First Day of Training Camp

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Chris Gratton works to complete as many pull ups as he can in thirty seconds during fitness tests on the opening day of training camp at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa Tuesday morning.
[DIRK SHADD | Times]

The team huddles around as head coach Barry Melrose draws up drills as he gives instructions on the ice.
[DIRK SHADD | Times]

Lightning forward Vinny Lecavalier takes off his equipment in the locker room after practice on the ice.
[DIRK SHADD | Times]

Comments

[PD]

Its tuff work, nice to put one in.

[Steve R]

Now that was funny PD

[Don in St. Pete]

ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!! Good one PD! Nobody can get Leo going like you can!

[léo]

You know what, PD?
That was...
That was actually pretty funny.
You win this round.
P.

[PD]

I believe she plays center on the Habs.

[léo]

I'm not laughing.
"Wait til the playoffs"? What, can you see the future, PD? Is Miss Cleo hiring?
P.

[PD]

Have a good laugh cuz at playoff time, when it changes big time, it will be on you...again.

[Don in St. Pete]

Great post over on tbo.com. EE says Melrose has been thoroughly impressed with Vladamir Mihalik and told him today, if he keeps playing like he has been he will make the team. Stunning news! The kid is a freak of nature and was a +9 on a weak Norfolk team last season. Interesting reading on the Bolts website as Ryan Malone has a daily blog as well as the Lightning insider.

[léo]

Exactly!
So you have NOTHING to worry about. Nothing at all. Anyone can beat Us EASY, as long as they show grit. Cuz We're chokers and afraid to go in the blue and Our phenom is a sieve. And We're drinking KoolAid. And brother, do I ever know it. I'm just too afraid to admit it. We are an easily hammerable team; there it is.
You've got NOTHING to worry about.
Right?
...hee-hee-hee-heeeeee...eeeeee-heee-heeeh-haaah-HAAH-ha-ha-ha!
Aaaah, that was fun. Ahem,
Top to bottom, We'll crush you all. Then face Detroit City in the Final.
You should listen to Ms. She may be on to something. Leave my Boys out of it.
P.

[Herb]

One team loses a 7 game series while only winning 1 game on a last minute goal (to tie the game)and still the losing team dominated the winning team LMAO. Oh the humanity of it all!!!Just crazy!!! We all have to consider the source.

[PD]

Heh Leo I have figured you out. You are a class A revisionist historian.

Guess what in that Philly series they hammered you. None of your little sucks ie Saku and the sisters went to the blue and thats why you lost, not just because Price has a hole in his glove. No one gave what it took to get to the net. Philly beat you with grit..
and brother you know it.

And now you add yet another Marshmello center in Lang.
Bwaaa hah hah as you say.

Heh Ajax your dream might come through with the leafs but they have the kids getting the ice so thats a good thing as the table is being set for Burkie.

[Steve R]

Bad news for the Canes

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=249810&lid=headline&lpos=secStory_nhl

[ms]

Every time there is a good flow of comments pertaining to the LIGHTNING and TRAINING CAMP someone has to try and antagonize Leo who then brings in a bunch of babble. QUIT IT! Let's talk about training camp, how the boys look, and what we think is too come!

[léo]

rbc,
You own Us in the playoffs? We played ONCE 4 years ago. Yes, THAT Bolt dominated Our THEN team. Right now? You say you're praying? That's a good idea, rbc.
SteveR,
You're absolutely right. No it doesn't matter. It only matters when you say "crush" instead of "win", because you are distorting reality where I am not.
And that's right Casper,
We're soooo like that, crying at the refs cuz We deserve calls for Us. That is So Us! The only way We can win is with the refs help. That's 100% correct. That FACT has been pinpointed by Casper in opposition to ALL other teams in the league: The Habs NEED the refs and cry when they don't get'em because they EXPECT calls to go their way. It's EVEN in the team-manual and it's on the table during EVERY pre-game strategizing.(snort!)
Look at what you're reduced to, Casper.
P.

[ajax]

I have often wondered how the Shabs and the Leafs can ever skate with that Silver Spoon wedged up their buttocks?

[Casper]

I've watched those Canadien jamokes for many a year.

They play this game as though they EXPECT to get the calls. When someone whizzes by them, they whirl around to the Zebra and ask why no call was made.

Equally humorous/tedious is the look of shock and indignation when they are finally and infrequently whistled.

Blessed be the day when parity of the calls reign.
Speak of the devil, anybody else hope our lousy luck with the officiating went up I-75 with Tortorella, or has The Mullet brough a whole new series of ill will from the referees?

I still say you make your own good luck through hard work and the whistle stays quiet when the yap is not sniveling. The Refs just want to get through the game and not endure histrionics from candy@sses.

Every Shift. Every Game. Win.
Don't permit yourself to be out-worked, or you'll lose.

Go Bolts!

[Steve R]

leo,

"may not be familiar with the distiction between the terms "winning" and "crushing", but there is one"

Does it really matter when the end result either way was the Habs playing golf and Philly playing the Pens?

[rbc]

leo, i would pray that we make it to the playoffs and we face the heartless habs. Then proceed to pummel you like we know would happen if we met you in the playoffs, cause last i looked we own your team in playoffs. Tell me am i lying.

[léo]

We weren't crushed; We dominated them. It's the REASON people say We choked, cuz We had and have a better team. But we couldn't finish and the Priceberg melted.
Still, we doubled the Flyers on shots and offensive-zone occupancy.
I understand how Washy-town, still in NHL infancy compared to Us, may not be familiar with the distiction between the terms "winning" and "crushing", but there is one.
Now if you MEANT "winning" again, of course the Flyers can repeat. Anything can happen. Even though I don't think so; I accept the possibiliy.
But "crushing" again? That doesn't work. Cuz they never crushed Us. That is an impossibility.
Because We are superior.
And that's it.
P.

[Steve R]

Does that mean that the Flyers don't crush you again this year leo?

[Léo]

Don't apologize, Ajax. I have no trouble believing that something like that could happen. But with ONE important difference,
It wouldn't be game7; it would be game1.
Only in game1 could Crazy Luck like that occur...and then you'd get crushed in 4 straight. See, cuz up to THAT point, you'd've been playin' against peasants; now, you'd be playin' against Us.
So YOU getting up there or any OTHER team getting up there doesn't make no nevermind; We'll crush you all.
TB in Conf. Final? Sure.
What do We care?
P.

[ajax]

In a perfect world!!! The din has begun. The hubbub is thru out the halls of work. The chatter, the babes, the beer-man, yes. Hockey is here. All of the secondary sports in this country have to take a back seat. I feel alive again. I have a reason to get out of bed. Even the ole job can't weigh me down for the next 8 (hopefully 10) months. I see 52-20-5-5, yes 114 point season, Presidents trophy, 2nd Stanley hoisted about June 5, 2009. Since I am dreaming, here are my other two wishes from Jeanne. Toronto finishes 15-50-5-2 and PD apologizes for his unceasing attack of our Bolts, and in the most unbelievable game ever played we beat Montreal in OT of game 7 of the conference finals 2-1, after Price lets in a 60 foot slapshot to tie the game with 3 seconds left, denying the Shabs a trip to the finals in their 100th year of failure.(Kovalev hits the post on all 3 of his penalty shots, as the refs try to hand the game to Montreal(again) Hey, a guy has to have dreams, why not shoot high??

[MaxHunter]

Wait a second...

This is proof positive that us readers will pick apart anything and everything.

Are you SURE Gratton is doing pull-ups? It looks like he's on a wait bench.

What kind of shoddy journalism is this anyway?! Sheesh! *L*

Max

[Casper]

Hang up those skates properly, please...

Go Bolts!

[Tackleberry]

Glad to see V4 is on the ice again. I hope that he doesnt re-injure himself. I would rather have him miss the first couple reg season games than to repeat like Boyle. Good luck to all the bolts.

Cant wait to see them at practice today. I want to see who will step up amongst the blue-liners.