Crib Notes - Tampa Bay Lightning

Tampa bay Lightning
Finished last in the Southeast. Did not make the playoffs
Signed crafty F Alex Tanguay via free agency after it appeared every other team in the league passed on this guy.
Signed D Kurtis Foster and F Stephane Veilleux, both formerly of the Wild
Signed tough guy Todd Fedoruk
Made a sneaky splash signing D Mattias Ohlund.
Signed backup G Antero Nittymaki
Bought out Vinny Prospal who was signed by the Rangers
Radim Vrbata was traded back to Pheonix for David Hale.

Questions going into 2009-2010:
What is going on with the ownership?
Will we hear Vinny Lecavalier's name on the trading block again?
Will the team regret not moving Vinny to Montreal last season?
How is Mike Smith's concussion issues? (So far he's played well in 2 preseason games)
How much of an impact will Alex Tanguay have?

Poised for a breakout season:
Steve Stamkos had a strong 2nd half last season. I bet he blows up this year.

If you had to buy one Lightning sweater:
1) Do not buy a some ridiculous "Bolts" jersey
2) Try to spell Lecavalier correctly

Customized jersey I will buy Bressler for Hannukah:
Because NHL.com wouldn't let me put "Anal Beads" on the back.


Player whose game you like but are not sure why:
I am a Brandon Bochenski fan. For some reason I think he could be a legit player.

Rumor that I read on some website:
That Martin St. Louis was hung like a donkey. I can't find the source and I can't search for "Martin St. Louis cock" at work.

Old guys:
Marty St. Louis is 34
Jeff Halpern is 33

Young guys:
Last year's #2 pick Victor Hedman is 18
2008's #1 pick Steven Stamkos is 19

Tough guys:
Todd Fedoruk found a home in Tampa. Steve Downie is a thug and Ryan Malone is a salty irish guy.

Favorite old school Lightning:
Rob Zamuner

Favorite Lightning ice Girl:
Crystal is a 1st grade teacher. Imagine going to meet your kid's teacher and seeing this chick.

Goaltending coach:
Former Clarkson coach Cap Raeder

Nostalgia:
Look at the garbage Tampa bay drafted in 1992.
Roman Hamrlik, Drew Bannister, Brent Gretzky, Aaron Gavey, Brantt Myhres, Martin Tanguay, Derek Wilkinson, Dennis Maxwell, Andrew Kemper, Marc Tardif and Tom MacDonald.
Way to hit the ground running.

Interesting?:
Co-owners Len Barrie and Oren Koules can't get along and are both trying to buy each other out. Ridiculous situation in Tampa Bay.

NHL 94 players:
Brian Bradley, Chris Kontos and Mikael Andersson up front.
Bob Beers and Roman Hamrlik on D with Webdell Young in net.
Easily the worst roster in the league.

Prediction?
Another ugly season.

YouTube:
Scotty describes St. Louis's skating as "water bugging". It's perfect.


- Nemmy

Tuesday

Jennie Finch is so 1000. The USA girls softball squad is dominating. Love an athlete with talent on both sides of the court.



Always a good memory to relate it back to hockey.


If you can hang on til the end or at least fast forward to 2:18...Falcor's laugh is me every Friday night.

Alex Tanguay rumors to the Islanders? Whatever. Does anyone get it. I mean really get it over there? Not soft. We don't need soft things. What does it matter...it'll just get me and Bress worked up but I guess we can start with Tavares and Tanguay.

- Barbone

An even more boring summer work day

But the news today is the official retirement announcement of Burnaby Joe. What can you say but raise your glass of Pinot, Jack, Gin or Juice in high praise of this once mighty super power. In my opinion Joe Sakic represents the land of America when factories were booming during World War II. He represents all that is a mid-stride toe tuck top shelf. He portaits me mashed up with Wendel, Nemy and Mac pounding Absolut to our faces. What a player!

625 goals 1,016 assists and up there on the all time list. Put up a hundo even in his 37th year on the planet. That is sick. I wish the snowblower didn't fully ruin last season because I would have liked to see a 60-70 pt. final Joe run. Hoisted the cup twice, got some lady Bing action and was 1000 at all times. Remember the Colorado team that never was. Sakic, Kariya, Selanne, Forsberg, Tanguay, Hejduk. I wish that team was healthy for a full season.

Last night on the opposing team we played there's this kid that I thought...don't quote me but I am pretty sure he has called me this and I thought he said this last night again. He called someone a 'tit.' Like a real serious pasty mean quiet person. Good defenseman but weird in a weird way. I actually heard from someone that he rode the bench for four years at Michigan on their D1 squad. That's fucked up dude. I met some of my best friends forever by playing and bonding with them over my college tenure. The point of the story is that I asked him last night if I could use the phrase 'Tit' because I liked it. He was confused...Nemy just kept laughing on the bench. I was serious. He's the complete opposite of Burnaby Joe and what he stood for.

Congrats to Sakic on his accomplished career as an athlete. His combination of skill, class and leadership are a rarity in sports today and will always be remembered on the ice.

- Barbone

What you missed last night while you were learning to sweep the leg

Its high-light of the night... day:

Canadiens beat the Thrashers, 6-3: Tanguay's night - 2 goals and three assists. He did have some sweet sauce passes, but his first goal was patience, hands, and a little bit of luck. He deked by 2 sliding Thrashers d-men, and another sort of took out goaltender Kari Lehtonen. Still, he had to control the puck in tight and tuck it far side.

Canucks beat the Stars, 5-2: The 2nd period - Ott was sent to the box for something and his time ran out just as Canuck D-man Kevin Bieska was rushing up the ice with the puck. A well timed hip check from Ott led to a skirmash. After that, Darcy Hordichuk put a pretty good body on Marty Turco and Trevor Daly decked him. Finally, late in the period Ott got laid out on an after the whistle hit by Willie Mitchell. I expected this all to escalate in the third, but the Canucks scored and ran away with the game. Did anyone else see the talent behind Dave Tippet? WOW

Maple Leafs beat the Capitals in the shoot-out, 3-2: Ovy's 51st - Recipe Ovechkin. Take the nice saucer pass down the wing. Cut in with speed (no one can catch you). Beat the goalie. Tuck in puck on the wide side.

Rangers win over the Wild, 2-1: Zherdev's goal - He had no angle and had to get it upstairs. One sitck handle and then the puck finds the little bit of available twine. Pretty play in an ugly game.

Ducks beat the Predators, in the shoot-out, 2-1: Shea Weber's game tying goal: Weber is a right-handed defensemen, playing the right side. He time his cut perfectly and recieved the pass in between the top of the circle and the dot and some how one timed the puck to the far side. That is difficult. I've only seen a few other super shots like that beating a goal wide, when you are on your strong side. If you play hockey, I'm pretty sure you get what I'm saying.

Red Wings beat the Oilers, 3-2: Hossa's GWG: The finish was nice a one-timer wrister that beat Rolosson low, but it was Franzen's work in the neutral zone and pass that made the play happen.

Lightning win over the BJs in OT, 2-1: St. Louis' GWG: Great pass from Stamkos through the neutral zone to a speeding St. Louis started the play. Now, Marty is cutting across opens up for the snap shot, but a tricky release fools Mason and he is beaten back on the far side. It defined sneaky.

Blues beat the Kings, 2-0: No highlight worth typing