Relax, The Bolts Will Figure It Out

     You had to know this was not going to be easy. If you didn’t, you were fooling yourself.

      This is a new season and, no matter what kind of team you have, it takes time to build it up again. Once you have achieved what the Tampa Bay Lightning did, you seem to have less to prove. But, in reality, everyone has the same amount to prove. Mainly, that is, because almost nothing from a special 2010-11 season matters.

      The only thing that remains is how a team feels about each other. That is one major reason why I can say this about the 1-2-1 start.

      Don’t panic.

      Marty St. Louis said it best to the local media last night after the game.

      “This league is an unforgiving league. You have to earn it every day. You look at [defending Stanley Cup champion] Boston is 1-3. It's the National Hockey League. Every team, whenever the year starts, it starts from scratch. Nobody is going to give you wins; you have to earn it. And we haven't done that.”

      Even though the Lightning did not play at their best in the first three games, you can’t really complain about a 1-1-1 start. If not for an ugly turnover with under three minutes left in regulation, they just might have gotten out of Washington with a 5-4 victory.

      But Thursday’s game at the Nassau Coliseum showed clearly what was missing.

      “We weren’t relentless,” coach Guy Boucher said to the media Friday.

     There wasn’t that extra effort we saw last season. The gaps between the defensemen and forwards were too wide, there were too many hope passes and the Islanders won the majority of the puck battles. Turnovers? Way too many. If my math is right from one box I saw, the Islanders were credited with 20 takeaways.

     Those who tend to over react will pick on certain players. Through four games, they already have. Each picks their own whipping boy.

     No doubt, some could be playing better. But, in my opinion, it’s not about the roster right now. Sure, maybe down the road Steve Yzerman may have to make a trade with all that cap space. But not now. I’ll say this though: those who complain about Mattias Ohlund better look at the 14 goals they have given up the last three games. The Bolts need his presence.

     The things that went wrong Thursday can be corrected. It’s not a mystery to the players, either. It’s about finding that rhythm they had last season defensively, and in transition, with that extra fighting spirit. They need to play like they have plenty to prove. When they were at their best last season, there was always support on the ice when something went array or someone winning a race to the puck. Every turnover seems to go in the net this season and most of them the goalie had little chance at stopping.

      Starting on the road for five straight is not easy. The players won’t make excuses though.

      I’m not the type of writer that is going to take shots at players. I never have been. So if you are looking for me to rip into the team and make up rumors about wacky trades, you won’t get it here.

      But I won’t sugarcoat when the team struggles. Aside from the last two periods in Carolina and parts of the Washington game, the Bolts have not played well. I just wonder why fans would over react to three points in four games. Lightning fans saw the Bolts respond to these types of stretches all of last season with mostly the same group.

      Sit back, with four home games coming up before the end of the month, relax and enjoy watching them find the answers.

      Bolts vs. the Dineens: It is difficult for me to feel ill will for the Florida Panthers anymore. Not that the franchise ever bothered me, but they were a rival that has been a mighty pest the last half decade.

      Now that Kevin Dineen is the coach of the Panthers, they have a chance to get back into the playoffs. Peter DeBoer was a good coach. But, knowing Dineen the way I do from my days covering the Hartford Whalers, he will get this new group to play for him and go the extra mile. Hartford Whalers fans used to call Dineen “John Wayne on skates.” Now, I guess you can call him John Wayne with a clipboard. He was blood and guts as a Whaler and loyal to the end. He scored big goals and could fight, too. Ask Mike Milbury. Smelling salts please?

       I remember interviewing Dineen after a morning skate at the St. Pete Times Forum back in 1997. My last question was about Paul Coffey, who was whining about wanting a trade from the seemingly lame-duck Whalers at the time -- even though they had a chance at the playoffs. Dineen simply said. “I don’t want to talk about a player that doesn’t want to be on this team.”

      Classy player. Will be a classy coach.

      Watching the Panthers Tuesday against Pittsburgh I could already see a lot of Dineen in the team. They will be awfully difficult to beat when they build chemistry with 14 new players on the roster.

     

         Mark Pukalo

     

2011-12 Lightning Preview

       Throughout the preseason, Tampa Bay Lightning coach Guy Boucher has been talking about the details needed to win.

       Sometimes good teams forget the many little things that made them special the year before, the players get too proud of themselves and impatient.

        After the Lightning reached Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals, it would be easy for the same group to want to fast forward to the playoffs again. But there is a lot of work to do before then in a wide-open conference filled with teams that have changed and will change. No matter how much talent is on the roster, the Lightning must embrace the journey.

       “We have to go in with a mindset that it’s square one,” Bolts center Nate Thompson said. “We have to raise the bar, expectations. Teams aren’t going to take us lightly, but we have to do the same things that made us successful last year. Our goal is to make the playoffs and then go from there.”

        Gone are forwards Simon Gagne and Sean Bergenheim, who both did their best work in the playoffs a season ago. Steady Mike Lundin and Randy Jones have departed from the defense along with Matt Smaby. Mathieu Garon has replaced Mike Smith as the backup goalie.

        Ryan Shannon fills in for Bergenheim in some ways. Shannon is not as physical as Bergenheim, but might be a little more crafty offensively and has a bit more speed.

        Brett Connolly was the lone surprise out of training camp, winning a spot for now. The 19-year old’s quick release could provide some much-needed supplemental offense.

       “[Connolly] has accomplished more in a shorter span than was expected,” Boucher said. “We were expecting him to be like this next year. That’s encouraging for him and the team.”

       Connolly isn’t guaranteed to stay. He will have to show he can make an impact the first nine games before the Bolts have to make a decision on whether to use the first year of his entry-level contract.

       Boucher likes the depth he has up front. Defenseman Mattias Ohlund’s injury allowed him to keep 14 forwards and avoid the possibility of losing a player through waivers. He wants to get them all in the lineup early on.

       Blair Jones and Connolly are expected to play in the opener, with Tom Pyatt and Mattias Ritola scratched.

       “I have some tough decisions,” Boucher said. “But the season has a way of sorting these things out.”

      Perhaps no one should make a big deal about line combinations for Boucher, who changes it up constantly so players don’t get too comfortable – among other reasons.

      Steve Downie starts out with Steven Stamkos and Marty St. Louis, who is two short of 300 career goals. Stamkos and St. Louis combined for 190 points a season ago. Stamkos has 119 goals in his first three seasons and a new five-year contract. Downie struggled through injuries most of 2010-11, but has looked healthy and focused in the preseason.

      Boucher tried Vinny Lecavalier with Teddy Purcell and Ryan Malone last season and didn’t stick with it. The trio has seemed to blend a bit better this preseason. Malone needs one point for 300 in his career and his eighth game will be his 500^th. Lecavalier has a chance to play his 1,000^th career game this season and is seven points short of 800. Purcell hopes to top his career bests of 17 goals and 51 points.

      Connolly starts with Dominic Moore and Shannon most likely, although expect Connolly to get some shifts with Stamkos and St. Louis. Moore had a career-high 18 goals last season and Shannon had a career-best 11 goals with Ottawa.

      Thompson joins Hall and Jones on the other line to start. You can’t call it a fourth line, because you may see Hall and Thompson get lots of minutes.

      Pyatt and Ritola will get their shots, perhaps as early as Saturday against Boston. Ritola is a wild card who could add scoring. Dana Tyrell is always there in Norfolk if needed and Carter Ashton could get a chance later.

      The defense will have to be sharp early on, with speedy Carolina to start and Boston and Washington to follow in a five-game road trip to begin the season.

      Ohlund won’t be there, so Victor Hedman will slide up with Eric Brewer on the top unit for the most part. Hedman made strides last season and was unflappable in the playoffs. He may be ready to be an all star. Brewer was the steadying two-way defenseman the Bolts needed last season and he will be depended upon heavily.

      Brett Clark, who plays his 600^th career game in the opener, is slated to start with newcomer Matt Gilroy. Gilroy is one of those players that could make a big impact on the season, with his speed and puck-moving ability. The hope is that he can be close to Lundin’s ability positionally on defense, but add more going forward.

      Pavel Kubina returns after his concussion during the playoffs and will be a key. Kubina had some excellent stretches last season, but will be expected to be more consistent. Marc-Andre Bergeron will play with Kubina quite a bit to start and get some power-play time with his cannon of a shot. Bruno Gervais is a steady defenseman that can fill in at any time.

     The Bolts were able to deal with adversity last season, especially with injuries to top players. That gives them confidence.

     “Other guys had to step up,” Thompson said. “That’s what it’s all about. No one’s going to feel sorry for you, because every team goes through it.”

      Dwayne Roloson turns 42 next week. He plays like he’s 22 some nights. Roloson will want to play more games, but Garon will probably get 30 or so if both stay healthy. Garon’s performance will be very important.

      Roloson looked strong in the preseason and there’s no reason he can’t put up solid numbers again, Roloson only lost 12 of 34 games with the Bolts in the regular season and had a .924 save percentage in the playoffs. Garon and Roloson combined for 41 wins with Edmonton in 2007-08.

      The Lightning was able to rebound from tough times all of last season, capped by an eight-game win streak after falling down three games to one in the first round of the playoffs. Can they be as good at that this season?

      There’s no doubt, the Bolts come into the season as the hunted and not the hunter.

      “The mentality heading into this year has to be different,” Stamkos said. “But at the end of the day we’ve got to realize we don’t want to change the things that made us successful. We just need to do the things we did last year and improve, take it one step further. It’s not going to be easy, but I think the guys that were here last year realize that and the guys that were brought in fit that mold.”

      Mark Pukalo

    

Why I H.....Well, Intensely Dislike the Boston Bruins

      I don’t want to use the ‘H’ word anymore. Never liked hearing it about anything, so why should I say it?

      But if I ever let it slip out again, it will probably be during a hockey game when the Boston Bruins are involved. Oh, the New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Steelers and Penguins, and LeBron could force me to break my vow some day, but nothing in sports gets me more steamed than a Bruins victory.

      What are the roots of my disdain? Two words: Hartford Whalers.

      Once the Whalers joined the NHL via the WHA in 1979, the Bruins’ snobbery was evident and GM Harry Sinden was their arrogant leader.

      Nothing the players, coaches or GMs could do would be worse than the fans though. They would buy their tickets before the season and slide down from Boston to make Whalers’ fans life hell. I didn’t like going to Whalers-Bruins game at the Hartford Civic Center -- The Mall -- because I didn’t want to deal with those nasty fans. They acted like they owned the place and the Whalers’ failures in big spots would only add to the misery when the Bruins were in town.

      There was the day Ron Francis was traded to Pittsburgh by Eddie Johnston, who later worked for the Penguins. Or was that Herman Munster? There was the day the Whalers announced they were leaving town, when the staff, politicians around then-governor John Rowland inexplicably clapped after his farewell-to-the-Whale speech. There was the day Claude Lemieux went top shelf on Mike Liut in Game 7 in 1986. There was the day Yvon Corriveau missed the net on a breakaway in OT and Russ Courtnall scored the winner in Game 7 in 1992, with a puck that I heard Whalers goalie Frank Pietrangelo claimed went under the ice at the Forum. There was even that Ray Bourque goal from 160 feet on Kay Whitmore.

       But there was no worse day in Whalers’ history than April 11, 1990. The Whalers had the Bruins down two games to one in the first-round playoff series and a 5-2 lead entering the third period at home. The Mall was rocking. Heck, Bourque was injured and not in the lineup. But somehow, some way, the Whale lost the lead and the game, 6-5. Bobby “freaking” Beers scored on Peter Sidorkiewicz. The Bruins won in seven games. Walking out of the Mall that night was the worst experience I have ever had at a sporting event or even watching. It was far worse than Christian Laettner’s double-pump jumper to beat UConn in the East Regional final just a few weeks earlier. Bruins fans were in our faces the whole way out. It was the best half hour of self restraint I have ever accomplished.

      Then there were the announcers. Fred Cusick’s tone was always annoying to hear. Derek Sanderson had some funny things to say at times, but was mostly sarcastic. “Coulda called [the penalty], chose not to,” Sanderson would say when someone touched a Bruins player. Jack Edwards, well, anyone that’s heard him knows how over-the-top he can be. I do have to give Jack credit for his comments last year on the hockey fan base in Tampa being good. His partner Andy Brickley, in my opinion, can be unprofessional at times. His analysis that the Lightning were consistently diving in a late regular-season game against his Bruins last season was about as far out of line as I’ve heard an analyst be.

      Sure, I have some friends that were and still are Bruins fans. They are not all bad. But I have been around a lot of fan bases in my day and, as a whole, there has never been one that had more mean-spirited people. Whalers’ fans took a lot of abuse for no reason.

      That is why I was very upset at what I saw at the end Game 4 in the Eastern Conference semifinal series between the Flyers and Bruins last May. In the final minute, with the Bruins fans celebrating the end of the series, there was a fan with two hands in the air slapping the glass with approval. He was wearing a Whalers sweater. That had me upset for a week. There is no way in the world someone who was a true Whalers fan could become a Bruins fan. And, even if they did, that person cannot wear a Whalers jersey to a Bruins game and cheer for them. It’s just wrong.

       This year’s Bruins team was also very easy to dislike. Nathan Horton, Brad Marchand and Milan Lucic continually got away with stuff after the whistle. I really have no idea what Horton’s problem is? Claude Julien showing his displeasure to the referees after Lucic was penalized for sucker-punching Victor Hedman, too. What was that all about? Heck, he should have been suspended. But Colin Campbell…..Well, I won’t go there.

       So, I will go on “disliking” the Bruins. Maybe you will say I am unreasonable. That’s fine. But if you lived through those days in the late 80s and early 90s around Bruins fans, you would likely feel the same way.

       You go Shanny: I am quickly becoming a fan of Brendan Shanahan in his new role as NHL disciplinarian, suspending players for unnecessary hits. He has been swift, clear and tough, enforcing the rules. Let’s hope he does not stop in the regular season and the NHLPA realizes that it is good for the players and keeps quiet.

       The NHL will not lose any of its toughness with longer suspensions for dirty, clumsy hits. Hopefully, players will learn how to target the hip and the shoulder again or think before they make a run at a defense-less player. It’s a fast game and mistakes are made, but players and coaches have to be more responsible or we could have a tragedy on the ice. It is a physical game and can still be rough and tumble when the headhunters are reformed or taken out of the game. There is no need to get rid of fighting either. Just zap the instigator rule Mr. Bettman.

       Keep up the good work Shanny.

       Previews: I will preview the season early next week. My plan is to do the Western Conference Monday, the Atlantic and Northeast divisions Tuesday and Wednesday and the Bolts Thursday.

       Mark Pukalo