Now, it's the Big 5
Perhaps you noticed it here and there during Tuesday's loss to the Sabres. Occasionally, coach John Tortorella put Vinny Lecavalier and Brad Richards together on a line with Marty St. Louis. Not only that, he put defensemen Dan Boyle and Paul Ranger out with them. That should be a pretty fearsome five-man group. But one thing we have learned is All-Star lineups don't always mesh.
Tortorella has tinkered with the Brad-Vinny thing before, and it never has really shown results. Perhaps it is because both are centers. perhaps their games just don't mesh very well. After all, they do not regularly play together except on the power play, and then, Richards is on the point. So, for whatever reason that has not been a winning combination. But for a team that is struggling to find goals, especially at home, where it has been outscored 50-28 during a 2-9-1 streak at the St. Pete Times Forum, you have to give everything a try.
The five-man group practiced that way Wednesday (Vinny Prospal was on a second line with Michel Ouellet and Jan Hlavac) and we likely will see it to start Thursday's game against the Canucks. Knowing Torts, it might last all of two shifts before he goes back to Vinny-Vinny-Marty.
And, by the way, I need to mention the way St. Louis and Richards handled themselves after the loss to the Sabres, especially the way I criticized them for ducking out of the locker room after a bad loss to the Senators. But after the Buffalo game, they were at their locker stalls waiting to talk. Richards even waited while the swarm of reporters went to St. Louis first.
Good for them. As alternate captains that should be part of the job, and they did it well.
Follow the Lightning through the season with beat writer Damian Cristodero and the Times sports staff. We invite your participation in the comments area.
Big 5 implies 'little' 15 and that isn't going to cut it.
The 'Core' is the group of 20 that plays in Tampa Bay, period.
Once again, I wouldn't be the least bit embarrassed if Ward wore the 'C'; Ysabaert (#16) wore the Captain sweater when things were yeeesh, and we are certainly sending hard core fanatics to the commode these days.
Who gives a rat's goolou about Brad's lip sevice anymore?
S.S.D.D. Y'all know what I mean?
Posted by: Foghat Legman | January 30, 2008 at 10:05 PM
The way this team is performing without a vastly improved defense & solid depth players up front, it may as well be the BIG ONE. As in biting the...
Posted by: Mike13 | January 30, 2008 at 11:14 PM
Morning fellow bloggers,
Great to see that DC had a new link that old blog was getting huge. Surprise that Torts is changing things up no not really I am sure not many fans watching are surprised.
Well after a good nights much needed rest the Chic is back baby and the rosies are back out. I guess the hardest thing for me is trying to stay postiive for the whole season. I can remember the promise of training camp like yesterday and the hopes were so high for this team.
So I am going into tonights game with the anticipation I had for the start of the season and this is opening night fellas. If I think we can do it then so should you. Enough of the finger pointing, the trade talk and the talk of the sale of the team.
Just go out and play and keep it simple. No fancy passes,get to the net to catch the nasty rebounds, fore checking and back check and keep trying.
Just don't ever ever quit on me and I will not on you guys. I want to see blood, sweat and tears baby. Lets go get a win if not for the fans for all the work you have put into this season.
Before any of the bloggers say anything, I am supporting my team and if you do not like get off the blog and stay off. This is the Tampa Bay Lighting Strikes web page and we are going to support our team.
With Rosies freshly polished and in hand going to the game tonight baby. GO BOLTS!!! Let's get er done!!!
Posted by: Hockey Chic | January 31, 2008 at 05:36 AM
I'm with you Hockey CHic! We'll just have to wait and see if the "new" line is effective or not. If it is, then great, if not, they can still put the MVP line back together. I'd love to see it click, maybe get Richie jump started. I will not bad-mouth this team or ANY of the players. I'll still support this team no matter what, so LET'S GO BOLTS!
Posted by: TJ | January 31, 2008 at 08:10 AM
The Big 5? We now have 5 NHL-capable players on this team? That's news to me! Foghat, you were right on the money.
Chic- are you drunk? lol
Posted by: Jim-NJ | January 31, 2008 at 08:10 AM
TJ- how much money in salary is this MVP line going to cost? Why do we need to put all these "great" players on the same line just to be mediocre? Horrible!
Posted by: Jim-NJ | January 31, 2008 at 08:13 AM
All of Tortorella's moves to rearrange the lines are acts of desperation on an imploded team. I fault both Fester and Tortarella for not being able to see the real picture on this team. The real need is to have a “team” to begin with. They have tried to build around Brad Richards to the point it has imploded everything. Now Torts has a 7.8 million dollar sea anchor weighting his team down and making it virtually impossible to acquire anyone who has above average talent. When you go down the roster, after you past Prospal and Boyle who would you really want on your team out of the remainder of players of that roster? When they brought in Oullete and Gratton this season I was not impressed. They could have had a better forward on the team by just keeping Fedotenko. When they look back in a few years and take a look at what went wrong you can bet your bottom dollar that the 7.8 million will be the blame. It simply looks to me that Jay Feaster simply does not know how to build a franchise of talented players to go with the few he has. The salary cap should have been anticipated by Feaster then he should have adjusted before the lockout. I believe he was simply too exited about winning the cup then the extended celebration he participated in diminished his focus. Now we are without some of the main players who made the Stanley Cup possible to begin with starting with the most important element, the goalie. I believe that Rick Dudley put the Cup team together and probably would not have made the same salary goofs Feaster made. So if Tampa Bay wants to return to being the team it was they had better get someone in there who understands personnel allot better that the Feaster.
Posted by: Not The Marlboro Man | January 31, 2008 at 08:54 AM
i think the problem is the team's hair. honestly, people with mohawks are much cooler and fierce than people with normal hair. I think if everyone on the Lightning got mohawks, the other team would be very very scared. In turn, the other team would not score goals on the Lightning, in hopes that they wouldn't get beaten up. So instead of trades that we can't make, or free agents that aren't there, force the whole team to get mohawks!!!!
Posted by: shane | January 31, 2008 at 09:04 AM
OB, Is that you?
Love the Mohawks idea. At least it would makes us all smile, not something you see to often these days at SPTF.
Hockey Chic....I'm with you. All the regulars on this blog know where the problems lie, we have all hashed and rehashed the same ideas and viewpoints. The hockey continues to fester and stink. Meantime I'm going to try to enjoy whats left of this disapointing and disasterous season. Putting on the rosies now!!!!
As for the line combinations, at this point lets try anything. No where to go but up.
GO YOU CRAZY MOHAWKED BOLTS
Posted by: keith | January 31, 2008 at 09:43 AM
It will get worse before it gets better. New ownership is a must because it can't be fun to go to work if you are Vinny and Marty. New GM is a must because he simply can't be allowed to make another zillion mistakes. The payroll needs balance and even if Jay stays this has to be addressed. He must find away to get value for one of the 7 million dollar players to shore up other areas. No one is taking 7.8 million times 3 more years. You read between the lines. At 45 million owners are losing money everyday. Either you need owners who just want to win damn the money(the Saw guy doesn't fit this mode) or you have to run your organization on 45mil like about 20 other teams "do" and "do" well. They have 1.6 million to eat with Denis. They have 3.2 million with Kuba who is a number 4 at best. Prospal is gone 110% guarentee. Boyle probably to. Our goalie issues? Do you think Khabby would of won the cup with Lundin, Lukowich, Kuba, Janik, Ward, Darsch, McDonald etc etc. That article today was all about the goalies of then versus the goalies of today. Damian have you noticed that of the 20 players on the ice the night we won the cup, ONLY 4 ARE HERE TODAY?? Tie in a long term payroll(nightmare) to present day roster to bare minor system to UFA's leaving. When will someone over there realize 21 million for three players did not work!!!Most Hockey people knew it the night they heard Richards signed for 7.8 mil. It will get worse before it gets better.
Posted by: ajax | January 31, 2008 at 09:53 AM
I think the defensemem should wear Hare Krishna cuts and the forwards wear Mohawks, the coaches should wear reverse Mohawks and the Goalie should wear hair so long that it drags the ice like a mop...that would be entertainment for a change.
Posted by: Not The Marlboro Man | January 31, 2008 at 09:55 AM
If I was Jay Feaster, I'd take Ted's advice and fire the coach. My second move would be to fire myself.
Posted by: Voice of the Turtle | January 31, 2008 at 10:33 AM
Tortorella really needs to go. He hasn't adjusted to his personnel. This season is officially a disaster and next season will be if the franchise sale isn't consummated.
Posted by: jr | January 31, 2008 at 12:11 PM
Who the hell are you chic to dictate who can post what. Take your rosies and shove them.
Posted by: dwight | January 31, 2008 at 12:12 PM
Wasn't the vinny-marty-vinnie line just about the best line we have ever seen? why mess with it? Maybe to get Brad more points to up his trade value? The MVP line fed off each other, they were defensively responsible, they were the only shining light in an awful year, and they split it up?? Who's running the asylum?? why why why
Posted by: ajax | January 31, 2008 at 12:41 PM
Chic, I'm with you too. Dwight needs an anger management support group more than he needs this site! I think Ajax is on the money, Khabby was as inconsistent as Holmer, but he had better D-men in front of him. Clearly Feaster has done the worst job, but one of his moves that I have yet to hear criticized is the new assistant coach. Out defense, Sullivan's job, has been terrible all season. At least Torts is trying to do something with the lines, I have seen nothing to improve the mistakes our defense makes night in and night out.
Posted by: Gene | January 31, 2008 at 12:49 PM
Chic , I'm with Dwight. You must be the bizarro world Jimmy.
More than welcome to post your Kool aid stuff but some of us may see it slightly differently.I'm sure that you will understand..this is a free for all.
Leo, strong rumour about Les Bleu Blanc Rouge making a big play for Jokinen
The deal would include two current roster forwards and a defensive prospect.
If that happens V4 becomes a Hab cap pipe dream
Posted by: bear | January 31, 2008 at 01:06 PM
Feastie has stated he doesn't want to be known as the GM who traded Lecavalier.
Worse notoriety is in store for him, for he will be known as the GM who couldn't sign/retain Vince because of the fine wax job Brad Richards did on Jay's car.
Oh, we're so better off with Brad than Lecavalier, right? Everybody in the League wants Brad so we HAVE to give him astronomical frog skins to keep him. Now we can't give him away, nor can we keep the face of the franchise.
How DOES this GM look in a mirror without slashing himself?
Maybe he's blissfully OK with everything and the rest of us might get out the Gillette wrist bands.
BTW, exactly why---is Denis stinking up Norfolk and Ramo is here watching nightly futility? This is exactly the type of party to which Denis talents are matched. If nothing else, Ramo gets to fine tune his act in the AHL, while Denis helps us really slam to the bottom of the Marianna's Trench. THEN we can rebound...
Posted by: Casper | January 31, 2008 at 01:29 PM
I read an article once that said when you're feeling down you should smile. Even if you don't feel happy, the act of moving the specific combination of muscles in your face that cause you to smile will fool your brain in to thinking that you're happy. Since I don't want to feel down for the whole of the next two months, I'm going to try very hard to adopt the 'rosies' approach. How's this for a silver lining: Tort's new player combinations will give us all a last chance to see our 'top' players on the ice together before some of them move on to other teams? See, I'm trying! Now I just have to work on the rugby positives in advance of England's first Six Nations game against Wales on Saturday...
Posted by: Niki | January 31, 2008 at 01:38 PM
We need a Bolts Rugby song.
It would be a beauty/
Posted by: | January 31, 2008 at 02:04 PM
Can you imagine a country that has a leek for a national emblem. England wins!
Posted by: keith | January 31, 2008 at 02:43 PM
Glad to have found a fellow England Rugby supporter on the blog Keith!
I agree that a Bolts Rugby song would be a beauty, but also probably unrepeatable on a family blog such as this!
Posted by: Niki | January 31, 2008 at 02:51 PM
I heard Rugby is good drinking man's game, if so where can I sign up! On another note: How much you want to bet that when the trade dead line comes around that Jay Feaster pulls another dope move like the Denis hornswoggling. If he does, they should run his #ss out of town on a Greyhound buss full of hobos. I have never been a fan of his and never will be. If Ron Cambell doesn't fire him then Ron Cambell and the rest of those morons need to go as well.
Rock Bottom sounds like a good rugby song here...because we have definitely hit rock bottom. I can't wait to watch what kind of science project hits the ice tonight, because you know what ever it is its going to stink.
Posted by: Not The Marlboro Man | January 31, 2008 at 04:49 PM
Bear,
Consensus in Mtl is: we don't want Jokinen unless he's dirt-cheap.
Not knowing what he can do in the playoffs is a major point for us. The great thing about the Habs is that this team has SYSTEMATICALLY shown that they are a BETTER TEAM in the playoffs than during the season. (Seems like a goofy statement considering we haven't passed the second round in 15yrs but it's nonetheless true.)
In other words, Mtl can't really say that they NEED a guy like Joki for the Run because...well...who IS HE during the Run?
Next,
If Joki comes; Saku leaves. No other way.
So!
Joki or Saku?
Saku Koivu. The warrior, the lionheart.
Any day.
Sides that, who will Florida want? Mtl BELIEVES in their future; what will they accept to give up for Joki?
Not alot.
P.
Posted by: leo | January 31, 2008 at 09:17 PM
Im Gainey fan
Supposedly the the two dancin Kos bros and a d prospect.Donagan or similar name.
Habs would be a pretty good bet either way the way OOO A is playing.
Posted by: bear | January 31, 2008 at 11:58 PM
Foghat is stupid.. Ysie wore #15... what a hoser.
Foghat is mediocre
Posted by: Foghat Legman is stupid | February 01, 2008 at 01:05 PM
Bear,
Please refrain from trying to give me a myocardial infarction.
The brothers K and McDonaugh for Joki?
Madness. Total madness. Either brother will be BETTER than Joki, if they aren't right now.
McDonaugh will be a house-hold name in 2yrs and a Norris winner in 4 (mark my words, McDonaugh is the Real Deal).
Ridiculous.
For Joki?
We got no room for him, but I would be prepared to trade Higgins, straight-up.
Or Chipchura, Gorges and Halak together.
But realistically, it would have to be Saku straight-up, and Saku won't waive for Florida, I'll tell ya that for nuthin.
Fugeddabowdit.
P.
Posted by: leo | February 01, 2008 at 01:46 PM
Whoops, I think, ah say I think you may be right. Ysebaert wore #15 for us after #16 for Detroit. Must be the eyes ya know.
And yes, why ah say yes, I am stupid. What's your excuse? Daddy left the barn when you were at a tender age? Snap, AH SAY, SNAP OUT OF IT BOY! Yo momma and her sisters weren't all bad, wink, wink.
What's your excuse again?? It's all right, you don't, Ah say you don't have to hide behind Momma's feathers all the time, boy.
Anybody anonymously plagiarizin' and hidin' behind another's moniker is just a little bit yyeeeesh, know whut I mean? Now go out and play....
ROTFLMAO and glad I ain't you.
Posted by: Foghat Legman | February 02, 2008 at 08:46 AM