Antero Niittymaki continues to dominate in goal, allowing just eight goals in his last seven starts. At this rate, his looming free agency will test the conviction of new owner Jefferey Vinik.

By AMANDA HARRIS
JoeBoltsFan.com analyst

If the Lightning has nine lives, it’s burned through more than a few in the last handful of games. And yes, Saturday night’s 2-1 overtime victory against Calgary, qualifies as one.

After sleeping through the first 40 minutes, Tampa Bay finally made its presence known in the third when a Steven Stamkos backhand beat Miikka Kiprusoff to tie the score at 1-1. With the tally (No. 32), Stammer the Hammer kept his nine-game point streak alive, having notched seven goals and 14 points thus far during its run.

The grind continued right up to the 1:58 mark in the extended frame, only a wicked Andrej Meszaros wrister from a seemingly impossible angle at the left circle closing the book on an otherwise uninspired outing.

Were it not for the solid backstopping of Antero Niittymaki (now 6-0-1 in his last seven starts, allowing only eight goals during that span) and Stamkos’ consistent ability to rise to the occasion, the Lightning may not be sitting quite so pretty in the Eastern Conference right now.

Tough to fathom a team that struggled to break out of its own zone all night and was altogether stymied in the neutral zone could occupy the seventh slot. Or that a group capable of turning a power play opportunity into a disadvantage (I counted at least two shorthanded Calgary chances during the Lightning’s last PP in the second) might actually be onto something with this whole “finding ways to win” business.

Consider for a moment the simple fact that though the Bolts may not have created much out there, they didn’t give the Flames a whole lot to work with either. In fact, players and fans alike should be applauded for making it through the penalty-laden first period and sticking it out to see this one through.

Indeed, with five of the last seven Lightning wins having been decided by one goal, I’m kinda sorta thinking there’s a bit more to these “skin of their teeth” triumphs than luck.

Imperative the boys now tap into the reserves and jump start the offense as Niitty can only do so much between the pipes. With a pair of games in hand and a few lives left, the stretch run ought to be nothing short of entertaining.

Lightning 2, Thrashers 1 (OT)

Joe always breathes a sigh of relief when the Bolts don’t get to a shootout.

As always, video courtesy of NHL.tv and TampaBayLightning.com.

Bolts new owner Jeffrey Vinik got in front of the camera this morning to profess his love for hockey.

He’s clearly bringing the energy that he’s known for in the financial sector. As Joe wrote earlier, look for Vinik to do everything possible to get the team in playoffs in 2010.

To craft the most effective plan moving forward, he needs to see how Tampa Bay responds to winning hockey. That’s the only way he’ll know how much hockey interest has really died in this town.

"Oren, man, you look like you lost your pony. Dont worry. You can always get a ticket outside for $5."

Boston hedge fund guru Jeffrey Vinik is bailing out the money-loser that is the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Thank you, Mr. Vinik. The alternative was unthinkable.

Ken Campbell, of The Hockey News, is reporting it’s a done deal after Vinik cashed in his I won’t-trade-Vinny-for-a-few-years discount coupon and paying in cash.

But don’t expect Vinik to pull an Oren Koules and move to Davis Island, get all neighborly with Andrej Meszaros, rule the team, and show his face in the community.

That’s not happening, Campbell writes.  

one of the most aggressive and successful hedge fund managers in the country, reportedly has no interest in being a hands-on owner.

But the intensely private Vinik, who was recruited to buy the team by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman when the two met at the Winter Classic in Boston, reportedly has concerns about being perceived as an absentee owner and is eager to get someone in place who can be the public face of the franchise.

One source said Koules offered to fill that role and was turned down, as has former president Phil Esposito, who lives in Tampa and was instrumental in securing the franchise in 1992.

It’s expected Lightning GM Brian Lawton will stay on as GM in the new regime.

Vinik is here to buy low and sell high. Hey, who could blame the guy?

He’ll likely try to make friends in Tampa and spread plenty of goodwill along the way, but that probably won’t include sparing jobs in the Lightning front office and in St. Pete Times Forum operation.

As for on the ice, Joe expects Vinik might approve expensive deals at the trade deadline to help get the Bolts in the playoffs.

Attendance now is anemic — and the Bolts have shamefully been allowed to almost disappear from the sports radio landscape — but the organization needs to know how the sports community here will respond to a playoff run and appearance.

Vinik needs to see what they’re up against in the market. And to get that, the Lightning have to make the playoffs.

So Joe suspects everything will be done in 2010 to make that happen.

Amanda Harris

By AMANDA HARRIS
JoeBoltsFan.com analyst

 Prior. Planning. Prevents. Poor. Performance.

Such were the “five ‘P’s” revealed by Zenon Konopka in advance of Thursday’s 5-2 pummeling of the New York Islanders.

Given the Lightning’s effort in the first period last night however, prior pleading, praying and/or petitioning wouldn’t have squelched the piss-poor play to which we were all treated as the game got underway. 

Far too many turnovers for the Bolts in a sloppy opening 20 as they struggled to settle a jittery puck and were forced back on their heels by a surging Islanders presence that launched just over a baker’s dozen of shots at Antero Niittymaki. 

Excluding Steven Stamkos’ 30th goal, a slap shot with the man advantage that bolstered him to the head of the class with a league leading 13 power play tallies, and Matt Walker’s heads up foil of a 2-on-1 chance for the Isles (closing the passing lane while providing Niitty a clear view of the shooter), I’m hard-pressed to find anything positive about the Lightning’s first frame.

Even struggling to find humor in the irony of yet another puck finding it’s way into the back of the net after ricocheting off of Andrej Meszaros’ skate blade(s). Suppose it could have something to do with the fact this one hit Matt Smaby’s boot first before playing pinball with Mesz’s feet.

Call it ugly, unfortunate, or just plain upsetting, the goal was most definitely a bit of a sucker punch as it came just over a minute after Stammer put Tampa Bay on the board.

Things weren’t much better at the start of the second with the boys finding themselves pinned in their own end for nearly three full minutes as New York sent a barrage of pucks Niittymaki’s direction (seven in total), Jon Sim’s eventual goal finally bringing an end to the assault AND putting the kibosh on the Islanders’ domination.

No big surprise the one to swing the momentum back in the home team’s favor would be Marty St. Louis, the winger potting his fifth in five straight from another nasty angle at the side of the net just 25 seconds later. Fast forward another 36 seconds and you’ve got Vinny Lecavalier walking in his 15th of the season on an unchallenged breakaway after winning a face off in the Lightning zone (bloodied mug be damned).

With Tampa Bay clearly on a roll headed into the third, Stamkos added some insurance, notching another zinger with a hungry shot he fired on the rush while Alex Tanguay put the game out of reach with an empty netter I’m very happy to say he put on goal without so much as looking for the pass.

Really big win for the team and a nice way to begin the four-game homestand.

With Niitty in net, the special teams kicking it into high gear (great movement on the power play, well-executed shutdown tactics on the kills), and the big guns figuring heavily of late, the Bolts are definitely capable of contending. 

Still, this one had the flavor of several combined individual efforts rather than that of a unified team.

Get everyone firing on the same cylinders (led by a captain who’s intensity is improving each and every game) and things will definitely be looking up.

My “Five ‘P’s”?

Persistent. Perseverance. Propagates. Playoff. Procurement.

Steven Stamkos and Marty St. Louis continue to put the Bolts on their backs.

Tampa Bay struggled to clear pucks and make clean passes through much of Thursday’s 5-2 win against the Islanders. And for Joe’s money, a better team than the Islanders would have had the Bolts down 3-1 after one period. But so it goes “all in the right direction at the right time,” says Stamkos in this video.

The Bolts now sit tied for seventh in the East. And their backup goalie continues to get it done.

Amanda Harris

By AMANDA HARRIS
JoeBoltsFan.com analyst

Wasn’t it not too long ago the Lightning beat Atlanta by a final score of 2-1 and had little other than a pair of key offensive plays and a lights out performance from Antero Niittymaki to thank for the victory?

Oh the irony of today being Groundhog Day.

Sure, Tampa Bay had more going for it in this tilt, but on the whole the game did resemble that showing back on Jan. 23, when the team opened strong before quickly falling back on its heels.

Aside from Niitty’s brilliance between the pipes (he’s now 16-0-0 lifetime against Atlanta) and the guys venturing into the foreign territory that is holding a lead through two periods, the play of newly acquired Nate Thompson (an astute pick-up by Brian Lawton if I do say so myself), newly minted shutdown man Mike Lundin, and newly promoted top-six wingman Stephane Veilleux made the difference for the Bolts in this, you guessed it, 2-1 win.

Thompson has put the ‘E’ in effort since his arrival, and he did his best to stick it to the Thrashers on every shift. Lundin continues to impress (and surprise) with his heads-up play and ability to go nose-to-nose with some of the league’s best, in this case keeping Ilya Kovalchuk off the scoresheet.

As for Veilleux, who played alongside fellow Frenchmen Vinny Lecavalier and Alex Tanguay for much of the evening, all I can say is the guy really stepped it up a notch, his goal a beautifully placed slap shot that beat Atlanta netminder Ondrej Pavelec high on his glove side.

Lest we forget the dynamic trio of Steve Downie, Marty St. Louis, and Steven Stamkos who combined for the Lightning’s game winner with Downs and Stammer feeding to Marty for one of his double-take inducing shots from the side of the net. Still not sure how he potted the puck from such a wicked angle but I’ll take it ,as it sealed the deal and extended No. 91’s point streak to seven games.

Seeing as the boys sunk two goals on three shots in less than 13 minutes and launched four saucers on net during their first opportunity with the man advantage, it’s tough to harp on their shortcomings this game. But seeing as every meeting from here on out has to be played with playoff level intensity, it’s probably best to call them out for the missteps that will cost them in the very near future should they not be corrected.

In an attempt to keep it short and sweet, I’ll simply suggest the Bolts need to maintain better possession of the puck, spend more than 20 seconds in their opponent’s end, resurrect the forecheck, and move, move, move their feet.

They must also (and this is a demand, not a request) vow to s-h-o-o-t the puck as I can assure them an invitation is most certainly not in the mail.

Not an understatement in the least to credit none other than your “1b” goaltender for this victory, a win that places the Lightning just above the cut line in the East.

Still can’t say I’m entirely down with Rick Tocchet the coach, nor Rick Tocchet the line shuffler, nor Rick Tocchet, creator of the ice-time, starting-line merit system (interesting final TOI figures on the night by the way). But so long as the boys are finding ways to win in spite of his mumbo jumbo and Niitty’s in there as our last line of defense, I’m not complaining.

Interesting postgame video out of the Bolts’ locker room following the hard fought 3-2 loss on Sunday.

First, Mike Smith talks about feeling sluggish in his return and puts the loss on his shoulders. Next, Marty St. Louis seems like he’s about to cry. Followed by Vinny Lecavalier biting his tongue.

Amanda Harris

By AMANDA HARRIS
JoeBoltsFan.com analyst     

To be perfectly honest, I’m on the fence about the Lightning’s 3-2 loss to Washington this afternoon.

One on hand, the boys rang nearly a half dozen shots off the post, got bodies on Alex Ovechkin (save his game-winning goal in the third), and made the Capitals sweat just a bit by dominating the late minutes. On the other, Tampa Bay quit skating in the second and spent far too much time in its own zone to expect a win outright.

I will say the Bolts looked good, real good, in the opening 10. There was determination in their game face early on, a backcheck AND forecheck in the game plan no doubt. All of which made it that much more difficult to understand the unraveling that occurred about midway through the opening frame when the neutral zone became ‘no man’s land’ and the backpedaling began.

Makes you wonder what goes on in the locker room between periods when the guys have repeatedly shown themselves capable of checking out in the second, no? And to think the sheer magnitude of this particular tilt couldn’t snap them out of their mid-game mental lull. 

High time the Bolts nix the frenzy that is a third period attempt-a-comeback, if you ask me. 

Not to say I don’t appreciate the pair of late goals notched by Steven Stamkos (wicked one-timer) and Marty St. Louis (redirect off a Kurtis Foster missile) in a span of less than three minutes that tied things up at two a piece. Or the hustle Vinny Lecavalier continues to bring to his game (mouthing off to the refs, oh my!). Or the phenomenal showing Mike Lundin had, holding his own out there with Ovechkin and more than proving his worth on the blueline in the big time.

What I can do without is Mike Smith’s dead fish flop in the crease and his seemingly laissez-faire attitude around the net. Of course, the defensive breakdowns didn’t help Smitty’s cause much as hockey looked much like a second language to many of the pairings today with several doubling up on guys or tripping over each other on the same side of the rink.

Much to love, much to loathe. Such is the moniker of a Lightning team that’s 50+ games in and has yet to find a rhythm that will sustain it a full 60 minutes.

As usual, the Bolts rang lots of posts, played inconsistently and watched Mike Smith serve up some ugly goalie decision-making.

The trade-Vinny rumor is out there front and center again. But this time it comes not from Montreal, but from the hidden camp of soon-to-be-adopted Lightning savior Jeffrey Vinik, the Boston investor said to be days from taking over the team.

The premise is simple: Vinik wants to trim payroll and Lecavalier earns about $10 million a year.

Erik Erlendsson, Bolts beat writer of the Tampa Tribune, forcefully reminds readers today that Vinny has a no-movement clause in his contract that he would likely wave in the new owner’s face if faced with a trade offer.

When will rumormongers learn? Lecavalier has no intention of going anywhere unless he wants to go. It can be written a thousand times (it likely already has) that the team would like to move Lecavalier.

But to show you what could - and likely would - happen if a new owner approached Lecavalier and said “We want to move you,” reach out your arm and make your hand into a fist. Now pound down like you have a hammer, which is exactly what Lecavalier holds with a no-trade, no-movement clause.

Joe doesn’t buy into this premise of Vinny digging in his heels to stay in Tampa.

Despite his soft play through much of the season, Joe still likes to think of Vinny as a competitor. And Joe can’t think of one competitive athlete in his prime who would insist on staying with a team that didn’t want him.

Feel free to give Joe a name.

If approached by a new cash-paying, stable owner with an “It’s time to part ways,” Joe is quite certain that Vinny would quickly present an approved list of teams to trade him to.

Surely, Vinny’s thought that list through many times over the last few years.

Why would Vinny possibly want to stay where he’s unwanted by ownership? And where he one day soon might be unwanted by fans, if him staying meant eventually trading Steven Stamkos because the Bolts couldn’t afford both of them?

Vinny can still support All Children’s Hospitial.  And he can still play golf here in his free time and work on his tan.

Nobody stays where they’re unwanted unless they need the money. And Vinny already has his fortune guaranteed.