Front office blasts Canadian reporter

What a long day. The flight to Toronto was nice enough but immigration took longer than usual and traffic from the airport to downtown was such that it took an hour to get to the team hotel. Then had to work, and finally got something to eat on a rainy and cold night.

So, those are my excuses for not submitting something to this site earlier today.

There was much interest around the Lightning about a weekend report by Hockey Night in Canada's Al Strachan, who said owner Len Barrie was in the Lightning locker room during one of the games against the Rangers in Prague and started diagramming power play and penalty kill strategies.

Both Barrie and coach Barry Melrose said it did not happen.

"What a joke. I mean, come on," Barrie said. "We've got four capable coaches to do that. The day we don't think they are capable of handling that is the day I don't go into the locker room to diagram plays but to make a change (at coach)."

"Al is sort of a spaghetti salesman," Melrose said. "Al just throws so much against the wall and hopes something sticks. It's B.S. Al thrives on B.S. It's total lies."

Strachan said his anonymous source was a Lightning player. Asked if that bothered him, Melrose said, "Well, if it is, then the liar is in the dressing room. If that's the case, yeah, I'd be worried about that. But I can't worry about that. If a guy is a liar, he's a liar."

As far as practice on Monday, Melrose broke up Vinny Lecavalier's line, putting Matt Pettinger on the left wing in place of Vinny Prospal, who was centering a line that included Chris Gratton and Mark Recchi. ... Both Ryan Craig and Radim Vrbata, both out with groins, practiced and made the trip to Toronto, but it seemed unlikely either would play.

Comments

See I had _inside info_ that Pettinger wasn't going to be on the top line long :p

[Boltflasher]

Jay I was responding to YOUR comment:

"The ego-driven Boltflasher (though it was nice to see him eat crow on another board)?"

and what other board are you talking about? please explain what I ever did to you...

[coach bill]

Good point Flasher. Fat Jay-you might be gaining some credibility. Stop with the vial and meanness, and keep posting worthwhile tidbits. That's what we all look forward to ( others points of view). That offer for a beer is really on. I'll be there on Sat night and you can ask Karen (the usher at 112 ) where I'm at and we can meet after the 1st period.

[fat jay]

That's it..keep acting like a jerkoff. I guess it matters who spouts the venom at whom. You weren't even part of the conversation.

[Boltflasher]

PD....Thanks!

[Boltflasher]

Fat Jay, here's some advice: If you want people to listen to what you have to say, don't disparage them. That will automatically turn them off to whatever you have to say even if you have something intelligent to say. You come across that all you have to say is venom...you're pseudoname spouts venom as well and is a predicter that your filled with hate...as your posts have indicated also....get a grip...following a local sports team is supposed to be fun, not full of hatred and venom at other fans...

[Fat Jay]

Bill, the point I was making is that DISP was critical of posters who don't post their real names. Well I'm not aware that anyone here posts their full real name and I can't say that I blame them.

Yeah, I could sign my posts "Steve" instead of "Fat Jay" but basically it's still a pseudonym. Just making a point, albeit a small one.

Hats off and respect to Casper, Turtle, Don, Bill, shock therapy and the other familiar names and pseudonyms, yes including PD since he or she does seem to care about the team and at least wish they would win more and do better, unlike a pure neg or troll who's more delighted with failure, bashing, irritating people and venom spewing. We've all known a few.

But IMO it's only fair to say criticism is warranted also; if you as owners/coaches/players don't think you deserve criticism and upset fans at 1-7 with a team loaded with this much expensive, great talent you're really delusional. There's also room for positive outlooks and observations, and the ones providing them deserve no derision for so doing IMO

I do not get the demotion of Prospal either, esp. for a no-name who was dumped, esp. to put him on a line with two of the sport's greatest stars. Maybe that line combo won't last even a whole game though--as did Torts, Melrose has said he likes to shake up lines to give guys different looks, as a chemistry experiment. Anything's worth a try when you're struggling this bad.

More props to the goalies for hanging tough, I hope they continue while the team digs out of this hole as I'm confident they will. This team's best days lie ahead

"Psychophants"....heheheh...good coinage there Don

[coach bill]

Fat Jay- Noone said you can't criticize. If that what floats your boat,chirp all you want. Some may ask, "What's your point?" Are you just going to criticize, or do you have anything to offer( in the way of adding something to this blog)? Most constant critics come off as some authoritative figure that comes across as some disgruntled "expert" who's outraged at the inabilities of the current powers. Is that you, Jay? If so, teach us what we need to know. I'm not at all happy with our season thus far,but I'm a fan- that's all. I go to the games. Do you? If so, where do you sit? Let's hook up and you can enlighten me on where we have to go. I'll buy the beer (if you're old enough). Like I said earlier, we are hockey fans and OK Sports has dropped millions so that we can have a team. Were you at the Ice Fest? What a great time! My grandson had the time of his life. All food and drinks ( inc. beer ) was $1.00_. My point being,as I said earlier, is that if all you do is criticize, you're missing the big picture. It's about watching hockey and having fun. 'Sure wish we could be doing better and hopefully that will come. BTW- I've met Don in St. Pete and his name is really Don. 'thought you might want to know that.

[PD]

Thx Jay, the two grandmothers just can't stand a disparaging word about the imploding mgmt can they?
Obviously their voice and opinion is supposedly worth more than others.

I think that they are lobbying to have the boo birds eliminated at SPF too.

Bolt fascists.LOL

Flasher however is a very reasonable man.

[Don in St. Pete]

Fat Jay, My name is Don, and I've had the good fortune of meeting and getting to know a couple of the other TRUE Lightning fans and bloggers. Unlike the anonymous naysayers who wouldn't attend the bloggers party because they aren't true fans but Psychophants who thrill in stoking each others hate to the detriment of the true fans of this blog. I'll be the first to admit all is not well with the Bolts right now, but I will leave the name calling, conspiracy theories and idiocy to the children here who have nothing better to do.

[Fat Jay]

Count me in the PD group. Who the hell says posters can't criticize the team? The flatulence-laced Ajax? "Don in St. Pete" who says that's his real name?
The ego-driven Boltflasher (though it was nice to see him eat crow on another board)?

The fact is V-4 had his bags packed until Torts was fired. He didn't realize new ownership would come up with an even worse coach. Now he has to play with a Barrie investor on the Fantasy Line. What about Prospal, the only forward that left everything on the ice in Saturday's debacle. I'm sure he'll play just as hard on his new line.
The entire organization is a disaster.

[Casper]

'Blah blah blog' from 9:34 am, that was a thing of beauty. Thanks for the nostalgic cognition, it was like someone had open a window, long shut. Good idea to leave it anon, h. (Wink, wink.)

Enjoyed the other solid point that Pettinger can offer the 'Nucks nothing, but is now one-third of an All World line. I think it's time to scrape my shoes...

The Gang has had a rough go of it thus far. I hope they don't become the Tampa Bay Possums---they get killed on the road. I am so sick of buttermilk for my tummy after the first seven...

I need to hear Otter and Bluto stand up in the locker room and inform the team: "We need a Win. This calls for an incredibly stupid act on someone's part." And then (Marty St. Louis) says, "And we're just the guys to do it. Let's DO IIITTT!!!"

Go Delta House!

Go Bolts!

[Plop Plop Fizz Fizz]

Can you imagine barfing lunch after dining with Geraldo Rivera and Al Strachan?

[Boltflasher]

I hope my concern about Pettinger is proven wrong. He had one good season with the Craps,...was he Halpern's winger that year??

[Boltflasher]

It IS hard to believe that Pettinger, who could not even make Vancouver roster lands a spot on the top line here...this move bothers me more than any thing else that has gone on...again, a win will temporarily cure many ills...Good Luck Bolts...

[Andy in Dunedin]

Back in college (high school?), I spread the rumor that the Sabres were going to trade Doug Rombough to the Islanders for Brian Spencer at the trade deadline. Two days later, they did. My friends thought I had an inside into the Sabres organization.

Nope, it was just a guess. Figured which player(s) Sabres might trade, and figured which players were rumored to be on the block from other teams - then tried to figure out which ones were a relatively even match and picked the one that seemed most even in my mind.

Every time Al Strachen opens his mouth, he reminds me of that story. Insider knowledge, educated guessing, or simply shot in the dark??? I think he does a little of each, and it's up to the reader / viewer to determine which he's doing at any one minute.

[Mike S.]

Ya know, I tend to believe the story... Koules said they were going to be actively involved. Since Mullet Boy seems to coach by proxy anyway, why not let the owners give play calling a shot, can't be any worse than what they're doing anyway. Shoot, while we're at it, why not use this blog to manage the team since a few seem to know so much more than everyone else.
It's going to be 0-2 over the next two games... and maybe it'll be buhhhh bye Mullet Boy... then I'll get my season tickets again.

[shock therapy]

Geografer - well put - its like fantasy hockey. Count me in for next year's camp week!

What is so sad is that we got Prospal back to to re-ignite our goal, and as of now he is argueably one of our highest performing players out there, and now twice he has been demoted - or as I see it removed from a line that actually has chemistry.

I just don't get it. I am all for some occasional unconventional thought and wisdom, but thus far all I have seen is bonehead decisions.

And yes, as a season ticket holder and die hard fan, I am permitted thr right to criticize equally as much as I praise when it is deserved.

Have a great day lightning bloggers, I am off to work so I can save up for fantasy hockey camp!

[PD]

Right on Geografer and to my point about Pettinger earlier.
He gets full marks by using his connections to by pass failure on two teams and now takes a seat in the front row with Vinny
That's how a Barrie boy does business!..gotta give him props for pulling it off.

[Geografer]

I want to make sure I have this straight. Vancouver (who is in need of offense) puts Pettinger on waivers because they don't want him anymore. We claim him (though Barrie claims their friendship has nothing to do with it) and now he is on the top line with Vinny and Marty!! Hey Barrie - how much do I have to invest? Because I would love to spend some time playing on a line with Vinny and Marty. Heck - I would be happy just to be able to hang out in the locker room with the team. Name the investment required and I will send it ASAP!

This is why this team is rapidly becoming the joke of the league and why the owners are in fact a bunch of cowboys.

Again, for the third and (hopefully) final time--signing no pseudonym is a protest against software that allows the misuse of the pseudonym by anyone who wants to pass off their own stuff as someone else's. I got tired of it so that's that.

[Melanie]

So, will the Bolts end up in last place again? If so, does Melrose get canned? If so, who takes over?? I know it's too early in the season to make a decision now...I just hope the Bolts can pull this season out of the crapper. I see that the Islanders are worse than we are...they have 2 wins but only have 4 points!! I hope these road trip games get the Bolts some wins. COME ON BOLTS!!!!!!!

[PD]

Yeah I'm a negative cynic because I haven't bought the Koules Bullsht for one minute.

Now the worm turning and proving me right.

I somehow don't think I'm alone here Don and Ajax and gutless nameless poster, but do lap it up.

When this team gets bought by a real owner I'l be the 1st back on board.

Meanwhile, I prefer to recogize when I'm being taken for a ride.

[Don in St. Pete]

Leo brought up a good point. If this rumour was false why do you call out a player or players? Now I know where PD get's all his inside info......what a joke. I hope all of us know better than to take him seriously now. He's a Cynic, way past being a pessimist. My advice is let him rant and pay no attention. I agree Leo that the last comment by Melrose was unnecessary. He needs to concentrate on getting favorable matchups on the ice and motivating the players. Statements like that will not go a long way toward creating a positive vibe in the room. I hope the coach, team and management can move past this futile excersize and get on a winning track. GO BOLTS!

[Adam]

relax. Al is the same guy who swore Vinny was going to ask to be traded during this last off-season. He's infamous for printing unsubstantiated garbage.

Blah blah blog.

Ajax - good questions that deserve an attempt at clarification. Every single message board I've ever visited - Lightning-oriented or otherwise - always has some creatures who, like monkeys, delight in wallowing in their own filth and flinging it all over everyone else who's trying in the face of difficulty to remain positive. For the negs, being positive is an alien activity, esp. when it's so much EASIER to be negative (esp. for Lightning fans, 2004 excluded). Path of least resistance. Plus, as a bonus, they get all kinds of ATTENTION from the fans of the team, and even though it's negative attention, like a 3-year-old they compulsively lap it up. Trust me, their whole outlook on life outside this little computer thingy is also most likely intensely negative and cynical(what, they're normally positive, happy folks who are fun to be around but who reserve all their bile for this area?) and worthy of pity. They take out their frustration at the economic situation on the folks who like the team and want to use it as a positive distraction from the coming dark nightmare that awaits the country. (You think times are tough now, just wait. In simple terms: Increase govt. spending and overtax business --> forces them to cut jobs and production; move any expansion plans overseas; close their doors; or get taken over by govt. --> quality of goods plummets --> unemployment and cost of goods soar --> things get worse for middle class --> rinse & repeat)

In the final analysis sports are just a diversion from the stress and negativity of everyday life, and the cynical types like instead to bring the stress and negativity INTO the diversion area, in the guise of "just being realistic", never seeming to grasp the concept that sports are all about ESCAPING reality for a little while

[Boltflasher]

Good luck to Bolts tonight...nothing like a win to help clear the air...And good luck to Rays who now have a shot to get back in the Series....

Is this another game not televised locally?????

What so i have to do to see a game on TV????

[Steve-O]

Travelling on business tonight. Anybody know if I can watch the game via that internet thingy?

[Steve-O]

Interesting debate. "If" it happened, then Melrose would have to go for allowing it in his dressing room. A chance to earn respect with his team by kicking the owner out and he cowers? IF it happened. More line changes and a "liar in our dressing room". When the team is down, it has to be an us against the world my brothers. (see Rays) Not coach -vs- Us -vs-them. Bone headed move by M-rose. I agree with ST that there is no chance for him to go back to TV if he doesn't fix this team first. "How bout some of that coaching Sh_t Mav" (sic)

Be nice to see a Stamkos goal in his beloved Toronto. He should be fired up tonight.

[coach bill]

Ajax- great post on the redundancy of negativeism and its worth.I too wonder why there are some who constantly dwell on the negative. Are their lives that sad? I don't think Leo is quite in that group however. He is pretty astute in his hockey wisdom. I enjoy his comments ( as I really do yours). We have to remain optimistic or the whole season will be a miserable wash. This IS supposed to be a game,isn't it? We hockey fans should enjoy this as a form of entertainment. The constant critics are really setting themselves up for a very unhappy ride. I'll stick with The Bolts. I can survive this. I'm a Red Sox fan,remember?

[shock therapy]

Gotta love blogging! Well folks, the story is true, and sources will never be revealed, but one of the recent bloggers hit the nail on the head - non-actively playing player had insight and passed on the word as part of being disgruntled, it happens all the time, and in this case,the timing was perfect to start to hang a noose around melrose and raise even more speculation about his hiring.

Ironically, the man who has made a living as an analyst cticizing everyone else is not handling his own criticism all that well. Funny how defensive and poorly thought out his comments are - I think the lightning need better PR guys to stand beside him 24/7 - next thing you know he will be telling us he can see russia from coaching office and therefore is qualified to install european approaches to hockey! Does anyone think he is starting to feel bad for all the negativity he put out regarding other players and coaches in the past, or will he remain arrogant and when fired from TBL blame continue to fault others?

I doubt he will return back to TV, no credibility as an analyst when you cant win a game behind the bench. Perhaps he can ride into the sunset on his horse on loan from one of the cowboys.

Go Lightning!

[jiffy]

Anyone that WANTED Melrose as coach is a bozo- this is exactly the kind of stuff we are going to hear about while he is here.... hopefully a short stay! He might make headlines but, usually not in a good way.

[Mo]

A player DID rat on his mates.
Tampa has several guys Al can talk with that are NOT playing, it was NOT a player that played in that game.

[PD]

Tough one Ajax, Ill probably have to go with Matt Pettinger.

[Boltflasher]

I think you misread my comment about Strachan...I said the ONLY thing Strachan has been right about with the Bolts that I can remeber was the Melrose hiring. Barry put it best: "Al is sort of a spaghetti salesman," Melrose said. "Al just throws so much against the wall and hopes something sticks. It's B.S. Al thrives on B.S. It's total lies."

[ajax]

Guilty of loving da Bolts, yes I am. Now imagine me, blogging everyday on the Leaf blog about the past umpteen years of Leaf futility. Wait, why would I waste my time. And there lies the rub with you PD. Every single day,from every topic from A to Z. Why oh Why?? Never in my life will I be able to figure out why you hate a team so much and yet spend so much time trying your dernest to convince all of us how this whole franchise from top to bottom stinks. Why? Insanity rules?? Our D stinks, Vrbata seems to be a huge mistake, but lots of other good things in my eyes. For you, Owners stink, Torts is GOd, Danny and Brad should have their jerseys in the rafters, Vinnie only scored 52 cause he is a floater, Marty is washed up, You want Kuba and Luke and Picard back for another round of 6-4 games with Brad a minus 3. Why would you waste your time, it is called negativity PD and you thrive on it. For me, I would do everything I possibly could to stay away from a topic that so obviously makes you miserable. So why do you enjoy it so much?? Do you go to the dentist just for the pain of it?? After 6 straight months of negative posts it drives me nuts? What makes someone like this tick??? Just try it once, Fill in the blank. I really like __________, I think he is quite an asset to the team. Maybe one of the ice girls??

[Eric]

I guess it's irrelevant (since it doesn't make your points for you morons) that Strachan also said Vinny wanted to be moved during the year to a Canadian team, and also said that during the offseason, there was 0 chance he resigned in Tampa.

He's also said that Kovalchuck would be a King, that Sundin would sign in Pheonix, and that Marian Hossa wouldn't sign anywhere for less than $10 mil per year.

We all know those things happened... so why not automatically believe this, because it so clearly paints how bad this ownership group is. Matter of fact, let's just give up on the entire franchise. Move em to Toronto to be the 2nd team there.

You people are beyond ridiculous. Its amazing that I even bother.

[Pd]

Move on Flasher, nuthin to see here.

[Boltflasher]

PD was that your comment on Ajax?

[léo]

I apologize for the implication, Ajax. For the record, I DID mention how I had trouble believing it.
As for Melrose saying there's a liar in the dressing room, I guess there's nothing to worry about.
P.

[PD]

Ajax loves the Koules Bolts like a 3 yr year old loves his mommy.

[PD]

Actually Stachan broke Palace selling , uh renting, the team to Koules fla group 1st too, but why quibble.

[PD]

Right Flasher, he had the Melrose signing 4 months before anybody and oh the angst here when it was announced.
Oh the denials and hair pulling.

I'll believe HNIC way before liars Koules and Barrie..ask Boyler or Torts if you want some 3rd party validation or I guess they are shitters too.

Let the implosion and side show begin.

Well put Leo, btw

[Boltflasher]

The only thing I know that Al was right on concerning the Bolts was the Melrose hiring...

[ajax]

Leo, you must of posted while I was writing. Your judgment on this is terribly skewed to say the least. Shame shame. For one second, think about how totally off the wall the accusation is. Maddening, how some of the stuff, that people, try so darn hard to make real, so all their sordid dreams appear real. You so badly want the Lightning to fail so you can be HAPPY. It is getting so old from all of you haters!!!!!!!!!!!! You are not Lightning fans that just happen to see the ugly obvious truth, you just ooze of wanting the Lightning to fail.

[ajax]

I read the usual suspects hoping for a grizzly story and common sense told me it just couldn't be true. Common sense wins out over the people hoping for anything ugly to jump on. Yeah, the Gm was in the locker room drawing on the chalk board and only one Toronto reporter knew about. Did any of you really believe it? or just hope it??
I will be ultra nice here, but for the few of you who just knew this was a story and just knew this proved so much,etc etc etc, at least give us 10 words or so to admit you overstepped just a tad in your daily hate mail. Please.

[Goalman]

The next time Al Strachan is credible will be the first time. Hey Al get a life EH? Things must really be slow in the Great White North.Stick to stories that interest us all,like how the Leafs have so much money but have such bad teams. Can you say cheap? EH?

[léo]

Ok. So it's all lies and there's a liar in the dressing room.
So who's the liar?
Did things just get better or worse?
Maybe the Mullet shouldn't have added that last part.
What he SHOULD have said was "Wherever Strachan does get his information, I am POSITIVE it wasn't from our dressing room."
Not "We should be worried there's a LIAR in the dressing room"!!!
Mullet, c'mon!
Now the guys are gonna be eyeing each other suspiciously instead of FOLLOWING THE GAMEPLAN.
Well done.
Glad that diagram thing was bogus.
Ugh.
P.