Lightning Summer Of Discontent Is Thankfully Over

Bay Area Hockey Is Back!

To be very clear, I am not a fan of  Tampa Bay Lightning owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie. They have done some outright stupid things that have set the franchise back for years. They are embroiled in a business tug of war that will end with one of them face down in the mud, and maybe in jail, guilty of embezzlement. But lately I find myself thinking that the team can be competitive this season. Can they overcome their ownerships shortcomings and battle back to respectability? Their recent history of boneheaded decisions may be changing…just in time.

Soon after the Hollywood cowboys at OK Hockey hired the mullet clad Barry Melrose, they realized their mistake and sent him packing. Arrogant Barry woke up and realized he wasn’t in the nineties anymore, took his stellar 5-7-4 record and went crawling back to the, “Is hockey a sport?” network and continued doing what he does best…criticize others.

After doing exhaustive research and analysis, the Koules-Barrie contingent decided that instead of a having a so-called television studio analyst as coach, they would try a convicted sports gambling felon instead.

Enter Bolts assistant coach Rick Tocchet. Tocchet has spent 25 years in the NHL, mostly as a player including 17 seasons with Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Boston, Washington, and Phoenix. He retired as a player in 2002 and joined the Colorado Avalanche as an assistant coach. In 2005 he joined Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky on the bench of a terrible Phoenix Coyotes team. Tocchet, as you’ll remember, pleaded guilty to conspiring and promoting an underground gambling ring. At the time, I thought this was another bad hire, but it now looks as if Tocchet may be the right man to lead the Lightning back to their 2004 prominence.

On draft day 2009, my Lightning family and friends held a hockey séance to send some divine NHL guidance to the empty-headed ownership group encouraging them to do the right thing and draft the big Swedish defenseman from MODO, Victor Hedman. After all, they had proven their lack of mental faculties when they marked their entry into the NHL arena by trading valuable defenseman Dan Boyle for the “irreplaceable”  Matt Carle, who, in turn was replaced after 12 games in a Lightning sweater. It worked and the draft went off without a hitch. The Lightning now had their defensive building block.

Vinny Is Giddy

Many of us began preparing for the nuclear winter that would ensue following the trading of Lightning captain, Vincent Lecavalier. The rumor mill churned out possible destinations for the face of the Lightning franchise…Los Angeles, Detroit and the hockey garden of Eden that is Montreal. As I gathered some bottled water, canned goods and VHS tapes of Gordie and Bobby, the July 1 deadline came and went without Vinny being moved. Hockey Bay would remain intact.

The skinny on Vinny is that he is healthy, happy and motivated. Sorry Habs fans, Vinny is still a Bolt…a Bolt for life. After battling another season ending injury and numerous wild and random trade speculations, Vinny is back and ready to resume his place as a top five NHL player. Despite his declining numbers, I look for Vinny to rebound with a 45-50 goal, 90-100 point season.

Why is Vinny so giddy? Because the Bolts management did something right. They went out and got themselves a top six forward, former Canadiens star, Alex Tanguay. “All the guys I talked to who played with him said he’s unbelievable,” Lecavalier said. “He’s going to bring a lot of offense to our team.”

“He’s a hard-working guy — a good guy and you never have enough of those guys. I played with him in the world juniors. I’m happy he’s part of it.”

Vinny and Marty St. Louis reportedly sold Tanguay on Tampa.

The captain said the team will be stronger next season with the addition of Tanguay, former Canucks defenseman Mattias Ohlund and second overall draft pick, big Victor Hedman.

It’s a big season,” he said. “We didn’t have a good season last year but the team has changed and has been given a new dimension.”

Vinny and Marty showed true leadership by helping to lure their French Canadian brother to the Lightning. After a tumultuous off-season of innuendos and rumors, it’s good to see Vinny happy.

The defense in 2008 was simply awful. Injuries forced the Bolts to use an amazing 22 blue-liners, with non-household names like Petiot, Krajicek and Quick. No defenseman played more than 52 games and the point’s leader was the departed Steve Eminger with a meager 23. Only one defenseman (Cory Murphy) had at least five goals.

GM Brian Lawton went out and smartly added talented defenders young and old, puck movers and stay at home defenseman alike. Swede Mattias Ohlund “chose” to come to Tampa and mentor the number two overall pick, big Victor Hedman. Lawton added grit by signing Chicago’s Matt Walker, who will be a sure fire fan favorite. Other newcomers battling for spots are Kurtis Foster andDavid Hale. I spoke with GM Lawton and he told me that the Lightning will keep eight defensemen and not the usual seven. There are 11 players battling for those eight jobs. I’m sure the blue line will be better this season, especially with Victor Hedman-ing the puck.

Can Goalie Mike Smith Remain Healthy?

The Lightning has one of the most productive net minders in the league, in Mike Smith, if he can remain healthy. The Lightning were 28th in the league in shots on goal given up per game and they gave up the fourth most goals per game, yet goaltender Smith posted a career best save percentage of .916.

In his 41 games between the pipes, he was able to keep the Bolts in just about every contest. His season ended when he suffered a concussion, but by all accounts he is healthy and ready to be the number one backstop for the Lightning. Mike is a great athlete and as feisty as they come. If he can stay on the ice, he will be an elite Eastern Conference goaltender.

Okay. Let’s review. An intense head coach that isn’t an arrogant dinosaur with a mullet…check! A big, talented, puck moving defenseman…check! A happy and healthy Vincent Lecavalier…check! A top six forward to skate alongside Vinny…check! A couple of veteran rough and tumble blue liners…check! A financially solid ownership group moving forward in the same direction…umm…gag…. choke! Well, five out of six ain’t bad.

The long and bothersome summer has run out and hockey is back in Hockey Bay USA. It is premature to say the Lightning is a playoff team, but there is little doubt that it is a vastly improved team. The real question is, can the team on the ice play through all the distractions off the ice? In fact, can they win despite their dysfunctional ownership?

Training camp is under way and the Bolts will begin answering those questions.

What do you think, puckheads? Can the Bolts be competitive this year?