The Lightning had 281 goals against last season, last in the league. I wonder if even one of our defensemen are trying to improve themselves during the off season....because we were, you know, last in the league in goals against.
True, but I didn't say it was just the defense. Only a football fan could think only D is responsible for D. I'm much more a hockey fan than a football one. Our defensemen should have bruised pride though considering the last in the league factoid, and I was hoping they would be more active in the off season.
True, but I didn't say it was just the defense. Only a football fan could think only D is responsible for D. I'm much more a hockey fan than a football one. Our defensemen should have bruised pride though considering the last in the league factoid, and I was hoping they would be more active in the off season.
Brewer's been around the league a while. There's no need to worry about his off season training. With Lee, the last thing I want to read is he's "kicking back and taking it easy" but it's really hard to tell how he's actually training. As Boucher would say: rest is a weapon, I guess It does seem like Hedman is training hard over in Sweden.
__________________
"It's still All In to me dammit." - Felonious Python
Stamkos, the 2011-12 Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy winner with 60 goals, was given 60 seconds to score; Toronto Youth Development, a local charity seeking to empower at-risk inner-city youngsters, was given $5,000 by Tissot, who partnered with the 22-year-old Hart nominee for the event.
"You just gotta remember that you were a kid once and you looked up to NHL players as heroes," Stamkos, who was born in Markham, Ont., says. "I've been very fortunate to do what I do for a living. So to be able to give back to the kids in the community who don't necessarily have the chances and opportunities I did is a lot of fun."
Quote:
While the typical NHL summer consists of runs and weight rooms and hailing golf-cart girls, it's also time to give back -- a crucial lesson Stamkos says he gleaned from another Florida hockey icon.
"I have a pretty good role model in Tampa Bay in Vinny Lecavalier. When I went down there, you see how much he means to that community. So for me, I try to get involved as much as I can. I'm involved here (in Ontario) and down there. Me and Tissot partnered up for the Toronto Youth Development, and I thought that was a great concept. Nice little turnout today. I think everyone's having a blast. And knowing it's for a good cause makes it that much more fun."
Quote:
When he entered the NHL as an 18-year-old first-overall pick, Stamkos says he came to a veteran Lightning club just four years removed from a Stanley Cup with plenty of on-ice mentors. Captain Lecavalier is the one, though, when it comes to setting an off-ice example.
"He's a great role model for all players in the NHL," Stamkos says. "When it comes to community work, he's the bar-setter in Tampa. What he's done with the hospital and other charitable organizations in Tampa, it rubs off on the other players."
CC, don't refer to anything I have written (draft review) as an article. It is just drivel from a fan.
With respect to being last in the league in goals against, there is no where to go but up right? Haha. On a serious note, it is really nice to see the depth on the back end is improving. I'm not sure the younger guys like Barberio, Gudas, Oberg and to a lesser extent Korobov are ready to help at the NHL level just yet, although I am optimistic about Barberio and Gudas and quite curious to see how Korobov fits in.
Having a healthy group containing Hedman, Brewer, Carle and Salo should provide major improvements over what we saw last year. Health is obviously going to be a big concern with Salo, but most believe when he is in the lineup he will be solid. Given that top four most of the year, I think any of Lee, Mikkelson, MAB and Aulie can play effective "sheltered" minutes.
Most importantly, goaltending figures to be better by default with Rollie out (horrid year notwithstanding, I've always been a fan of his and was glad to see him play as well as he did two years ago) and Lindback in. I'm probably higher on Lindback than most, and was quite happy he was brought in. I think they can use this year as a platoon year, if you will, with Lindback and Garon. Clearly Lindback will be given the chance to show he can handle big minutes (or bigger than he has to this point in the NHL), but it may be wise to not pencil him in for 55+ games yet.
Anyway, since I'm not able to write at THW any longer (I had a good month run) I figure I should start posting here. Hopefully it takes a while before you guys and gals are sick of me and add me to the ignore list, haha. Whenever they decide to start playing this year, it would be cool to see some of you out at the Forum this year.
I'll keep that in mind Gorbs, but I think you underestimate the quality of your work. It is the best draft review I've found and had a lot of quotes from 1st hand observers which added weight.
We certainly have much more depth this season, at all positions, so a rash of injuries is less likely to be devastating. I'm optimistic about this season.
Well thought out opinions are always appreciated, welcome.
t's not easy to put Gary Roberts out of commission. Steven Stamkos almost did it in with one powerful squeeze this summer.
Stamkos, the Tampa Bay Lightning center, was playfully roughhousing with Roberts, a man 24 years his elder but one many consider to be among the toughest to ever play in the NHL. Stamkos put a vicelike grip on Roberts' bicep, and Roberts' arm started to throb, threatening to at least temporarily ruin his plans for golf that day.
instead of anger, all Roberts felt was pride. After all, Roberts and his training methods are ultimately responsible for Stamkos' surge in strength during the past four years.
"If you eat properly and train right at a young age, your body goes through the roof, and that's why Stammer can grab my bicep and I can't golf that day," Roberts told NHL.com during a recent interview at his gym in North York. "I was like, 'My goodness, that's how strong he's gotten.' He's still 22 years old. He's got three or four years left of good quality years of training. He's still got an opportunity to improve.
Quote:
Roberts can thank Stamkos for helping jump start his post-NHL career, because without the success of his first client, the Gary Roberts High Performance Training Centre might never have been born.
"You see this now," Stamkos told NHL.com, referring to the state-of-the-art facility built specifically for Roberts inside the Fitness Institute. "Four years ago it was Gary and I in his home gym."
Quote:
In 2009, Roberts, then with the Lightning as a player, invited Stamkos into his home gym in Uxbridge, Ontario to train and learn about nutrition in a one-on-one setting. The idea was that proper training and nutrition could help Stamkos, the No. 1 pick in the 2008 NHL Draft, build on his 46-point rookie season.
According to Roberts, Brian Lawton, then Lightning general manager, wanted Stamkos to spend the summer training in Minnesota, which meant living in a hotel. Roberts and coach Rick Tocchet figured out a more convenient way to help the rising star.
Instead of living 1,000 miles from home, Stamkos could drive the 20 or so minutes to Roberts' house to train and eat with someone who knew exactly what it takes to survive and thrive in the NHL, both as a 20-year-old and a 40-year-old.
Quote:
Stamkos said he's training even harder this summer in a workout group that includes Pittsburgh Penguins right wing James Neal, Carolina Hurricanes center Jeff Skinner, Tampa Bay teammate Brett Connolly, New York Rangers prospect Christian Thomas and St. Louis Blues prospect Anthony Peluso.
They need to get this CBA ironed out quickly. Wasting a season of Stamkos is a crime against hockey fans.
Very few truer words have ever been typed.
I am interested to see what this off-season has done to Connolly. Get him a tad more confidence and he'll explode as a force on the league imo. If he can forge his body into a hockey weapon like Stamkos has, it's going to be sick having Connolly and Stamkos on the same team.
Canadian hockey legend Phil Esposito has told R-Sport he is in negotiations to take a job developing the nascent KHL hockey league.
Esposito, the captain of the Canadian team that won the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union, is in Russia to attend the KHL season-opener on September 6, as well as last week's world junior club cup in the city of Omsk.
Quote:
Asked if he would take a job as a consultant or assistant to Medvedev, Esposito responded: "Yes, yes. I like him. He's passionate about hockey. Passionate."
He insisted it was high time the NHL was given a run for its money, comparing the league's lack of desire for competition with Ukrainian champion boxers Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, who are criticized in some circles for choosing sub-par opponents.
"And when you're on the top, like Klitschko, he keeps fighting guys, but he doesn't fight anybody that's too good. The NHL will play, but they don't want to play against too many guys that are too good."
The National Hockey League announced today that the Tampa Bay Lightning will play 20 regular season games on national television during 2012-13, including 10 that will be broadcast live in the United States. Seven games will appear on both the NBC Sports Group and TSN, five on the CBC, four on RDS and three on both the NHL Network and TSN2.
Date
Time
Opponent
Network
Thursday, November 1
7:00 p.m.
vs. Winnipeg Jets
CBC
Saturday, November 10
7:00 p.m.
vs. Ottawa Senators
CBC
Wednesday, November 21
7:30 p.m.
at Carolina Hurricanes
NBC Sports Group and TSN2
Tuesday, November 27
7:30 p.m.
at Montreal Canadiens
TSN and RDS
Saturday, December 1
3:00 p.m.
at Winnipeg Jets
CBC
Thursday, December 27
7:30 p.m.
vs. Montreal Canadiens
RDS
Tuesday, January 8
7:30 p.m
at Pittsburgh Penguins
NBC Sports Group and TSN
Friday, January 11
7:30 p.m.
vs. Washington Capitals
NHL Network
Tuesday, January 15
7:00 p.m.
vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
TSN
Tuesday, January 22
7:30 p.m.
at Montreal Canadiens
RDS
Thursday, February 14
7:30 p.m.
vs. San Jose Sharks
NBC Sports Group and TSN
Thursday, February 21
7:30 p.m.
vs. Boston Bruins
NHL Network
Sunday, February 24
7:30 p.m.
at Pittsburgh Penguins
NBC Sports Group and TSN2
Tuesday, February 26
7:30 p.m.
vs. Buffalo Sabres
NBC Sports Group and TSN
Thursday, February 28
7:30 p.m.
vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
NHL Network
Tuesday, March 5
7:30 p.m
at New Jersey Devils
NBC Sports Group and TSN2
Saturday, March 9
7:00 p.m.
vs. Montreal Canadiens
RDS and CBC
Wednesday, March 20
7:30 p.m.
at Toronto Maple Leafs
TSN
Saturday, March 23
7:00 p.m
at Ottawa Senators
CBC
Tuesday, March 26
7:30 p.m
vs. Buffalo Sabres
NBC Sports Group
- There were 26 nationally televised games last year
The Vinny Lecavalier Foundation raised more than $170,000 at its 6th Annual Texas Hold ’Em Celebrity Poker Tournament, held September 13, 2012, benefitting the Vincent Lecavalier Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at All Children’s Hospital, Johns Hopkins Medicine in St. Petersburg, Florida. Since the poker tournament's inception in 2006, the Foundation has raised more than $652,000 for the Center.
"I think he's a workhorse," Martin St. Louis told ECHL.com. "He kills a lot of penalties, and he plays hard. He probably doesn't get the recognition that a lot of guys do, but he's done his job."
Last edited by TheDaysOf 04: 10-08-2012 at 10:51 AM.
"The 15 Most Egotistical Figures Currently in the NHL"
bleacherreport.com: "Barry Melrose is the current face/mouthpiece for the NHL on ESPN right now.
How he managed to garner such a choice gig at the worldwide leader in sports is beyond me.
Melrose's resume looks like this: 300 NHL games, 33 points and 728 penalty minutes. The coaching record is this: 225 games coach and 84 wins. That's a .373 winning percentage.
He's a pundit, for sure.
Melrose's claim to fame is his mullet, and the coincidence that he happened to be coaching the Los Angeles Kings when Wayne Gretzky carried them to the Stanley Cup Final in 1993.
His true value to the NHL community is reflected by the fact that the one job offer to coach since he was canned in 1995 was from a desperate Tampa Bay franchise.
That job lasted for about 10 minutes before he was invited to leave.
The clip above shows Melrose's classy parting shots to the Tampa Bay organization."
bleacherreport.com: "Barry Melrose is the current face/mouthpiece for the NHL on ESPN right now.
How he managed to garner such a choice gig at the worldwide leader in sports is beyond me.
Melrose's resume looks like this: 300 NHL games, 33 points and 728 penalty minutes. The coaching record is this: 225 games coach and 84 wins. That's a .373 winning percentage.
He's a pundit, for sure.
Melrose's claim to fame is his mullet, and the coincidence that he happened to be coaching the Los Angeles Kings when Wayne Gretzky carried them to the Stanley Cup Final in 1993.
His true value to the NHL community is reflected by the fact that the one job offer to coach since he was canned in 1995 was from a desperate Tampa Bay franchise.
That job lasted for about 10 minutes before he was invited to leave.
The clip above shows Melrose's classy parting shots to the Tampa Bay organization."
Meh. He's taken to the Kings, and they fired him too.
I also think Dany Heatley might have been a candidate, but he seems to have matured.
Milbury also feels like an odd candidate as well. Most of his arrogance over the past few years seems like an act compared to how he was in the years prior. Maybe he loosened up, or maybe the obvious try-out NBC and the NHL were doing to find a Don Cherry-type who could pander to Americans settled on him. Both of which are doing an act, but only one of which insults me (via my team) on basic cable.
What NBC fails to understand is that we want Community back on the air. errm...let me try again. What NBC fails to understand is that Grapes is basically the sideshow on HNIC. Nobody on HNIC fawns over Grapes the way the NBC broadcasters do to build Milbury up.
Grapes also doesn't seem like he sold his soul, while with Milbury it does.
but it's the Bleacher Report, so whatevs.
But whoever wrote it can go **** themselves for putting Shanny on the list.
Last edited by Felonious Python: 10-26-2012 at 05:49 PM.
Former Tampa Bay Lightning Forward Kaspars Atashenko [LAT] found dead.
Latvian defenseman Kaspars Astashenko has passed, according to a Latvian news report. He was 37.
How familiar the name Kaspars Astashenko is with Tampa Bay Lightning fans is, is likely subjective to how long one has been a fan, how intense of a fan they are, and how closely they followed things during the team's proverbial lean years.
Astashenko played only 23 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning, between 1999 and 2001, his only play at the NHL level. Kaspars also played for the Latvian National Team in the 2002 Winter Olympics.
It does seem like Hedman is training hard over in Sweden.
