Quick Strikes: Boyle worries that Bolts are running out of time

The Bolts

GM Steve Yzerman is a reserved man who rarely shows emotion, so you know things must be going poorly if he’s noticeably agitated. “Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman was visibly upset during Thursday’s loss to Vancouver and left his spot in the press box by the end of the second period and headed straight for the locker room area, presumably for the coach’s office” [Lightning Insider]

While the Lightning have yet to make any trades, Brian Boyle recognizes that the team needs to find success if the players want to stay together. "I just think that if a team is not winning, that team doesn't stay the same. We love each other, we want to stick together. We've got to start winning. We're running out of time." [Tampa Bay Times]

There is no denying that the Lightning have hit a rough patch, dropping seven of their last eight games. Is it time to start panicking? [Raw Charge]

The Crunch

The Crunch hosted their annual Stanley Steamer Tired Teddy Toss on Saturday night. Fans tossed 2,628 stuffed animals onto the ice after Henri Ikonen scored the first goal for Syracuse. The stuffed animals will be cleaned and donated to the Salvation Army.

Syracuse Crunch goalie Adam Wilcox is having a stellar second year at the professional level, going 10-3-0 in thirteen starts. Wilcox discussed his routine, which includes reviewing the quality of shots that he faces in games. “Usually after every game, my goalie coach gives me a percentage of saves out of the shots that I have in Grade A, Grade B, and then everything else. Like my shutout game, there was - I don’t know - eight shots that were Grade A out of the 20-something and then there was 12 that were Grade B and the rest were easy stuff that you should stop.” [Raw Charge]

World Juniors

Hockey Canada’s World Junior Championship selection camp started on Saturday. With six Lightning prospects hoping to make the team, we’ll be keeping you up to date on all the latest interviews and highlights from camp.

Bob McKenzie and James Duthie reveal their picks to make the World Juniors team. Among the Lightning prospects, McKenzie believes Mitchell Stephens is a lock to make the roster, Anthony Cirelli and Mathieu Joseph are front-runners, and the remaining Bolts (Connor Ingram, Taylor Raddysh, and Brett Howden) are on the bubble. [TSN]

After missing out on an invitation to the preliminary camp over the summer, Taylor Raddysh caught the attention of Hockey Canada by leading the Ontario Hockey League in scoring with 61 points in 28 games. "I worked really hard in the off-season and the confidence of getting drafted (58th overall by Tampa Bay) last summer was huge for me," he said. [TSN]

Goalie Connor Ingram is thrilled to be participating in the selection camp, regardless of the outcome. "No matter what, just being there is always exciting. Whether I make it or they send me home, it's something I'll always remember." [CBC News]

The Bolts also have a prospect attending another World Juniors camp, with defenseman Libor Hajek receiving an invitation from the Czech Republic team. He didn’t hear about his selection from the coach or general manager; someone else beat them to revealing the news. “My mom sent me the page where I could find it — I was happy with the moment. She was also very happy, so it was nice.” [Saskatoon StarPhoenix]

The League

Alexander Ovechkin scored his 200th power play goal - and of course he fires it off from the Ovi spot.

Carolina has a dominant defensive pairing in Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce, so why is nobody talking about them? The league’s best kept secrets live on the Hurricanes’ blue line. [Canes Country]

There is a red-hot goalie in net for the New York Rangers - and his name isn’t Henrik Lundqvist. Posting his second consecutive shutout, Antti Raanta led the Rangers to a 5-0 victory over the Devils. [Blue Shirt Banter]

For the first time in over twenty years, the Philadelphia Flyers are on a nine-game winning streak. [Broad Street Hockey]

With the recent losing streak for the Lightning, we could all probably benefit from some positive vibes. Here’s Jonathan Drouin helping Michael, a patient at All Children’s Hospital, try out his new roller blades.