WHERE: Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
WHEN: 7 PM EST
MEDIA: Sun Sports (cable), 620 WDAE (radio)
OPPONENT COVERAGE: Pensburgh, Pensblog
Injuries and call-ups, that’s the news of the day for the Lightning. Vincent Lecavalier has a break in his hand and is out tonight. The team recalled Marc-Antoine Pouliot and Johan Harju from the Norfolk Admirals earlier today. They will be making their season debuts and Harju will be making his NHL debut on top of it.
So now what?
Just because the team is banged up doesn’t mean the white flag gets waved. It means expectations rise for the likes of guys like Sean Bergenheim, Teddy Purcell, Dominic Moore and others on the squad who can and have contributed so far this season, but don’t get the spotlight like others have.
Of course, Dom is recovering rom injury too — as is plenty of others on the team.
But, like the late Patrick Swayze remarked in Road House, “Pain don’t hurt.” At least that seems to be the mantra in ice hockey. And the reason to believe this team isn’t just due to go through the motions tonight.
On top of the NHL debut for Johan Harju, and the season debut for Marc Pouliot, the Lightning make their Consol Energy Center debut tonight. These are the new digs for the Penguins. We said au revoir to Mellon Arena last March, and the Bolts closed it their experience at the Igloo out in style with a 2-0 shutout win. They ended their record their at 12-16-5.
Mike Smith is tending the pipes tonight for the Lightning.
On the Pittsburgh Side of things, let me give a quick congratulations to former Bolt Ryan Craig who has been named captain of the Wilkes-Barre-Scranton Penguins of the AHL. Craig left the Bolts last off-season in free-agency.
I’m skipping my normal run down on special teams play… We’ll have it back for Sunday’s home game versus Minnesota.
