning are living up to the advanced billing: they're showing themselves to be a fast, attacking team, playing a high-risk, high reward system. So far so good, right?

And how are the other teams in the fearsome South East Division holding up? We've had some drama already, with Atlanta's Ondrej Pavelec suffering a fainting spell only minutes into their season opener, and receiving a concussion, presumably from falling flat on his back. We also have a team in the Carolina Hurricanes that hasn't played a game in North America this season, after starting the campaign in Europe against the Minnesota Wild. In Washington Ovie is doing what he does best (scoring) and the Panthers are on the road doing what they do best (losing).

More after the jump.

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The preseason has begun, and we're now zeroing in at ridiculous speed on opening night of the 2010-2011 regular season. There's been a lot of debate about how much the Lightning have improved in the off season, and the consensus seems to be that this is a much more complete team then the one that fell flat on its face down the stretch last year, finally succumbing to the barrage of insanity that had been plaguing it lo the last couple years.

We can all feel confident that the Lightning will be stronger. Names like Gagne, Moore, Kubina, Clark and others should fill in some of the gaps that showed last year.

So have the Lightning improved enough to win a lot of games? Maybe even crack the top eight in the Eastern Conference? That depends a lot on the quality of opposition, and of course the opposition the Lightning will face most often are their divisional rivals in the South East.

So who are these varmints? Let's take a quick look at the four other teams, and where they stand heading into the new season.

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The St. Louis Blues have announced the retirement of defenceman Darryl Syder, bringing  the two-time Stanley Cup winner's career to a close after eighteen seasons. A quiet and steady defender, Sydor won Stanley Cups with Dallas in 1999 and Tampa Bay in 2004. 

Sydor recorded 30 points in 111 regular season games for the Lightning after being acquired midway through the 2003-2004 season. He added 7 assists in 28 playoff games for the Bolts. He was a key contributer on the blueline for a young Lightning team during their 2004 Cup run.

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Jay Feaster, the former GM who put together the Lightning team that defeated the Calgary Flames in the Stanley Cup Final in 2004, has joined his former adversaries. The Flames announced Thursday that Feaster will join their team as an assistant to general manager Darryl Sutter.

Feaster, who left the Lightning after being nudged out by the Lightning's dumbass new ownership at the end of the 2008 season, will apparently act as an adviser to Sutter.

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Okay, so after Pavel Datsyuk pwns the Lady Byng Memorial for sportsmanship and gentlemanly play for four seasons running, Tampa Bay Lightning forward finally gets his hands on it. What did he have to do to finally beat Datsyuk? First, he had to beat him in scoring (94 points to the Red Wing forward's 70) and beat him in lowest penalty minutes, 12-18. Check that out: St.Louis played all 82 games this season. He took six minor penalties. That's fewer than one a month.

Of course, the paranoia in me whispers that Datsyuk beat St.Louis all these years running because he plays in Detroit, a.k.a. Hockeytown, for one of the league's most-watched teams, while Martin plays for Tampa Bay, where the sports writers work on the tan, their golf game, and make jokes about the ownership situations. And it is the sports writers who vote for the Lady Byng. Well, stick in in yer craw, writers! Seriously, anyone who would write about hockey would have to be a real jerk. Hey, wait a second...

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June 7, 2010 marked the sixth anniversary of Dave Andreychuk hoisting the Tampa Bay Lightning's first Stanley Cup at the St. Pete Times Forum. Six long years of gradual descent from the top of the pile to the bottom, only to bounce up a little bit. Six years of near-continual upheaval, ownership strife, roster turnover and more than a little hair-pulling exasperation on the part of the fans.

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First and foremost, I would like to extend my congratulations to Kurtis Foster (Tampa Bay), Jose Theodore (Washington) and Jed Ortmeyer (San Jose) each for their nominations for the Bill Masterton Trophy, which is awarded each year "to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey."

I think the Masterton is one of the really cool trophies that the NHL hands out at season's end. It, along with the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, is not simply given to the one guy who is best at a particular position in a given year, or who topped a specific statistical category. It's handed out based on what kind of person you are. The King Clancy recognizes humanitarian contributions to the community. The Masterton recognizes dedication to hockey. They are character-based trophies, and that's cool.

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There's a long summer ahead for the players on the Tampa Bay Lightning. For the modern NHLer, a good deal of the summer is spent preparing for the next season, and I thought I would recommend some summer beach reads that might help the boys in black, white, blue and silver get ready for next year.

Mike Smith: It was a trying season for Smith, who is ostensibly the team's starting goaltender. He was often hurt, his stats were back-up worthy, and it sometimes felt like he actually was the back-up to Antero Niittymaki. To regain the starting spirit, I recommend Todd Denault's biography of Jacques Plante: The Man Who Changed the Face of Hockey. Plante won six Vezina awards for best goalie, a Hart Trophy as league MVP, and five Stanley Cups. Here's hoping Mike can channel a bit of that for 2010-2011.

Mattias Ohlund: He was signed to solidify the blueline and tutor Victor Hedman, but Ohlund went without scoring a goal for the first time in an NHL season and had his lowest ever points total. I suggest he read Mojo: How to Get It, How to Keep It, How to Get It Back if You Lose It by Marshall Goldsmith. Ohlund had mojo once in Vancouver. Hopefully Goldsmith can help him find it again. Perhaps he can lend his copy to Ryan Malone when he's finished.

Speaking of Victor Hedman, it was great to see that the Swedish teenager was willing to drop the gloves and stick up for himself this season. However, his technique left something to be desired. I would suggest Got Fight?: The 50 Zen Principles of Hand-to-Face Combat by MMA goon Forrest Griffin to sharpen up a little.

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