HC Slovan players lose, get bonus anyway

I have to say I really liked HC Slovan owner Eric Assimakopoulos. Maybe it's that we're fellow New Yorkers. Maybe because he seems like a generous individual, and on Tuesday said he was giving his players their 10,000 Euro bonus anyway, even though they lost 3-2 in a shootout to the Lightning.

You recall from earlier today, Assimakopoulos said he would give the bonuses to each player ($14,323.19 on the exchange rate) if they won. But after a terrific effort in which the team, for some stretches, outplayed Tampa Bay, Assimakopoulos, pounded his fist over his heart and said the bonuses would be paid.

Very quickly now because it's 3 a.m. and I just flew in to Prague from Slovakia, let's look at the good and bad of the game:

GOOD

- Vinny Lecavalier scored a goal and a shootout goal. Should provide him confidence going into the regular season.

- His linemates Marty St. Louis and Vinny Prospal skated well.

- Evgeny Artyukhin is looking more and more confident.

- Rookie defenseman Vladimir Mihalik is looking more and more confident.

- Power play is at least moving the puck better.

- Defenseman Andrej Meszaros becoming more and more of a force and inserting his personality into the game.

- Mike Smith is a good goaltender.

- Lightning finished preseason 5-1, and we can start thinking about the regular season. "Now," Lecavalier said, "it's the real thing."

BAD

- Ridiculous frustration penalties took all the wind out of the second period.

- Power play was 3-for-33 in preseason.

- Team has trouble finishing. Hit three crossbars and a post against HC Slovan.

- Defense still can run around. Sorry, just don't think Andrew Hutchinson will be a top 6.

- Coach Barry Melrose said team will work with Mike Smith to make better decisions sometimes on when to handle the puck.

Comments

[rbc]

you people need to relax, you cant go from a sub par nhl team to dynamo overnight. Remember with what they were left with, alot of ahl talent type players on the nhl club. They will address their needs, you just can't do it at the snap of a finger. Get lives and stop acting so ignorant, give them time, it's going to take some time to get acclimated with all these new players. I said this b4 i think we will be a much improved team and maybe sneak into the playoffs. We will be better and look to next year to get that elephant out of the room. GO BOLTS!!!!!!!!

Thx for keeping us posted DC -- now get some sleep

[olin]

...thanks DC for all your working posts to keep us informed of goings on across the pond. My previous computer of 9 years finally bit the dust and had to go shopping and was without for over a week, but back in business at last.

[Hockey Chic]

DC,
Thanks for the update for most of us at work it was very frustrating as we could not watch streaming videa and relied on our good buddies (Cookie you rock) to help us figure out what was going on during the game.

The NHL network was slow as mollasses with regard to the update and the Bolts home page actually took you to that website. Although as slow as a snails pace it was crazy.

Glad to see Vinny 4 got the cob webs out. Glad we won and it sounds like the Slovak players really gave them a hand full. I am happy for them that their owner stepped up and gave them all bonuses. I am sure it was much deserved.

Sounds like our D worries are still there. Hello OK when we going to address this issue or are we going to keep acting like it is the elephant in the rooom?

Way to play fellas cannot wait to see saturdays game....

Go Bolts!!

[Don in St. Pete]

DC, Good recap, pretty much how I saw it. Smitty was our best penalty killer, especially during a long stretch during the second period. Hutch should be waved post haste so we can get Smaby back over here. He hasn't even shown enough to be considered for the #7 d spot. Sorry, but the sooner he is gone the better. As bad as he was Matt Carle wasn't much better and plying them both on the same pairing was just torture for any bolts fan watching the streaming video. OK, LEN, Lawton....HELP!!!!