The real dead wood

by John Fontana on Apr 30, 2006 4:44 PM EDT in Lightning and NHL Rumors

John Tortorella went so far as to say the Lightning need to retool which is addressing the obvious. Any team that fails to make it all the way certainly need to be ready to change things around a tad or more in order to find the ideal circumstances.

The problem with the rest of the TSN article addressing the Lightning's off-season needs is that it goes right around a major problem for the Lightning that was exploited during the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals:

The abysmal state of special teams and suspect defense.

Oh, I am not going to try to make excuses for Burke or Grahame and play them up like they are ideal netminders. Nor am I going to talk down about the other key issue that TSN addressed: Brad Richards restricted free agency.

But the questions on defense and also on special teams have loomed over the Lightning since the pre-season. John Tortorella was not satisfied with a 6th defensiveman until later in the year as Paul Ranger stepped up during his rookie season. That doesn't even begin to account for the loses on ice with the subtraction of Jassen Cullimore and Brad Lukowich on the blue line.

Both goalies were hung out to dry at times by the defense, and lapses lead to breakdowns on special teams over and over again.

Do the Lightning plan to look for a netminder this offseason? undoubtedly. Is it their priority when retooling? I don't believe it is as much as on defense (where Pavel Kubina and Cory Sarich could both jump ship).

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I know this is going to sound arrogant and jerky, but look…

The problem with the Bolts isn’t just that they’re missing a goalie and a few “defensivemen.” You guys went from 0 to Stanley Cup you missed some of the building block stages that the long term competitors did, and, frankly, the entire core of the team is forwards.

The reason teams like Detroit, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Colorado are perennial contenders is that their management has put the teams together methodically, not just a bunch of young forwards with some mercenaries on top. It’s the reason the Flames are way more likely to be an elite team for years than the Bolts are.

Grahame isn’t and there’s no question Burke is not your franchise goalie. If you don’t get one this summer, odds are you guys are out of the playoffs.

Oh, and get a coach that isn’t going to alienate half his team in less than two seasons.

by Jon on Apr 30, 2006 9:05 PM EDT reply actions

I think we were all a little spoiled by the Stanley year. All things considered that this team made it to the playoffs at all considering how awful we looked is pretty impressive.

It simply does not matter whether we get a new goalie or not if we don’t upgrade the blue line.

I have to disagree to a point with the comment about Tampa not building a team methodically – it’s happening, but we need some time. I think the Bolts would however be well served to clean out some forward chaff (Modin and Fedotenko for example) and try to sign some free agent help at defense.

As for the coach, you do have to wonder how the team that played game 2 could ever be the same team that played the rest of the series (let alone the season). It doesn’t surprise me when Lecavalier shows up 50% of the time, but I think it reflects poorly on the coach that an entire team can be so Jekyll/Hyde game to game. It might be time to think the tough love isn’t working.

by Joel on May 2, 2006 1:43 AM EDT reply actions

If the Lightning feel like they need to bring in another goalie, perhaps they should target some of the playoff losers. TV commentators go way overboard in lauding and deprecating playoff goalies. Fans do the same and apply pressure to management to upgrade their goalies. Perhaps a Lundqvist, Turco, Esche, Gerber, or Legace could be had for a reduced price based on poor playoff showings. In reality, these poor showings may just be the effects of small sample size.

by Bob on May 3, 2006 9:49 AM EDT reply actions