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Quick Strikes: Lightning celebrate the fourth annual Coop’s Catch for Kids

Posted on by Alexandra Ackerman

The Lightning

-Yesterday was the fourth annual Coop’s Catch for Kids. The fundraiser collected nearly $200,000 for pediatric cancer research and patient services.

The event was a success even before the boats left the launch. Sarah Costello, Lightning Foundation and community events manager, estimated this year’s event brought in almost $200,000, bringing the four-year total to about $500,000. The proceeds all go to the V Foundation, founded by basketball analyst Dick Vitale to benefit pediatric cancer research and patient services.

Lightning players contributed $10,000, which general manager Julien BriseBois matched, then Pat Maroon added another $2,500. Team owner Jeff Vinik matched Heritage Insurance, the event’s titular sponsor with $25,000.

Many Lightning players participated in the event.

-With the Lightning roster set and the regular season right around the corner, it’s time for our division previews to start back up again.

Just like last season, we’ll be breaking down our preview into two sections: pretenders and contenders. Today, we’ll be taking a look at the teams that we predict will be in the bottom three of the Atlantic division.

We’ll provide the blog’s aggregate ranking of the teams with their highest and lowest rank in parentheses. Additionally, we’ll provide the reader ranking.

-It’s also time for Trophy Trackers for the 2019-20 season. Tampa defenseman Victor Hedman is a heavy favorite for the Norris already. Kevin Shattenkirk is clearly a big fan.

“When you can skate like that at his size (6-foot-6, 229 pounds) and have that much range, it makes almost next to impossible to get around him and beat him one on one,” said Shattenkirk, who played against Hedman the past nine seasons before signing as an unrestricted free agent with the Lightning on Aug. 5. “Really, he’s one guy that can affect five on the ice and there’s not many guys in the League that can do it.”

-Did you miss this nice piece on the RCMA Wimauma Academy? Watch it here!

-The Lightning and Amalie Arena announced a partnership with Pepsi yesterday.

The Crunch/Solar Bears

-Defenseman Luke Schenn cleared waivers yesterday and was assigned to Syracuse.

-Although it was assumed that Volkov was healthy when he was assigned to Syracuse, the truth may be a bit more murkey.

-Overall, the Crunch roster is also shaping up nicely. Yesterday, Justin posted the first of three entries covering the team, starting with the goalies.

For the first time in a long time, the Lightning’s affiliate doesn’t have a prospect they are grooming. There is no rookie to break in and teach the ropes to this season. In fact, all three goaltenders currently on the roster have played in the NHL.

-To make room for players who have been reassigned from Tampa in the last few days, several guys were reassigned to the Orlando Solar Bears: Matthew Spencer, Ryan Lohin, and Alexey Lipanov.

-Need a new lock screen?

-The AHL has entered into a partnership with Sporfie, a company that will provide better replays, monitoring of camera feeds, and highlight packages.

“Our goal was to secure a cost-effective, dependable and user-friendly video goal review system that could also continue to adapt to the league’s changing needs,” said Christos Nikolis, AHL Executive Vice President, Business. “This partnership with Sporfie will provide the reliability and effectiveness that our league needs in a video review system.”

The AHL appears to have taken some big steps forward in giving those who analyze players more to work with.

The league’s boxscores in preseason have plenty of new additions, including a shot location map as well as a play-by-play of the action with general info like shots, penalties and goals in addition to their usual game-scoring summaries. Another new addition appears include stats on head-to-head matchups too.

-If you’re looking to keep up with the start of the Crunch’s season as they begin in Rochester on Friday, be sure to check out this deal this weekend!

The Game

– Connor Carrick of the New Jersey Devils is working to help erase the stigma around mental health.

Mental health isn’t an uncomfortable subject for Carrick, it’s an important subject for him. There aren’t many who will be as open about it like him, but we’re seeing more and more players coming forward with stories about their mental health journeys.

-We never tire of rookies being forced to sing karaoke, do we? Here’s Jack Hughes and co.

-The Buffalo Sabres announced an emergency change in their coaching staff yesterday.

Keith Wozniak was at Rochester’s practice yesterday, and stated that the organization intends for the changes to be seamless.

Randy Sexton spoke after Amerks practice this morning saying, “First and foremost we hope that Donny is on the mend. Some positive news yesterday that he’s making progress but it’s one day at a time. That’s the single most important thing that he gets better quickly.”

“We believe it is,” Sexton said when asked about the transition being seamless. “Tayls has a different style than Gord but they’re both equally effective. We’re blessed with a strong leadership group here with Kevin Porter, Andrew MacWilliam, Zach Redmond and others that are a part of that group. We had a very positive meeting with them this morning.”

-Yesterday’s busy waiver wire actually involved some claims by Winnipeg and Arizona.

-If you haven’t had feels yet today, the St. Louis Blues are here to fix that.

-So this…is a thing to not really take any stock in, but as Justin said, at least the Lightning made it out of the first round!

-Lee Stempniak has decided to retire.

-Eleven year old AJ Drake is a goalie from the Maitland, Florida area, and he is involved in the “October Saves Goalie Challenge” program.

For each save he makes in games during the month, he gets donations and pledges from family, friends and others with the proceeds going to various charities fighting cancer.

“My mom found it [October Saves} online and showed it to me. We talked about it and I wanted to do it so she helped me sign up,” AJ said about how he got involved. “Then I talked to everyone I know and asked them to pledge and my mom and dad asked a bunch of people too.”

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Talking Points