43-38 the final... Oh how we wish...

by John Fontana on Jan 2, 2006 9:44 PM EST in Game Previews

The Lightning have taken 191 shots over the last five games -- an average of 38 for you kids who have flunked math in school... And yet, on average they have scored 2.4 goals a game during that stretch. just under 2 and a half goals?

Tonights game versus the Islanders resulted in 43 shots -- and yet only two goals scored. One was on a penalty shot by Vincent Lecavalier in the 1st period and the 2nd was Martin St. Louis on a one-on-one shorthanded goal. Is it the lack of driving on teh net? Is it the lack of deftness and teamwork to deke out goaltenders? Perhaps it's just bad bounces and bad luck? It's frustrating to watch, none the less.

Hats off to Garth SNow and Sean Burke -- 36 and 38 years old respectively -- for making the game tonight thrillign to watch. Complain about the penaltiies being missed, messed up and just flat out wrong in some situations if you will but the fact of the matter is that Burke (36 shots, 35 saves) and Snow (43 shots, 41 saves) were the ones to watch tonight at Nassau Colessium.

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Just got back from four days on the Prison Planet (read: NYE at a cabin in the boonies) to see this game tonight. The Bolts have been inordinately frustrating to watch in both wins and losses over the last month… maybe even more. At this point, I’m just happy to see them win a game.

The goaltending was, as you point out, phenomenal.

by Gary on Jan 2, 2006 10:51 PM EST reply actions

I’m still not so sure our scoring problems couldn’t be solved by a little physical play. Even in today’s slightly tweaked NHL so many goals still happen with some good old traffic in front of the net. I haven’t watched as many games as I’d like lately, but what I have seen just looks like 5 guys skating around trying to finesse their way around the zone. No one seems to be willing to install themselves in front of the net and knock people over. It may be that I’ve just caught them at particularly bad times, but that’s my impression.

by Joel on Jan 3, 2006 12:26 AM EST reply actions

How is this for irony: I forgot the game was on because I was too busy hanging Lightning Stuff up on the walls in the computer room. Saw the highlights at 11. A penalty shot AND a short-handed game-winner…I proceeded to have what can only be called a “conniption.”

by Alex on Jan 3, 2006 5:40 PM EST reply actions