Tampa Lightning Defeat Toronto 3-2

Vincent Lecavalier and Mike Smith led Tampa to a 3-2 victory over a hard checking Toronto Maple Leaf team.

Lecavalier netted 2 goals, one of which came as the result of a fantastic breakaway that ended with a deke that has Toskala still bewildered as to how the Bolts' star could make a move like that.

While Toskala played a great game in the Leafs' net, at the other end of the ice Bolts' goalie Mike Smith was demonstrating all game that not only is he adept at stopping the puck he is also very sharp when it comes to handling the puck. Many times throughout the game the Leafs would shoot the puck deep into the Tampa end, but before they could chase it down or start a forecheck Smith was firing long bombs to his forwards at, or near, the Leafs blueline.

Smith looked every bit the gunslinger, firing pucks all over the ice to his forwards and leaving the Leafs wondering how they could get the puck safely into Tampa's end.

Ice Chips: Of historic note, Bolts super rookie Steven Stamkos, notched his first NHL point with an assist on Lecavalier's second goal of the game.

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Tuesday Morning Musings

Ottawa Senators Win a game!

Jason Spezza scored 2 and Dany Heatley notched a single to lead the Senators to a 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres.

But, more importantly, perhaps, Alex Auld got a victory. This should solidify his status as number one goalie for now.

It has been a strange first couple of weeks for the Senators. Sure they opened in Europe and perhaps they have not found their legs. But the Rangers and Penguins were also across the pond and they have looked pretty good so far this year.

Many point to the defense as the problem. But, I think it is deeper than that. Starting the season with Martin Gerber as the number one netminder just does not make sense. Gerber's track record as a number one goalie is less than stellar. I have always thought that Gerber does not "care enough" about victories. What motivates him, I don't know. But Craig Hartsburg better find out, and in a hurry. The Eastern Conference is just too tough for a late run to the playoffs.

Maple Leafs: I just can't believe that the Leafs are going to keep Luke Schenn around this year. Yes I can! The Leafs have a history of destroying young players and this is just another example of this situation. I sure hope that I am wrong on this count.

But you have to give the Leafs credit on the ice. I warned everyone in an earlier post that this team would be dangerous. Ottawa is the latest team to find out too late that Toronto's hard work and discipline combined with low expectations from their opponents has led to some victories.

Tampa Lightning: Early this summer, after some of their great free agent signings I suggested that the Lightning would be a contender. So far, I been proven to be completely wrong. Maybe they should have found a way to keep Dan Boyle. Because right now Tampa's defense looks pretty bad. But things can change, and with the great goaltending from Smith and a strong forward unit, the Bolts can still make my prediction look pretty good.

Tampa could start tonight with a victory in Toronto. All they have do is not take the Leafs too lightly.

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A Hockey Team for Toronto

Another NHL team in Toronto, Please!

It must have been a slow news day in Toronto. The Globe & Mail broke a story that the NHL was contemplating putting another team in the Toronto area.

Does anyone think that Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the owners of the Leafs, is going to allow another team into their market. NEVER! They might have to offer competitive ticket prices and, come to think of it, a competitive hockey team.

Nope, sorry Toronto fans, get used to it, there is no way that the Leafs are going to allow another team in their market.

But it is interesting that just about every national news broadcast in Canada covered this story and even regional broadcasts such as CTV's Sudbury channel carried this story.

I wonder what hockey rumor will surface on the next slow news day.

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Red Wings lose a close one in OT to Canucks

The night started off great if you are a long time Red Wings fan. After all, what could be better than a tribute to Alex Delvecchio the legendary center who played more than two decades in the Motor City.

Unfortunately, the line of Ryan Kesler, Alex Burrows and Jannik Hansen were not all that interested in Detroit's storied history. Instead these three Canucks led a buzz-saw attack that once again left the Red Wings defense bewildered and giving up turnover after turnover. What is going on? The Red Wings defense is supposed to be the best in the league, but last night's game and last week's home opener against the pitiful Leafs makes you wonder if they miss Chris Chelios more than anyone realizes.

The Red Wings forwards and powerplay are still something to amaze, but when they run into a great goalie (Luongo) and a pesky forecheck the team as a whole suffers.

But don't blame this loss on Chris Osgood, without him the game would not have gone to overtime, it would have simply been a loss.

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Maple Leafs Win the Stanley Cup!

The Maple Leafs are going to win the Stanley Cup! Can't you just hear the Toronto media and the fans this morning?

As I said yesterday, the Maple Leafs are a dangerous team to face. Not because they have an abundance of talent. No, because most "experts" give them little chance of making the playoffs. Therefore, no pressure for the young team and you saw the results last night. They were loose and they played with a reckless abandon that had the Red Wings wondering what hit them.

The Leafs were a force in the Red Wings end of the ice all night. The best defense in the NHL looked ordinary, at best, and confused most of the game as the Leafs swarmed them at every turn.

Add Toskala playing great in the nets and the result was a stunning 3-2 Leafs victory.

Star of the Game: The best player on the ice for both teams was Dominic Moore who led the Leafs forecheck, scored a goal, and played an outstanding game.

Postscript:

About the Leafs and the Stanley Cup, Toronto fans and media should enjoy last night's game and forget all the prognostications about a Cup in the immediate future. Just take one game at a time.

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Red Wings - Leafs Kick off The NHL season

Two original six rivals the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs open up the 2008-09 NHL season on this side of the Atlantic Ocean tonight.

The defending Stanley Cup Champion Red Wings are everyone's favorite to win the Stanley Cup this year and the Maple Leafs are everyone's choice to miss the playoffs this year.

Although you would think that tonight's game would be a walkover for the Red Wings, don't be too sure! Because no one expects much from the Leafs, the Toronto players have no pressure and that is often the formula for a win when it is least expected!

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Luke Schenn - A Leaf for Now!

The Toronto Maple Leafs seem headed to starting their season with youngster Luke Schenn on their blueline.

I can't help but think that this is a bad idea. Sure the Leafs have Pavel Kubina and Tomas Kaberle to mentor him. But, this is the big leagues and players have to be responsible for themselves and with probably the weakest forward unit in the entire NHL in front of him there are going to be many times that Schenn is left exposed and the result will certainly be a goal, but more importantly the result may be a loss of self-confidence in himself.

There are many who think that the Leafs will be eliminated from play-off contention early in the new year. So why expose your future defensive anchor to even nine games in the NHL. The mediocrity may just rub off.

The Leafs should recall what happened to another young can't miss defenseman. Fred Boimistruck first donned a Leaf jersey for the 1981-82 season. That team was just terrible! Boimistruck, Jim Benning and Bob McGill where all youngsters with lots of potential. But after a couple of seasons with the Leafs, Boimistruck a former member of Canada's World Junior team, was out of the NHL and not long later became an engineer with VIA rail.

Sure Benning and McGill had relatively long careers, but they became journeymen defensemen never really living up to their supposed potential.

Whether its only nine games or not, if Luke Schenn has the potential that the Leafs think he does, they should let him watch tomorrow's opener from the stands in Detroit and then send him back to junior.

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Pittsburgh Penguins 4 - Ottawa Senators - 3

Sidney Crosby's Pittsburgh Penguins took only 40 seconds to score their first goal of the new NHL hockey season. But, wait, it was not Crosby or even Malkin bulging the twine, it was Tyler Kennedy.

Martin Gerber, Ottawa's number one goalie, looked anything but number one on that goal and then again on the overtime goal scored by, yep, you guessed it! Tyler Kennedy!

Like the earlier game yesterday (Tampa and the Rangers) turnovers were almost as prevalent as nice passes.

Kennedy's overtime winner came on a turnover from Jason Spezza with only 25 seconds remaining before the shootout.

If this game is any indication of the goaltending situation in Ottawa this year, then the Sens had better start shopping. I have never been a big Martin Gerber fan and yesterday's action gave me little reason to reconsider my thoughts.

Both games played in Europe were less than fine examples of NHL hockey. Turnovers, missed checks and sloppy play seemed to be the order the day. In the Rangers and Bolts game the best players were the two goalies. Lundqvist and Smith seemed to be in mid-season form. Maybe, the time spent flying to Europe, getting over jet lag, etc seemed to leave the teams playing less than their best hockey.

I am sure that from a vacation standpoint the players have enjoyed themselves, but one has to wonder if there will be any impact on their game once the season swings into full gear in a few days

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New York Rangers 2 - Tampa Lightning 1

The first game of the new NHL season is over and the Tampa Lightning's young defense served up more turnovers than your local bakeshop.

Mike Smith making his debut as the Lightning's Number One netminder faced 41 shots and turned aside all but two, as his inexperienced defense left him hanging out alone on more than one occasion.

Perhaps he should have stopped Naslund's goal. But, it was his inexperience that allowed Naslund to score using his favorite scoring trick, a shot to the stick side, about 18" off the ice. Next time Smith will probably get that one.

The Rangers's second goal came from a screened shot by Dubinsky. Again a rookie mistake caused a Bolts' defenseman to move into the shooting lane and block his goalie's vision.

But before you think that the defeat was all the fault of the defense, the Lightning forwards seemed to lose their legs in the second period, giving the Rangers plenty of opportunity to pressure the young Tampa defense.

Martin St. Louis scored a nice goal on a backhand high over the Lundqvist in the Rangers net.

Despite all the turnovers and sloppy play there were many bright spots for the Bolts and with a little hard work and patience from the coaching staff, this Tampa team is a playoff team.

ICE CHIPS
Rookie sensation Steven Stamkos did not look out place. In fact, he had two brilliant scoring chances, one on a partial breakaway late in the game. Defensively he was not a liability especially late in the game when it looked like Naslund might make it 3-1, Stamkos moved quickly to bodycheck the Rangers' veteran off the puck just a few feet from the crease.

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Roberto Luongo

It took four decades, but the National Hockey League has another goalie who has been named the captain of his team.

Tuesday, the Vancouver Canucks announced that Roberto Luongo, the team's superstar goalie would be the club's captain.

With the free agent departure of captain Markus Naslund to the Rangers there had been a lot of speculation about who would wear the "C". Well, according to NHL rules goalies cannot wear the "C", even if they are captain. To meet NHL standards and still make Luongo captain a convoluted process had to be created.

Luongo is the captain, but Willie Mitchell is the player designated to talk to on-ice officials, and for ceremonial face-offs, once again Luongo will not be lumbering to center ice to take the draw, that honor instead will go to Mattias Ohlund, the longest serving Canuck.

Luongo is the seventh goalie in NHL history to captain his club, the last was Canadiens Bill Durnan during the 1947-48 season.

Why Luongo?

There are many reasons. The two most likely are:

-- Luongo is the most popular and best hockey player on the team.

-- With two years left on his contract, the club is hoping this will help them re-sign their only legitimate superstar.

Whatever the reason, I think Roberto Luongo is a great choice for team captain of the Vancouver Canucks.

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Pre-Season Thoughts -- Detroit Red Wings & Montreal Canadiens

The 2008-2009 NHL season begins in only a few days. These are tense times in the training camps. Rookies are hoping to fulfill that lifelong dream and start the season in the NHL, while some veterans are clinging to their dream of maintaining a position in the big league.

There will be trades, demotions to the minor professional leagues, and of course there will be many youngsters who will be sent back to their junior club for further seasoning.

Last night’s game between the Canadiens and the Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings was a good illustration of the situation many hockey teams, not to mention, hockey players are facing this time year.

Forget the score (Montreal won in a shoot-out) of the games that are played this week. Instead, watch the rookies and veterans and try to figure out who is going to make it and who his headed to the minors or back to junior.

Last night, Montreal’s rookies and younger players put on a display of hard work, great plays and, if there were mistakes most of them were the result of someone trying too hard to win a job.

Montreal has loads of young hockey talent. So much talent that some hockey “experts” were suggesting that last night’s game was a match between the Stanley Cup finalists next spring. A little early for such bold predictions don’t you think?

Two of the Canadiens’ youngsters who really shone were goalie Carey Price and Max Pacioretty a young forward who has lots of size, good skating speed and finesse and enough grit that he is not afraid of the corners.

Pacioretty spent most of the game on a line with Alex Kovalev and Robert Lang and did not look out of place with the veterans. Kovalev fed him some nice passes and Lang, although he is not as speedy as most of the Canadiens, he provides them with some much-needed size at the center position.

Detroit, on the other hand, is loaded with veteran talent and with only two roster spots available and at least five youngsters ready to make the jump the NHL, there may be some startling moves on the third and fourth lines before the end of training camp.

With one of the two positions going to free agent acquisition Marion Hossa, Coach Mike Babcock has to find space for some of the young talent.

How can Darren Helm, perhaps the fastest skater in camp and a stellar performer in last year’s Stanley Cup victory not make the team? Newcomer Ville Leino, a 24 year-old star from Finland scored a nice goal on a Montreal turnover last night and every time he was on the ice he made something happen.
There will be tough decisions in the next few days for the Red Wings’ brain trust as there are at least three young defensemen (Derek Meech, Kyle Quincey, and Jonathon Ericsson) ready for the NHL as well.

Oh well, wouldn’t most of the general managers and coaches in the NHL love to have the problems that face Ken Holland and Mike Babcock?

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