The Tampa Bay Lightning (29-16-5) will take to the ice at the Tampa Bay Times Forum tonight, as they look to cool down the streaking Ottawa Senators (22-19-9).
Well rested following a stretch that saw them play five games in seven days, the Lightning are faced with a tall task this evening. The Senators, who the Lightning have played and beaten once already this season, have picked up points in nine of their last ten games. Ottawa now finds itself only one point out of the Conference’s final wildcard spot.
Whereas the Senators have been playing well over the last little while, the Lightning have been plodding along at a less than stellar pace. Having lost their last five (!) games at the Forum, the Bolts have allowed the teams behind them in the standings to close the gap. The Canadiens and Maple Leafs, for example, are now only four points back of the Lightning in the Atlantic Division race. Should they want to secure their position as a playoff team, Tampa will need to start winning games at home again. The Forum can, and should, be a tough place to play for opposing teams.
Having said all that, Tampa Bay did in fact manage to win its last game. Bolts goaltender Ben Bishop, who will likely get the start today against the Senators, stopped a franchise record 48 shots on his way to a very interesting 5-3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. It’s not often that a team generates 97 (!) shot attempts and still loses, but that’s exactly what the Hurricanes did on Sunday. I’m not sure that there’s anything to build on from that one, other than the fact that they manufactured a ‘W’ out of absolutely nothing. The Bolts will need to be much better tonight against a quality Senators team.
If you’re looking to be entertained, tonight’s game will likely deliver. With both Erik Karlsson and Marty St. Louis slated to suit up for the Senators and Lightning respectively, there shouldn’t be a shortage of offensive flair on display. Karlsson currently has 47 points through 50 games to lead all league defensemen in scoring, while St. Louis has compiled 50 in 50. In case you missed it, the Lightning captain was named the NHL’s first star of the week last week thanks in large part to his four goal outing versus the Sharks. The snubbed Canadian is on fire, and the Senators should beware.
In the good news department, Damian Cristodero reported two days ago that Hedman should be ready to go for tonight’s game. Not much else needs to be said here. Player 77 is one of the Lightning’s most important pieces, and he’s missed in a big way when not in the lineup. Having him back will give the Lightning a huge boost.
Before ending the pre-game portion of this blog, I’ll just mention that I always enjoy watching the Senators play. Yes, their possession game has slipped a little bit this year. Yes, Jason Spezza has slowed down. But there’s still a hell of a lot to like about that organization, even the financial woes that HockeyBuzz’s own Travis Yost brilliantly uncovered earlier this year. As long as Paul MacLean is around, the Ottawa Senators will be a competitive hockey club. Here’s hoping the Lightning are ready.
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On Bishop…
Jimmy Howard was injured in his Red Wings game earlier this week. Following that tidbit of news, the #TBLightning hashtag on Twitter exploded with speculation that Ben Bishop might get his shot with the United States Olympic team.
Reports out of Detroit indicate that Howard’s injury isn’t all that serious, meaning that it’s unlikely that Bishop will get the call at this point. However, Howard did miss tonight's Red Wings game against Chicago. Either way, the Lightning goaltender has been confirmed as the first alternate thanks to his strong play this season. Stay tuned.
On Connolly…
After struggling mightily to start the year with the Crunch, Brett Connolly is now nearly a point per game player in the AHL. He has scored 12 goals and 26 points in 28 games on a Crunch team that is seriously weaker than the last year’s.
Everybody here knows that I’m an unabashed Connolly fan. You all know that I would have handled Connolly’s development differently. At this point, I think it’s only fair that the Lightning call him up for a taste of action with the big club. It’s hard to argue that he hasn’t earned it. Could he possibly bring anything less to the lineup than Richard Panik? This blogger doesn’t think so.
Connolly deserves a shot. The question now is whether or not the organization will give it to him.
On Cooper…
It’s so great to see him getting the recognition he deserves. Many prognosticators are calling him the mid-season favorite to win the Jack Adams Trophy, given to the league’s best coach. The impact that Jon has had on the Lightning organization cannot be understated. We can talk about Filppula or Bishop until the sun rises, but I’m of the belief that Cooper was the Lightning’s biggest addition of 2013.
Kudos to Jon.
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I’d just like to apologize for the lack of blogs while the Lightning were resting up. There are four annual sporting events that have the ability to take my mind off hockey. The Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open dominate my time whenever they’re being played. In case you didn’t figure it out already, I’m a huge tennis fan. In fact, I'm watching the second women's semifinal right now. Come next week, the Australian Open will be over and it will be back to all Lightning, all the time.
As always, thanks for reading.