Was at the game last night. I thought Tyler Johnson had a great game. Very quick and explosive. Yzerman and Cooper will have some hard decisions regarding which
forwards to keep. Lot's good options. Do you keep Connolly ? Can Drouin be good enough to warrant a roster spot ? He has nothing to gain by going back to juniors.
Malone looks like he can be a force again. The biggest thing to me last night was the 180 in the systems. Hard forecheck, defense stepping up and actually taking the body. The breakout was quick with short passes with an emphasis on getting the puck up the ice as fast as possible. I like Coopers style, should be a lot of fun.
- hellbentformetal

I didn't know Johnson played last night ???

Yea arty I just watched the hit too, it didn't look intentional or anything and he just released the puck wasn't interference or cheap shot BUT the shoulder hit the head whether accidental or not so the results were appropriate..

as for coopers system I totally agree...we coughed up the puck at our own blue line breaking out so many times last season...glad to hear little things like that are improving , they make the big differences...

so pumped to be able to actually watch this poop!~

super poopty ...hard not to get excited but I cant because after last years start lol O_O (frank)

This is EPIC.
http://www.sbnation.com/n...-gallant-krys-barch-fight

This is EPIC.
http://www.sbnation.com/n...-gallant-krys-barch-fight
- Artyukhin76

lol if they make a rule against it they'll have team mates take it off for them, or they'll "fall down and itll come off on its own" before they fight...

there will always be ways around rules lol

Glad to hear Connolly had a great game and is having a good preseason. I have had him on my bench in my keeper league for a couple of years now. Hopefully he gets his chance this year, I think he can turn into a pretty good player.

New member to this forum, I found it a couple months ago and have lurked and it seems like a great group of posters so I signed up.

I am a season ticket holder for the Lightning, originally from New York my parents moved me to Tampa when I was 8 years old. Over 20 years later I still love hockey over any other sports.

Biggest Pet Peeve while attending a Lightning game... a person who now lives in Tampa who only come when there home town team is playing and then proceed to tell me how great that town is. Montreal, Philly, Pittsburgh, and Boston fans are the worst. Go the hell back to that town if it is so great or root for your new home Tampa teams as well. Tampa gets a reputation of not being a sports town... such a misconception... its just the transient refuse to root for their new home town teams in Tampa. If your original town was so great then why did you move to the Town I love and have lived in since 8 years old. Yes I am transplant but it wasn't by choice as my Pops said were moving and that was that.

As for the lightning here are my opinions.

Malone-Stamkos-St. Louis (healthy Malone this line will produce two fold)
Killorn-Fillipula-Purcell (good two way line, just afraid they wont shoot the puck)
Palat-Johnson-Connolly (Potential to be dangerous and point producing)
Crombeen-Thompson-Pyatt (Good PK and checking line)

That leaves four in my opinion who should be on varsity - Drouin, Labrie, Panik, and Tyrell. I think the lightning start off carrying Drouin on his nine game try out and Labrie. Anyone know if the lightning can keep Panik and Tyrell as well and use healthy scratches to get to the 23 man roster then even better. I think Panik and Drouin will stick in the long run with the team.

Hedman-Salo (Worried about Salo's speed in the new defensive system)
Carle-Gudas (I think Carle breaks out this year with Gudas staying at home)
Brewer-Aulie (Brewer's speed worries me, Aulie is a headcase)

That leaves to me Barbario and Sustr the big man gets the nod, I think Sustr supplants Aulie by year end on third line and Barbario just worries me about durability he will be first call up though.

Bishop and Lindback - Bishop is better now but Lindback has uptapped potential, I just hope they play good enough.

As for coaching. I like the new defensive zone breakout, I like the aggressive play and hits, I think the new defensive scheme is better suited for our team except Brewer and Salo's speed has me worried. My one dislike so far has been it seems this defensive first theme to the forwards will affect their scoring ability. Wednesday in Orlando the Fillipula line on multiple occasions passed and stayed conservative when they could have chanced a rush or two to get shots on goal. Stammer last night definitely was thinking about defensive placement instead of his usual circle around and get lost in the crowd to an open spot for his wicked wrister or slapshot. He clearly stayed in defensive minded positions. While that is great I worry about it, he is our scorer he if anybody should be roaming around trying to score then worrying about getting back on defense.

All in all I like what I see so far, the prospects look good the core looks good, its going to be an interesting year.

Sorry for the long first post. I look forward to bantering with you all about the Lightning.

New member to this forum, I found it a couple months ago and have lurked and it seems like a great group of posters so I signed up.

I am a season ticket holder for the Lightning, originally from New York my parents moved me to Tampa when I was 8 years old. Over 20 years later I still love hockey over any other sports.

Biggest Pet Peeve while attending a Lightning game... a person who now lives in Tampa who only come when there home town team is playing and then proceed to tell me how great that town is. Montreal, Philly, Pittsburgh, and Boston fans are the worst. Go the hell back to that town if it is so great or root for your new home Tampa teams as well. Tampa gets a reputation of not being a sports town... such a misconception... its just the transient refuse to root for their new home town teams in Tampa. If your original town was so great then why did you move to the Town I love and have lived in since 8 years old. Yes I am transplant but it wasn't by choice as my Pops said were moving and that was that.

As for the lightning here are my opinions.

Malone-Stamkos-St. Louis (healthy Malone this line will produce two fold)
Killorn-Fillipula-Purcell (good two way line, just afraid they wont shoot the puck)
Palat-Johnson-Connolly (Potential to be dangerous and point producing)
Crombeen-Thompson-Pyatt (Good PK and checking line)

That leaves four in my opinion who should be on varsity - Drouin, Labrie, Panik, and Tyrell. I think the lightning start off carrying Drouin on his nine game try out and Labrie. Anyone know if the lightning can keep Panik and Tyrell as well and use healthy scratches to get to the 23 man roster then even better. I think Panik and Drouin will stick in the long run with the team.

Hedman-Salo (Worried about Salo's speed in the new defensive system)
Carle-Gudas (I think Carle breaks out this year with Gudas staying at home)
Brewer-Aulie (Brewer's speed worries me, Aulie is a headcase)

That leaves to me Barbario and Sustr the big man gets the nod, I think Sustr supplants Aulie by year end on third line and Barbario just worries me about durability he will be first call up though.

Bishop and Lindback - Bishop is better now but Lindback has uptapped potential, I just hope they play good enough.

As for coaching. I like the new defensive zone breakout, I like the aggressive play and hits, I think the new defensive scheme is better suited for our team except Brewer and Salo's speed has me worried. My one dislike so far has been it seems this defensive first theme to the forwards will affect their scoring ability. Wednesday in Orlando the Fillipula line on multiple occasions passed and stayed conservative when they could have chanced a rush or two to get shots on goal. Stammer last night definitely was thinking about defensive placement instead of his usual circle around and get lost in the crowd to an open spot for his wicked wrister or slapshot. He clearly stayed in defensive minded positions. While that is great I worry about it, he is our scorer he if anybody should be roaming around trying to score then worrying about getting back on defense.

All in all I like what I see so far, the prospects look good the core looks good, its going to be an interesting year.

Sorry for the long first post. I look forward to bantering with you all about the Lightning.
- stammerman

Welcome! Lots of good points in there.

Tomorrow is fantasy league draft day. If you're registered, you don't miss it.

Welcome! Lots of good points in there.
- Michael_Stuart

He said "good group" in reference to us? Wait till he gets a load of me.....

He said "good group" in reference to us? Wait till he gets a load of me.....
- Artyukhin76

I feel like he's just being polite....

New member to this forum, I found it a couple months ago and have lurked and it seems like a great group of posters so I signed up.

I am a season ticket holder for the Lightning, originally from New York my parents moved me to Tampa when I was 8 years old. Over 20 years later I still love hockey over any other sports.

Biggest Pet Peeve while attending a Lightning game... a person who now lives in Tampa who only come when there home town team is playing and then proceed to tell me how great that town is. Montreal, Philly, Pittsburgh, and Boston fans are the worst. Go the hell back to that town if it is so great or root for your new home Tampa teams as well. Tampa gets a reputation of not being a sports town... such a misconception... its just the transient refuse to root for their new home town teams in Tampa. If your original town was so great then why did you move to the Town I love and have lived in since 8 years old. Yes I am transplant but it wasn't by choice as my Pops said were moving and that was that.

As for the lightning here are my opinions.

Malone-Stamkos-St. Louis (healthy Malone this line will produce two fold)
Killorn-Fillipula-Purcell (good two way line, just afraid they wont shoot the puck)
Palat-Johnson-Connolly (Potential to be dangerous and point producing)
Crombeen-Thompson-Pyatt (Good PK and checking line)

That leaves four in my opinion who should be on varsity - Drouin, Labrie, Panik, and Tyrell. I think the lightning start off carrying Drouin on his nine game try out and Labrie. Anyone know if the lightning can keep Panik and Tyrell as well and use healthy scratches to get to the 23 man roster then even better. I think Panik and Drouin will stick in the long run with the team.

Hedman-Salo (Worried about Salo's speed in the new defensive system)
Carle-Gudas (I think Carle breaks out this year with Gudas staying at home)
Brewer-Aulie (Brewer's speed worries me, Aulie is a headcase)

That leaves to me Barbario and Sustr the big man gets the nod, I think Sustr supplants Aulie by year end on third line and Barbario just worries me about durability he will be first call up though.

Bishop and Lindback - Bishop is better now but Lindback has uptapped potential, I just hope they play good enough.

As for coaching. I like the new defensive zone breakout, I like the aggressive play and hits, I think the new defensive scheme is better suited for our team except Brewer and Salo's speed has me worried. My one dislike so far has been it seems this defensive first theme to the forwards will affect their scoring ability. Wednesday in Orlando the Fillipula line on multiple occasions passed and stayed conservative when they could have chanced a rush or two to get shots on goal. Stammer last night definitely was thinking about defensive placement instead of his usual circle around and get lost in the crowd to an open spot for his wicked wrister or slapshot. He clearly stayed in defensive minded positions. While that is great I worry about it, he is our scorer he if anybody should be roaming around trying to score then worrying about getting back on defense.

All in all I like what I see so far, the prospects look good the core looks good, its going to be an interesting year.

Sorry for the long first post. I look forward to bantering with you all about the Lightning.
- stammerman

You had me right up too Pyatt. Then again until Barberio, not overly worried about Salo because most likely he won't get every game due to his advanced age. We wi have 7th defenseman around.. I'm leaning towards Panik and Korobov. Other then that welcome to the looney bin.

You had me right up too Pyatt. Then again until Barberio, not overly worried about Salo because most likely he won't get every game due to his advanced age. We wi have 7th defenseman around.. I'm leaning towards Panik and Korobov. Other then that welcome to the looney bin.
- Artyukhin76

Thanks for the welcome, I've been lurking here for a few months and I am well aware of your reputation, believe it or not I actually agree with most of what you say.

I say Pyatt because of experience but I could see Panik on the fourth line as he is tough enough to be on the PK and checking line. Pyatt, Tyrell, Labrie all have NHL experience that's why it is hard for me to just cast them off. Drouin will get his 9 game tryout, I think they keep him all year even if he struggles since his rights are still with the QMJHL, I think the Lightning feel he has nothing to gain being sent down and can learn more staying with the big club.

Korborov is still very raw from what I saw of him in Orlando but a good looking prospect. Sustr is much more polished and ready to be a everyday NHLer. Barberio is meh to me but they seem to like him, he just looks like he is easily pushed around. I would prefer Korborov over him but the team seems set on Barberio getting a bigger roll with the Bolts.

Thanks for the welcome, I've been lurking here for a few months and I am well aware of your reputation, believe it or not I actually agree with most of what you say.

I say Pyatt because of experience but I could see Panik on the fourth line as he is tough enough to be on the PK and checking line. Pyatt, Tyrell, Labrie all have NHL experience that's why it is hard for me to just cast them off. Drouin will get his 9 game tryout, I think they keep him all year even if he struggles since his rights are still with the QMJHL, I think the Lightning feel he has nothing to gain being sent down and can learn more staying with the big club.

Korborov is still very raw from what I saw of him in Orlando but a good looking prospect. Sustr is much more polished and ready to be a everyday NHLer. Barberio is meh to me but they seem to like him, he just looks like he is easily pushed around. I would prefer Korborov over him but the team seems set on Barberio getting a bigger roll with the Bolts.
- stammerman

LOL arty.....people you don't even know know you !

welcome big fella

Tomorrow is fantasy league draft day. If you're registered, you don't miss it.
- Michael_Stuart

is it auto-pick???//what time