Caps 2, Bolts 1

[Scoresheet - Super Stats - AP Recap]

I didn't get a chance to listen to the game last night (I was off obliterating breaking my Yom Kippur fast), but have a few thoughts this morning after a look at the box score and a perusal of the intertubes.

But before we get started, what's up with the streak of lightning on the pants?

I never thought I'd have reason to have a "least favorite pant" in the League, but congrats to the Bolts on providing one for me (though they could be worse, I guess). Alright, on to the game:

• Brent Johnson saved 18 of the 19 shots he faced, including all 10 in the third period.
  
• By many accounts, Dave Steckel was an absolute monster last night. He scored the Caps' first goal, finished +1 and won 67% of his faceoffs, all while playing the role of shutdown center. He's certainly making his case to stay in D.C.
• The Caps won 53% of the game's faceoffs.
  
• Mike Green had a powerplay assist and was +1.
• The Caps leader in ice time was Nicklas Backstrom, at 23:46, but that's nothing. John Torotorella played Dan Boyle for 32:20. In an exhibition game. Not surprisingly, Boyle tried to take matters into his own hands in the locker room, pulling an Owen Wilson.
• Alex Semin attempted 11 shots on goal and scored the game-winning powerplay goal, assisted by Backstrom and Green. That's an encouraging scoring summary.
  

For much more on the game, check out Vogs' recap. And here's hoping Dan Boyle has a speedy recovery - he's an integral part of my fantasy team.

Sunday Roundup/Gameday: Caps @ Pens

[NHL.com Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

In case you haven't heard, the Caps and Pens will be facing off this afternoon on national television. The Pens enter the game with a 15-game point streak (13-0-2), while the Caps... well... not so much (though they have gotten at least one point out of four of their last five games). Washington's Alexes have gone cold, as Alex Ovechkin has only one goal in his last six games and Alex Semin has only one goal in his last eight outings, and the team is getting absolutely no offensive help from the blueline. Consider:

• Caps defensemen have combined for just 16 goals on the season in more than 377 man-games (Ben Clymer played several games on defense, but did not score a goal), four fewer than Habs' rearguard Sheldon Souray has in 59 games.
• Jamie Heward's two power-play goals and Brian Pothier's one tally with the extra man are the only special teams goals scored by the Caps defensemen so far this year. Thirty-eight NHL defensemen have three or more special teams goals individually.
• The Caps' entire d-corps has 28 power-play points. So does Sergei Zubov. Sheldon Souray, Sergei Gonchar and Dan Boyle all have more.
• Pothier leads the blueline in assists with 18, 41st among NHL defensemen, despite playing with two of the League's top-11 goal scorers.
  

Yes, the Caps tend to use four forwards on the power-play, thereby limiting opportunities for defensemen to get points thereon, and there are several slumping forwards who aren't helping the D much either (paging Brian Sutherby). But any way you cut it, those stats are pretty bleak, and until the team starts getting better production from the blueline - better breakout passes, more shots at the net for rebounds, etc. - the team will likely continue to struggle to score.

As always, get all your previews from around the Cap-o-sphere over at Washington Hockey Daily. Enjoy the game, and Let's Go Caps!

Daily Awards

• Hart: Henrik Zetterberg (3G, including game-winner, A, 6 SOG)
• Ross: Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk (4 points each)
  
• Norris: Dion Phaneuf (G, 3 SOG, 5 hits)
  
• Vezina: Martin Brodeur (26-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Henrik Zetterberg (3G)
  
• Calder: Daniel Girardi (2A, +1)
  
• Aiken: Steve Valiquette (L, 2 goals allowed on 8 shots against in 19:24 of relief work)

Friday Roundup/Lightning 5, Caps 4

[SeSo Open Thread]

The Caps started out their four-game road trip in Tampa last night, and in a game that saw each team dominate and look lost for separate stretches at a time, the Caps were unable to beat Bolts goaltender Johan Holmqvist in the third period and left 5-4 losers. Some thoughts on the game:

• Seven third period shots isn't going to get it done when you trail by one on the road.
• Dan Boyle is so good. Jamie Heward is not.
• Obviously this wasn't one of Olie Kolzig's better games. In fact, it was one of his worst, as he let in three goals that I'm sure he'd like to have back (as he put it, "The team played terrific, but the goalie let them down tonight"). Still, I'll take Kolzig over Holmqvist heading into the third period of a tied game any day. That said, I think Saturday night in Miami might be a good time to give Brent Johnson a start.
• The Caps seemed confused every time the Bolts were able to set up behind the net. It didn't help matters that Ben Clymer (or perhaps it was Brooks Laich) threw the puck back there rather than clearing it up the boards on what shortly thereafter became Marty St. Louis' game-winning tally.
• Alex Semin had another two beautiful goals, but it's the same old story for him - he scores on the power play or as the result of a spectacular individual effort. He needs better linemates than Kris Beech and a clearly-less-than-100% Matt Pettinger.
• Which brings me to my final point, and that is the difference between these two teams - $14 million. Without question, the $14m difference in payroll between the squads was the difference tonight. A defenseman (or two), a second-line center or winger - it wouldn't have taken much for this to have been a Caps win rather than a loss. Now that's two straight one-goal losses to Tampa. Three one-goal losses to Atlanta. Eleven one-goal losses on the year. These points get harder and harder to give up knowing that the Caps are simultaneously so close and yet so far away.
  

Off to Miami for another big game Saturday night. Then again, they're all big games... for now.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

• If you're in Peoria, IL on March 24 for Maui Jim Sunglasses Night at the AHL game between the host Rivermen and visiting Chicago Wolves, be sure to stay afterwards for the post-game Christian concert (offer apparently not valid for Jeff Halpern, Mathieu Schneider, Michael Cammelleri or J.P.).
• Vogs has a cool post on a late (and I mean late) scoring change. Interesting stuff.
• 3 Grumpy Caps fans doesn't (don't?) like E.J. Hradek much at all.
  

Daily Awards

• Hart: Tomas Holmstrom (3G, including the game-winner, A, +2, 7 SOG)
  
• Ross: Pavel Datsyuk (5 points)
  
• Norris: Zdeno Chara (G, A, +2, 5 SOG, 4 hits, 29:43 of ice time)
  
• Vezina: David Aebischer (W, 34 saves on 36 shots against)
  
• Richard: Tomas Holmstrom (3G)
  
• Calder: Anze Kopitar (G, A, +2, 2 SOG in 5-2 loss)
  
• Aiken: Peter Budaj (L, 5 goals allowed on 17 shots against in 32:01 of work)

Steve Eminger: Stud Or Stiff?

Caps blueliner Steve Eminger would be the first to tell you that he stunk on ice last night against Tampa (actually, I might be the first to tell you that and Steinberg might be the first to tell you that I'll tell you that, but I digress).

Through 29 games this season, Emmy, now in his third full NHL season, has no goals, five assists and a minus-8 plus/minus rating, putting him on pace for a 14 assist/minus-19 campaign, this on the heels of a five-goal, 13-assist, minus-12 season last year. Per TSN.ca's scouting report, Eminger "[h]as the tools to quarterback the power play," "[d]isplays plenty of offensive acumen," and "can also be a solid defender," but it's simply not translating on the ice. By most accounts, he has taken a big step backwards this year, and the numbers would seem to back that up (though he has played better since being paired with John Erskine).

Speaking of numbers, let's take a look at some, shall we? Currently, he's third among the team's defensemen in time-on-ice-per-game (18:22) and shorthanded ice time per game and getting next-to-no power play ice time. Contrast that with last year, where he was second among blueliners in TOI/G (21:20), third in SH TOI/G and actually got power play minutes. Obviously minutes are earned and not handed out like candy on Halloween and the signing of Brian Pothier and emergence of Mike Green have cut into Emmy's minutes as well, but part of the decrease in production is no doubt the result of the two-plus minutes of power play time per game that he has lost.

So how should we measure Eminger's progress (or lack thereof)? How about comparing Eminger to other blueliners drafted after back in 2002 (excluding top-five picks Jay Bouwmeester and Joni Pitkanen who are quite simply another level of defenseman). Because of the Caps' rebuild, Eminger has played more games than any of them and has outscored them all too (though Chicago's Duncan Keith is about to pass him [sidenote: never trust a man with two first names]). But is there a blueliner taken after Eminger that you'd rather have right now? Any Trevor Daley fans out there? Perhaps Keith, and I've heard good things about Grebeshkov, Babchuk and Koltsov, but haven't been impressed. Point being that it's too early to tell on these kids.

What about defensemen drafted in a similar spot in the draft? Here's a list of all the defensemen taken between tenth and 15th overall in the five years leading up to the 2002 draft (in which Eminger was taken 12th): Brad Ference, Branislav Mezei, Jeff Jillson, Ron Hainsey, Dan Hamhuis and Igor Knyazev. Do you see anyone there who Eminger can't be better than in the next one-to-five years? Maybe Hamhuis?

Emmy's points-per-game might not be where you'd like, but the experience he has gained in the NHL at such an early age should prove invaluable down the road. And that's wherein the problem lies. How long will it be until we reach that point down the road where Eminger is the "top two defenseman" TSN think he can be?

It's no secret that defensemen take longer to develop than forwards, so let's take a look at some other very successful "top two" blueliners. Through 124 NHL games, Eminger has five goals, 24 assists and is minus-33. Dan Boyle? Through 129 games in the show, Boyle had 10 goals, 29 assists and was minus-17 for the Florida Panthers (of course Boyle was signed as an undrafted free agent, so expectations were lower). Sheldon Souray? Through 130 NHL games, Souray had four goals, 14 assists and was +23 for stingy Devil teams. Bryan McCabe? 162 games, 15 goals, 36 assists, -26 for the Isles. Philippe Boucher (who was taken 13th overall back in 1991)? 124 games, 15 goals, 32 assists, -26.

You get the point.

The bottom line is that at barely 23 years old and with less than two full NHL seasons' worth of experience it is far too early to give up on Eminger and call him a bust. What is most troubling, however, are the mental errors that are so apparent in his game. Whether it's not knowing when to step up to play a puck versus backing off to play the man or flipping a puck over the glass from the defensive zone, these mistakes have been killers and have been quite disappointing. But there have been plenty of extremely successful hockey players who have compensated for a lack of natural hockey sense with hard work and raw skill. Hopefully Eminger has enough of the former to develop the latter and make him a reliable top-four defenseman someday in the not-too-distant future.

Tuesday Roundup/Gamenight: Lightning @ Caps

[SeSo Open Thread]

When the Caps and Bolts take to the ice tonight at the V.C., they'll be two teams headed in opposite directions. Tampa is a recent League Champ whose best days seem to be behind them as they struggle with salary cap management and currently sit in 13th place in the Conference after going 2-7-1 in their last ten games. The Caps, on the other hand, have nearly enough cap space to support an entire other NHL team, are 7-2-1 in their last ten tilts and are in sixth place and (hopefully) rising in the East.

Yet for all of these apparent on- and off-ice differences, I'm not ready to bury the Lightning quite yet. Sure, their goaltending has been suspect. And their blueline is mediocre. And they have no depth up front. But as long as they have the most talented triplets to terrorize the nation's capital since Troy, Emmit and Michael, they're a team with which to be reckoned in my book, and it will take a big effort to beat them.

One more interesting fact about the Bolts: I have Brad Richards, Dan Boyle, Ryan Craig and Paul Ranger on my fantasy team. Paul Ranger belongs on no man's fantasy team.

I'll have more thoughts on the game throughout the day over on the ol' SeSo, and please stop by the Open Thread and make yourself heard.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

• Dave Fay profiles the improvements in Boyd Gordon's game. Tarik el-Bashir similarly discusses Alex Ovechkin's improved play. Which are you going to read first? I thought so.
• Frodo St. Louis is in the holiday spirit. Are you?
• Some yokel out in San Fran doesn't think Sid and Alex are superstars (maybe it's a title he reserves for Nancy Pelosi).
• Gambling = bad. Sign the petition (and check out who already has).
• The Caps are up to ninth on ESPN's power rankings.
• If you're headed to Friday night's game against the Devils, wear a pair of reflective sunglasses and watch Marty Brodeur cry like a little girl.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Sergei Fedorov (2G, including game-winner, A, +2, 3 SOG, 1 hit)
• Ross: Sergei Fedorov, Dan Fritsche (3 points each)
• Norris: Chris Pronger (2A, 7 SOG)
• Vezina: J.-S. Giguere (W, 27 saves on 28 shots against, A)
• Richard: Sergei Fedorov, Robert Lang (2G each)
• Calder: Dustin Penner (G, A, +1)
• Aiken: Dominik Hasek (3 goals allowed on 12 shots against in just one period of work)

Wednesday Roundup/Gamenight: Pens @ Caps

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview - Official Game Day Thread]

Tonight at the Verizon Center the Caps get their last chance this season to beat the worst team in the NHL, a team against whom they enter the night 0-3-0 having been outscored 19-8 on the campaign. The Pens are coming off a tough overtime loss at home last night, so if there was ever a time to get 'em, it'd be tonight in [fill in the blank]'s last game in a Capitals sweater.

Speaking of those who may or may not be dealt, the WaPo gives us the lowdown, focusing on the possibility of the captain being traded. The WTimes hits on a similar theme, but also tells us that Alex Ovechkin sat out of yesterday's practice and will get some more rest down the stretch so that he doesn't hit the dreaded wall (not that I wouldn't expect him to smash right through it even if he did).

Thread of the Day: Jeff Schultz [Caps D prospect] Hockey's Future Article (3/7): Developing in the WHL

Elsewhere 'round the rinks:

• Happy Birthday to Hall of Fame defenseman and former Cap Larry Murphy, born on this day in 1961. Murphy had an incredible career in terms of longevity, statistics and accomplishments, but he'll always get the "whoop whoop" around here.
  
• Other former NHLers celebrating birthdays include former Cap Craig Johnson (b. 1972), former Cap Rob Zettler (b. 1968), former Cap Mike Lalor (b. 1963), and Brent Fedyk (b. 1967). Current (I think) NHLer Bob Boughner (b. 1971) is also a birthday boy today.
• Per TSN.ca, "[t]he Dallas Stars are 9-0, and Jussi Jokinen is 9-for-9, in shootouts this season after Tuesday night's win in Edmonton." Bonus shootout statistic: Joe Sakic is now 0-for-6 in shootouts, but is 4-for-4 on penalty shots in his career. Go figure.
  

Daily Awards

• Hart: Tomas Kaberle (Goal, 3 assists, +1)
• Ross: Tomas Kaberle (4 points)
  
• Norris: Dan Boyle (2 goals, assist, +2, 4 shots on goal, hit, blocked shot)
  
• Vezina: Rick DiPietro (30 saves on 31 shots in shootout win)
  
• Richard: Dan Boyle, Mike Comrie, Wes Walz, David Legwand, Andy McDonald (2 goals each)
  
• Calder: Sidney Crosby (Goal, assist, +1, 5 shots on goal, blocked shot)
  
• Aiken: Manny Legace (Loss, 5 goals against on 24 shots)
  

Thursday Roundup/Lightning 4, Caps 3 (SO)

[Boxscore - Recap - Postgame Coverage]

A very Happy Turkey Day to one and all.

The Lightning roared back from a three-goal deficit and finally got the better of the Caps in a shootout last night (though it took extra innings, which really emphasized the difference in depth between the two teams up front, as Tampa sent out Vinny Prospal as the fifth shooter and the Caps countered with Tomas Fleischmann). A few other observations on the game:

• "Automatic" Alex Ovechkin is officially in the midst of his first slump as an NHLer and not coincidentally found his way into Chez Bow Wow last night for an extended period of time after trying to force a pass at the top of the offensive zone and visibly showing frustration on the ice. Is the bogus Russian law suit getting to him? Is getting shown up by Sid the Kid (including two embarassing mini-celebrations on non-goals) with the eyes of the hockey world squarely on him in his head? No and no. El Ocho is a goal scorer and goal scorers go through frustrating droughts, plain and simple. Ask Peter Bondra, Brett Hull, Ilya Kovalchuk - basically anyone who has scored a lot of goals in the NHL has gone through dry spells. Keep shooting, Sasha. The goals will come back soon, and when they do, they'll come in bunches. Large bunches. Perhaps his goal in the shootout will get him back on track.
• I don't like to complain about the officiating. My thinking has always been that if you let the game get to a point where an official is in the position to decide it, it's your own fault if they make a bad call or miss an obvious one. This is especially true in a game in which your team has a three-goal lead. Plus, it tends to sound whiny. So rather than complain about the officiating, let me complain about an official - Don Koharski. He blew at least two major calls in last night's game in which goals should have been awarded to the Caps (Ben Clymer, Brian Willsie) and another in which 99 times out of 100 the whistle blows (like it did on the Willsie-no goal) before Rob DiMaio can dig the puck out from under Olie Kolzig to score. There were other missed calls (notably on Matt Pettinger getting tripped) and phantom calls (Steve Eminger's OT high stick) - as someone noted in the postgame call-in show on the radio, Koharski must be pregnant, because he missed two periods (after the first stanza, TB had five power plays, including a 5-on-3 in overtime while the Caps had not one extra man advantage after the opening frame) - but I'll stop my belly-aching after the big, game-deciding calls. In the famous words of Jim Schoenfeld... well, you know what he thought of Koho.
• Kolzig was absolutely brilliant. So were the penalty-killers.
• Can we start calling the Ben Clymer-Brian Sutherby-Matt Bradley line "the Killer B's," or do the Houston Astros have a copyright on the moniker? It's particularly apt in this case given the amount of buzzing the trio does around the crease (like bumblebees, in the words of "The Hockey Song").

For more level-minded recaps, check out the WaPo's here (the bottom of which reads like the late night lineup on CourtTV5, International Sports Court) and the WTimes' here. And speaking of local media, it's as good a time as any for me to profess my undying love of NBC4 sportscaster Lindsay Czarniak. Never before have I seen a woman with such an impressive combination of pure beauty, sports knowledge and flawless diction. Lindsay Czarniak... you're on notice.

Elsewhere around the League:

• Hey, look! Wayne Gretzky's been retired for six-and-a-half years but he's still getting preferential treatment from the officials.
  

Daily Awards

• Hart: Mikael Samuelsson (2G, 2A, +4)
  
• Ross: Mikael Samuelsson (2G, 2A)
  
• Norris: Dan Boyle (2G, +2)
  
• Vezina: Martin Brodeur (W, 24 saves on 25 shots against)
  
• Richard: Dan Boyle, Glen Murray, Mikael Samuelsson, Pascal Dupuis, Jason Arnott (2G each)
  
• Calder: Mike Morrison (W, 22 saves on 25 shots against)
  
• Aiken: Peter Budaj (L, 6 goals against on 28 shots against)
  

Japers' Pick

• Last night's game: This is getting downright embarassing. Another loss and I'm almost becoming a sure thing... to be wrong. Current Record: 5-9.
• Tonight's game: We'll try an experiment tonight. With three games on the slate, I'll pick all three, but here's the catch - since I'm barely picking above 33%, I'll pick against my instincts and presumably will end up picking two of the three correctly. Makes sense, no? Here we go. The Rangers win in Atlanta, 4-3; the Preds win at home against LA, 3-2; and the Sharks surprise the Canucks in Vancouver, 5-3.
  

Tuesday Roundup/Gamenight: Lightning @ Caps

[Gameday Preview - NHL.com Preview]

Fresh off a big win against the Flyers last night in Tampa and without 2003-04 Art Ross Trophy winner Martin St. Louis (broken finger), the defending champs come to Washington for the teams' third meeting of the season in a nationally televised tilt. The Caps will again be without Olie Kolzig in net (and possibly without Dainius Zubrus up front), so it will take a tremendous amount of discipline and strong goaltending to even keep this game close. Oh, and let's try this again: if you go to the game tonight and see a good-looking guy in a #67 Bourque jersey and shout "hey, J.P., let me buy you a beer," I'll let you do just that.

The WaPo has an article on how Andrew Cassels wishes he wasn't healthy-scratched every game (we wish he didn't stink every game he was in the lineup) and the WTimes has a worthy read on how the Caps' special teams haven't been all that special. Unless you mean "special" in a Special Olympics kind of way, in which case the Caps special teams certainly deserve that moniker.

Elsewhere around the League:

• I think I know what I want for Hannukah.
  

Daily Awards

• Hart: Jarome Iginla (GWG, 2A, +1 in Calgary's 3-2 come-from-behind win)
  
• Ross: Vaclav Prospal (3G, A)
  
• Norris: Dan Boyle (G, A, +1)
  
• Vezina: Rick DiPietro (W, 26 saves on 28 shots against and 8 saves on 9 shots against in the shootout)
  
• Richard: Vaclav Prospal (3G)
  
• Calder: Erik Christensen (G, A, +1)
  
• Aiken: David Aebischer (L, 5 goals against on 22 shots)
  

Japers' Pick

• Last game: OK, we blew the Wings/Canucks game pretty badly. Current Record: 2-2.
• Tonight's game: Time to get back to our early-season winning ways. Will I pick an easy game just to get off the schneid? Of course not. Instead, I'll pick a matchup of team's with an identical number of points in the standings as the Kings visit Nashville. And the crystal ball says... Nashville 3, Kings 2.
  

Team Preview: Tampa Bay Lightning

Key additions: Sean Burke, G (FA - PHI); Vaclav Prospal, C/LW (FA - ANA); Rob DiMaio, RW (FA - DAL); Jim Campbell, RW (FA - NYI); Norm Milley, RW (FA - BUF); Todd Rohloff, D (FA - CBJ); Jason Jaspers, C (T - PHX); Alexander Polushin, C/RW (D - 2001, 2/47); Mike Egener, D (D - 2003, 2/34); Timo Helbling, D (D - 1999, 6/162 by NSH)

Key losses: Nikolai Khabibulin, G (FA - CHI); Cory Stillman, LW/RW (FA - CRL); Brad Lukowich, D (FA - NYI); Andre Roy, LW (FA - PIT); Ben Clymer, RW (FA - WSH); Jassen Cullimore, D (FA - CHI); Jamie Storr, G (FA - PHI); Jarrod Skalde, C (T - PHX); Stanislav Neckar, D (FA); Dwayne Hay, LW (FA); Sheldon Keefe, RW (FA - PHX); Darren Rumble, D (FA); Pascal Trepanier, D (FA); Evgeny Konstantinov, G (FA); Eric Perrin, C (FA - Europe); Shane Willis, LW (FA - Europe)

Key player unsigned: Nikita Alexeev, RW/LW

Forwards: From 2001-02 through 2003-04, the Tampa Bay Lightning's League rank in goals scored went from 28th to 13th to third. Contributing to that increase in production were improvements by several key players over that stretch. Reigning Art Ross Trophy winner Martin St. Louis went from 35 to 70 to 94 points. Conn Smythe winner Brad Richards went from 62 to 74 to 79 points. Wings Fredrik Modin (31-40-57) and Ruslan Fedotenko (26-32-39) also improved in each of their last three NHL seasons. Former (and future) captain Vincent Lecavalier actually took a step back points-wise in 2003-04 (though he ended the season on fire with 42 points and a plus-27 rating in his last 36 games), but established himself as a true leader in the playoffs, perhaps best exemplified by his willingness to drop the gloves with Jarome Iginla. The Lightning lost Cory Stillman to free agency but actually had already replaced him by bringing back Vinny Prospal, who had 79 points for Tampa in 2002-03 before doing a disappointing tour of duty in Anaheim in 2003-04. The top two lines of Prospal-Lecavalier-Fedotenko and Modin-Richards-St. Louis are as dangerous a one-two punch as there is in the League (though some in Ottawa might argue), and the checking line of Dave Andreychuk, Tim Taylor and Rob DiMaio is long on character and grit. The Lightning got career years from St. Louis, Richards, Modin, Fedotenko and the departed Stillman in 2003-04, but the best may still be yet to come for Richards and Lecavalier, so don't expect the Lightning offense to regress much, if at all.

Defensemen: The leader of the Lightning defense is Pavel Kubina, a big man who will play bigger minutes in 2004-05. Kubina notched a career-high 35 points in 2003-04, a career-best plus-9 rating (especially impressive given that prior to 2003-04, his career plus-minus rating was minus-95), and put the League on notice of his ability to shutdown opposing forwards (ask Jarome Iginla). He will be joined on the blueline by Dan Boyle, Darryl Sydor, Cory Sarich, Nolan Pratt and likely Todd Rohloff. Despite being undersized, power play specialist Boyle had a plus-23 rating in 2003-04 and is just one season removed from a 53-point campaign (Boyle had 39 points in 2003-04). Sydor, who was rescued from Columbus midway through the 2003-04 season, is a solid two-way defenseman, but his 45+ point days are behind him. Sarich is a big hitter who is learning to play more responsibly in his own zone. Pratt is a decent back-end blueliner with no offensive skills of which to speak. As for Rohloff, all you need to know is that he's been castoff by the Blue Jackets and Capitals since January of 2004. Prospect Mike Egener will not break camp with the team, but he will no doubt be in a Lightning uniform sooner rather than later.

Goaltenders: Nikolai Khabibulin took his Stanley Cup and bolted the Bolts for more money. Now the hockey world will see whether The 'Bulin Wall made the Lightning or vice versa. Khabibulin's heir apparent, John Grahame, apparently wasn't so apparent to Tampa management, so they went out and acquired 16-year veteran Sean Burke as an insurance policy. Some insurance - the 38-year-old Burke is already missing time with a groin injury. Burke has played in only 69 games since the end of the 2001-02 season due to various injuries and benchings, but also had the NHL's highest save percentage (.919) over the five years leading up to 2003-04. As for Grahame, he started 2003-04 like a house afire, compiling a 13-6-1 record with a 1.69 goals against average and a .922 save percentage in his first 20 starts, but finished the season with 18 wins, a 2.06 GAA and a .913 SV%. If both goalies can stay healthy, expect Jack Adams Trophy winner John Tortorella to play the hot hand (if we had to bet, our money would be on Grahame getting most of the starts). With a good defense in front of him, whoever is in goal for Tampa should post fairly strong numbers.

Bottom line: 2003-04 was a storybook season for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Eastern Conference's best team during the regular season, they were the NHL's best team in the postseason and took home most of the hardware the League has to hand out. The big question facing Tampa as they try to repeat is, of course, in goal. But if Grahame can step up or if Burke can stay healthy, the Bolts will again challenge for the Presidents' Trophy and will be poised for another deep playoff run. One point worth noting is that Tampa signed Lecavalier and St. Louis to huge ($6+ million) deals in the offseason, likely signalling that this is Richards' last year with the team. Whether the associated drama finds it's way onto the ice in any perceivably fashion remains to be seen, but we're willing to bet that in two years the Lightning will be wishing they'd kept Richards and not St. Louis.