The final one ... or two

Coach John Tortorella said after Saturday's game that defenseman Mike Lundin has made the opening-day roster. That leaves the question of Doug Janik and Matt Smaby, Does the Lightning keep one or both?

If Tampa Bay keeps both, that means they have decided to carry 21 players out of camp. If they keep one, it's 20. There is some uncertainty there, partially because of Chris Gratton's eye injury that kept him out of Saturday's game, and because of the depth problems and inconsistency so far showed on the blue line.

Anyway, here is how it is shaping up

Forwards

Vinny Prospal-Vinny Lecavalier-Marty St. Louis

Jan Hlavac-Brad Richards-Michel Ouellet

Andreas Karlsson-Chris Gratton-Jason Ward

Nick Tarnasky-Craig MacDOnald-Andre Roy

Defense

Shane O'Brien-Filip Kuba

Brad Lukowich-Paul Ranger

Mike Lundin-Doug Janik or Matt Smaby

Goalies

Johan Holmqvist

Marc Denis

Comments

[Phantom]

You know, for some odd reason I'm comfortable with the lineup of forwards. We're not the Wings or Rangers, you've got to have lunch pail character guys to compliment the glitz.

I would pair the blue liners:
1. O'Brien and Ranger (those two should be joined at the hip---lots of good from each could rub off on one another)
2. Lukowich and Janik (challenge them to excel)
3. Kuba and either of the rooks (hoping Kuba can recall and mentor some of Jacques Lemaire's defensive responsibilty without forgetting how to move the puck and SHOOT, for Pete's sake)

Everybody blocks shots and HITS! Guard our blue line as if their daughters were 'twixt the pipes. (Fair analogy on some nights...)

Thank God our Coach isn't as myopic as I .... :-)

Heal well Grats and Boyler... Not just for the season, also for your life beyond the game.

Go Bolts!

[Phantom]

Oh, and heal well Tool Man...

[Another Joe]

Line up looks ok now lets see how it shakes out!

Go bolts!

[Andrzej]

The above short news did not mention that Saturday Bolts lost 5:1, and Marc Denis allowed four goals in 14 shots. This gives extremely low save percentage 71. And Denis is going to be one of TBL primary goaltenders this Season, right?

[goldenbolt]

Yikes as I listened to the game the one thing that struck the chord was no one, not a soul was mentioned for standing anyone up at the blue line. That will not work this year. I believe Janik was benched in the 3rd as I did not hear his name. Denis - bad night but I'll throw it out as I throw out the good nights until it counts.

Can't wait for the puck to drop come Thrusday......
As mbab has stated many times - goaltending is not the only reason for giving up 4+ goals like we did last year. Did not help but there is more too it. Sully - please work your majic.

[mbab]

janik is the ????..one thing for sure..when you sit in torts doghouse you usually have a short shelf life with the bolts....and i think it is clear janik is not a favor of torts...sooo, even though the kid seems to have a lot of tools...i hope he does not make the cut...we need a clean locker room starting out.....positive mind frame going forward from day one....i don't want to read every night comments from torts how janik did this and janik didn't do that....I said this last year about janik...he is 27yrs old...there is a reason he hasn't stuck in the nhl....he is not a rookie.....he has had many chances to stick and he never quite does....and about being positive...although I say it tongue in cheek...how is that possible with the denis cloud hanging over this team, everytime he laces them up...at times i feel like charlie brown....what a mess.....denis is going to be under the microscope BIG TIME....I sure wish they would of cleansed their hands of this mess aobut 6 months ago...but on to the real question of the week.....Damian I am looking for you going on the record with some sort of prediction for the year....their are about 30 loyal bloggers out there...let's have some fun and see who is the closest on their prediction for the bolts.....and everyone be nice, even if someone predicts them 16th.....Damian, it's your site.....let's all put our money where our fingers walk....i would like to see a nice, educated column from all Times sports writers with their prediction of the bolts...and maybe at the all-star break we could all reassess our thoughts....this should be fun.....go bolts

[Tim A]

This line-up has some real potential. I would have however liked to have seen Nick Tarnasky played on the line with Chris Gratton. My reasoning is because I don't think that any team in the NHL would like to match up with that pair of bruisers, plus I think that with a little help from Chris, Nick could learn to be a little more of a finisher and more of a complete player.

It looks like that the Bolts finally have more than one line that can score compared to the weak non-finishing 2,3 and 4 lines they had last year (Sayonara Feds and Perrin).

I don't like what I see at all with these blue liners though. I rather see more of a traditional style of defense than the same old pinch, cheat and give up the odd man rush crap that the Bolts have conceded to again. This is the same crap that got them in so much trouble last season. This defense really irks me, and this is why. As a former defenseman we were always taught to keep our intervals and lanes behind the offensive rush and to not pinch in unless you had an odd man advantage. It seems to me that there is always too much pinching and not enough concern for defense with this team. The emphasis is on too much offensive pressure. Offensive pressure won't work if you can't clear the puck. The Bolts pinch so much that there is absolutely no gap allot of times. The last preseason game no one was taking any time and space away from the Stars the way the defense suppose to do. The Bolts are going to have to rely on their ability to score massive amounts of goals if they are to compete for a play-off spot again this season. I just don't see them making it to the second round unless the defense and goaltending improve dramatically.

Look for another slow start...this team's chemistry is no where near where it should be right now and it might be mid November or early December before they begin gelling. The rookies all have a learning curve ...ALA Pavel Kabina, Paul Ranger and now Shane Obrien, Mike Lundin, Matt Smaby and Doug Janik, who is still developing. Its good to have youth but when it comes to defense you need experience ALA Chris Chelios, Scott Niedermeyer, Chris Pronger, etc. With all of that said and probably making a few of you mad and irritated, I'll shut up now and finish with a big GO BOLTS!!!!!!

[mbab]

Tim A....the truth sometimes hurts....i think you will get your wish and see more of tarnasky...i will be surprised if hvalet isn't in the doghouse real quick.....the defense had trouble last year and off the bat we are subing a rookie for danny boyle....the top 4 will bet plenty of minutes and the bottome two will bet chump change....just can not get way from the depth issue with this club.....top heavy with a bunch of minimum wage bottom 6-8 players....but lets not go there again.....that said, they will struggle....hope everyone heals quickly or we will be in for a tough year....I will have my final prediction for the year by wednesday....hope everyone out their goes on the record....I don't want to hear any bragging or harping a month from now if you don't go on the record....