ECQ: New Jersey Devils at Tampa Bay Lightning (Game 4) Open Thread

by John Fontana on Apr 18, 2007 5:56 PM EDT in Game Threads

Would you characterize this as the Lightning's game to lose? Not I.

Martin Brodeur has been challenged. He either must raise his game or get out of the way. Vincent Lecavalier getitng into Brodeur's head may or may not be the truth. Tonights game will prove or disprove the notion if Brodeur rises or falls to the occasion.

The Lightning need another complete roster effort and that will be tltimate deciding factor. For the New Jersey fans out there -- this is where I hold my doubts. The Lightning have had several situations this season where they have seemed to be on a roll and then -- crashed, burned and looked nothing like they are capable. The pressure is on to put another nail in the coffin -- but when the pressure has been on for the Bolts to perform, they've faultered.

Here's hoping for the Lightning to beat that trend and head back to jersey with a commanding 3-1 advantage in this best-of-seven series.

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Oh man, “THe Lightning” that just aired on the FSNF pregame telecast was hilarious. Moreso than anything I can remember on a Lightning telecast. A spoof of the Sporanos opening with Paul Kennedy playing the role of Tony in the car..

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 6:59 PM EDT reply actions

I am guessing a lot of late arrivals. There are a LOT of empty seats as this game gets under way.

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 7:13 PM EDT reply actions

I wasn’t lucky enough to catch that… Center Ice has the broadcast from NJ, so I was treated to those jokers bad-mouthing Holmqvist.

by Gary on Apr 18, 2007 7:14 PM EDT reply actions

New jersey scores on the PP — blame Richards for movign the puck into the zone for them.

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 7:20 PM EDT reply actions

1-0. That sucks.

by Gary on Apr 18, 2007 7:20 PM EDT reply actions

That little flurry was nice — Brodeur played it well for NJ. There hadn’t been many scoring chances before that.

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 7:27 PM EDT reply actions

Perrin?! I forgive him for his trespasses in Game 2.

by Gary on Apr 18, 2007 7:32 PM EDT reply actions

BOOM!!! Eric Perrin and the wrist shot of doom! j/k!

1 all!

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 7:32 PM EDT reply actions

And the crowd is back into it

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 7:33 PM EDT reply actions

BAH!!

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 7:35 PM EDT reply actions

I have a baaaad feeling about this game…

by Gary on Apr 18, 2007 7:35 PM EDT reply actions

Giving Craig credit for crashing the net. No one has shown that nerve all game

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 7:44 PM EDT reply actions

I don’t. It’s too close to say it will get away from us and it’s too early.

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 7:47 PM EDT reply actions

they blew the end of period PP chance though. They still have time left in the 2nd but they never usually capitalize on start-of-period PP’s.

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 7:47 PM EDT reply actions

New Jersey has done a great job limiting offensive chances for the Lightning and have done what they did so well in game 1: Capitalizing off Lightning mistakes.

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 7:57 PM EDT reply actions

they were playing like ZOMBIES that last shift. They are lucky NJ wasn’t much better. WAKE UP!

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 8:09 PM EDT reply actions

Richards — 2 minutes.

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 8:13 PM EDT reply actions

How man, nice end to the PK there. I just wish VInny SHOT on brodeur but it may have been wiser for him to just run out the clock

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 8:17 PM EDT reply actions

Richards gets called AGAIN?!?!

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 8:19 PM EDT reply actions

Jeez.

Somebody’s gotta’ stick to Parise.

Ya’ think?!

by Gary on Apr 18, 2007 8:21 PM EDT reply actions

3-1.

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 8:21 PM EDT reply actions

Vinny’s hurt

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 8:26 PM EDT reply actions

BOOM

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 8:27 PM EDT reply actions

VINNY!!!!!!!!!!

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 8:35 PM EDT reply actions

Seems like Vinny and Parise are taking this scoring thing seriously. :)

by Gary on Apr 18, 2007 8:35 PM EDT reply actions

They tied it!! Oh man!!!!

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 8:36 PM EDT reply actions

Nolan Pratt should be given the world’s most painful pink-belly for that defensive zone play. Is he trying to screw up?

by Gary on Apr 18, 2007 8:37 PM EDT reply actions

Christ, Marty hot hauled down earlier, now call. They are more than willing to call him for slashing though.

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 8:39 PM EDT reply actions

Gary: Pratt and Sarich have been the reasons why I look forward to the off season – I expect it’s the last year for both of them.

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 8:40 PM EDT reply actions

What a kill!!!

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 8:43 PM EDT reply actions

It seems that our boys have woken up.

by Gary on Apr 18, 2007 8:44 PM EDT reply actions

I’d honestly give this team a standing O going into the intermission. THAT was gutsy. Not exactly the way you want it but they fought back.

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 8:44 PM EDT reply actions

I said Vinny was hurt. It looked like he was brandishing his ankle while going off from a shift just before Marty’s goal.

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 8:47 PM EDT reply actions

I wouldn’t be upset in the least if Sarich and Pratt got shipped. Who, then, would fill the voids?

I hate to say it, but the Bolts could really use Brenda Twitt on the 2nd D line…

by Gary on Apr 18, 2007 8:48 PM EDT reply actions

Promoting the rookies / prospects. Smaby seems poised to make the jump next eyar and I really want to see Egener — who has to be resigned. Also Rogers could make the jump.

Sarich is a UFA. I think Pratt is the same.

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 8:52 PM EDT reply actions

4 minutes, seven shots

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 9:07 PM EDT reply actions

I know it’s been said before… and it’ll be said again… but:

Danny Boyle is one helluva’ D man. He plays the point and the line better than anyone in the East, as far as I’m concerned.

by Gary on Apr 18, 2007 9:11 PM EDT reply actions

and to believe Keenan couldn’t stand him.

SUCKER!!!

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 9:16 PM EDT reply actions

Both teams and the crowd sesem to be in a lull

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 9:16 PM EDT reply actions

Okay… what I said before stopped being applicable at the very moment that DannyBoy tripped over his own net…

by Gary on Apr 18, 2007 9:19 PM EDT reply actions

p.s. I lied before… it’s not the NJ dorks I have doing play by play. It’s the CBC asshats.

“Hockey is better in Canada” they say.

I have to disagree given this aural assault.

by Gary on Apr 18, 2007 9:21 PM EDT reply actions

Saw that. Started thinking of what you wrote. Whoopsie ;)

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 9:21 PM EDT reply actions

The Bolts kinda’ fell apart the last two minutes before this TV timeout. Need to start passing smart.

by Gary on Apr 18, 2007 9:21 PM EDT reply actions

Holmqvist is really saving the team’s bacon at this point… (knocking on wood)

by Gary on Apr 18, 2007 9:23 PM EDT reply actions

Jason-on-the-spot. Ward, that is.

by Gary on Apr 18, 2007 9:28 PM EDT reply actions

Re-sign Ward!

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 9:28 PM EDT reply actions

Is that a 2-minute delay?

by Gary on Apr 18, 2007 9:30 PM EDT reply actions

I thought for sure the Bolts put that over the glass from the d-zone.

by Gary on Apr 18, 2007 9:31 PM EDT reply actions

WOW that was a great play offa’ the faceoff.

by Gary on Apr 18, 2007 9:33 PM EDT reply actions

Hinch? Marsha? Want to make a report here? Wheeeeeew… shaking his head

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 9:36 PM EDT reply actions

Overtime coming up.

Seriously… do you think that Vinny knew it was the puck that hit him in the face?

Nope. He thought it was a stick and pulled a Cindy Crosby style dive, trying to pull the two.

He’s got my Golden Globe vote. :)

by Gary on Apr 18, 2007 9:36 PM EDT reply actions

Vinny and Marty have racked up 52+ minutes of ice time between them. Each have more time on ice than Boyle. Cripes

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 9:44 PM EDT reply actions

Unless the Lightning score quick, the longer it draws out the more damage NJ does. At least if Vinny and Marty are depended on like they have been during OT

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 9:50 PM EDT reply actions

Thank yoiu Martin… Early PP for the Bolts

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 9:52 PM EDT reply actions

Let’s see what happens… Torts is taking the timeout.

by Gary on Apr 18, 2007 9:53 PM EDT reply actions

And the Dour Play returns.

by Gary on Apr 18, 2007 9:56 PM EDT reply actions

Allow me to reTorts: WTF?

by Gary on Apr 18, 2007 9:56 PM EDT reply actions

nic ekill by NJ. Helped along by the Lightning demanding charging into their zone instead of holding onto the puck and getting set

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 9:56 PM EDT reply actions

Cripes, I thought we had it when Brodeur went all crazy

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 10:00 PM EDT reply actions

I know that making this comparison may be inappropriate at this point in the playoffs…

But Holmqvist is channeling the Bulin?

by Gary on Apr 18, 2007 10:00 PM EDT reply actions

Crap. NJ power play

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 10:04 PM EDT reply actions

F-word! DannyBoy got called.

by Gary on Apr 18, 2007 10:04 PM EDT reply actions

Gary, had the same thought. It’s the mask and the Euro facial stuff. They are similar in that.

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 10:05 PM EDT reply actions

F F F F F F F F F f F F f F F F F F F F

by Gary on Apr 18, 2007 10:09 PM EDT reply actions

cancel that channeling thought, Gary

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 10:10 PM EDT reply actions

Oh, it was cancelled.

by Gary on Apr 18, 2007 10:16 PM EDT reply actions

So pissed off right now.

“Pissed” isn’t a bad word I can’t use here on the ’Mag, is it?

by Gary on Apr 18, 2007 10:17 PM EDT reply actions

Gary, the difference between BM and FanHome is thus:

You can get away with saying any god damned thing on Boltsmag while on FanHome I gotta smack you with a wet noodle. :)

by John F. on Apr 18, 2007 10:47 PM EDT reply actions

Was biting my nails between sipping my beers on this game, so sorry I was AWOL, boys. I was amazed by Holmer, Vinny & Marty, and Prospal was hanging tough at some key times in the game. Are we getting too tired? Why aren’t we seeing more of Tar"nasty" out there, eh? And can Richie take more shots, please, given the simple fact that he’s such a better shooter than his linemates? If we can reestablish the forecheck, maybe we can reignite the D-men, or at least keep ’em from embarrassing themselves. Still, I think we have a darned good chance to win Game 5 b/c now the fire is under our asses instead of theirs. Bring it on, I say.

by Marsha on Apr 19, 2007 10:14 PM EDT reply actions