The Bolts

No new Tampa Bay Lightning information anywhere. Trust me, I scoured the internet yesterday looking for content and came up empty. So instead, I’m pulling some of my favorite articles from Justin’s 91 Days of Stamkos. Enjoy!

Day 18, Stamkos gives back: “Steven Stamkos is a giver. He gives goaltenders headaches, teammates assists, and fans something to cheer about. Every other year or so he gives the medical community of the Tampa area plenty of things to do. And every once in a blue moon he gives a piece of equipment to a fan.”

Day 63, Stamkos breaks stuff other than his leg: “In a commercial that was released after Stamkos made his comeback from his broken leg, Bauer filmed an ad called the MX3 Break Stuff Challenge. With Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture playing in the background, Stamkos..well...he breaks stuff.”

Day 79, Stamkos and The Toronto Maple Leafs: “Stamkos likes playing against the Toronto Maple Leafs. More importantly, Stamkos likes scoring against the Maple Leafs. There is a chance that one reason he didn’t sign with the Leafs is that if he played for them, he wouldn’t be able to score against them.”

The Worlds

With ten members of the Tampa Bay Lightning participating across four teams at the IIHF World Championship, we'll be keeping a close eye on Canada (Jon Cooper, Alex Killorn, and Brayden Point), Russia (Nikita Kucherov, Vladislav Namestnikov, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and prospect Nikita Gusev), Sweden (Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman), and Switzerland (Tanner Richard).

Tanner Richard did not find the score sheet as Switzerland defeated Belarus 3-0 yesterday. No other members of the Lightning played yesterday.

A 360-degree view of Team Sweden as they practice and play one of their first games as a team this year.

Photos from yesterday’s practice, courtesy of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation.

The Prospects

The Syracuse Crunch lost 3-2 to the Toronto Marlies. The series is tied 2-2. “Syracuse seemed poised to make quick work of the baby leafs after games one and two in the salt city but as the series shifted to Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto, so did the momentum, and the Crunch lost their second game in a row, 3-2.” [Raw Charge]

CrunchCast 23: With special guest Brent Axe. “Syracuse radio personality and journalist Brent Axe joined the crew today to talk about all of the recent happenings in Crunch land.” [Raw Charge]

Anthony Cirelli (#22 in white) picked up an assist as the Erie Otters defeated the Mississauga Steelheads 5-2. Erik Cernak (#14) and Taylor Raddysh (#17) were held off the score sheet. The Otters lead the OHL Finals 3-1.

Bokondji Imama (#51 in white) scored a goal and Mathieu Joseph (#21) picked up four assists as the Saint John Sea Dogs defeated the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada 5-1 in the QMJHL Finals. The Sea Dogs will compete for the ultimate prize in junior hockey - the Memorial Cup.

The Game

Former Lightning goalie Ben Bishop was recently traded from the LA Kings to the Dallas Stars. He’s excited about the move. “Bishop lives in St. Louis in the offseason and often worked out with the Blues before training camp started. He said he knows [Blues head coach Ken] Hitchcock pretty well and likes how he coaches. ‘I think we have a good relationship, and I know his teams in St. Louis were tough to play against,’ Bishop said.” [Dallas Morning Star]

The Penguins eliminated the Capitals - again. “The Washington Capitals are sadly no strangers to playoff disappointment. Their 2017 postseason hopes ended at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday, and the disappointment was palpable. Now, the Capitals are left to pick up the pieces on yet another early playoff exit. Just how bad was this Game 7 loss? See for yourself.” [SB Nation]