Quick Strikes: Bolt is lonely while the team is in Sweden

The Bolts

The Tampa Bay Lightning offices are quite empty while the team is in Sweden ahead of the NHL Global Series. Without anyone to play with, Bolt the team puppy is quite lonely. This is a crime against humanity and the proper authorities are en route.

It’s been a hard start to the season and fans are frustrated. Alan has more on not only why, but how it’s affecting the fanbase. [Raw Charge]

In all four of those games, the Lightning posted less than two expected goals. To put that in context, the team had six of those games all of last season. The following chart shows what that looks like. And just to be clear, these weren’t games where they traded offense for defense. They lost the xG battle in each by a wide margin. These were just games where they did nothing offensively.

The Prospects

Justin is back with another weekly installment of the Crunch Corner. [Raw Charge]

They only surrendered seven goals over the weekend (not bad considering they seven goals in back-to-back games a week ago), and for the most part were more the type of team we have been used to seeing over the Ben Groulx Era. It helped that they were facing a couple of teams in Bridgeport and Binghamton that aren’t off to the best of starts, but sometimes that’s what a team needs to get back on track.

Hockey Fights Cancer night is back in Syracuse.

Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Hugo Alnefelt is one of the two goalies Team Sweden has brought to the Four Nations Cup in Finland.

The Game

Hockey has a problem with diversity. Qualified women and people of color are out there doing amazing work, and yet there is no sign of them in NHL hockey operations offices.

Player Poll: ESPN has counted votes from players all around the league and have some very interesting numbers to share. [ESPN]

“Washington’s showers are so bad. They’re like a prison shower. There’s a pole in the middle, then just spews that come out of that one pole. Not that I care if someone is showering next to me, but it’s just a really weird setup.”

Evander Kane is being sued by a Las Vegas casino over half a million in gambling credits. Cannot say I’m surprised with his particular fellow who can’t seem to stay away from trouble, even in the tight embrace from the San Jose Sharks. [ESPN]

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas filed the lawsuit against Kane on Monday, saying he took out eight separate credits that totaled $500,000 in mid-April.

And finally, 31 Thoughts from Elliotte Friedman. Nothing on the Lightning, though Jake Dotchin did get brought up with respect to precedent in terms of terminating contracts. [Sportsnet]

Last September, Tampa Bay terminated the final season of Jake Dotchin’s contract, and a settlement was reached in July. More important to the Jets would be if any money stayed on the cap. Richards counts against Los Angeles’s number through 2031–32, but Despres is not counted towards the Ducks’ total.