Sean Burke is out indefinitely with a broken finger.
With 16 games left, ladies and gentlemen, the reeling Lightning have suffered another blow that puts not only John Grahame in the spotlight, but also the season resting on his pads.
Grahame has been inconsistent this season and there is no hiding it. He’s hit valley’s so low that the US Geological Survey had ranked him further below sea level than Death Valley, California. And his peaks? His peaks have rivaled the Himalayas in both height and grandness.
But the problem is there has been no plateau of steadiness for Grahame. One night, he will be All-World and the next — All-ECHL-Benchwarmer. This has been the crux of the season for the Lightning: if you aren’t steady in net, you’re not steady as a team.
Grahame’s got 16 games to prove he can be steady. 16 games in the limelight where he can prove he has come into his own and give a new lease on life to the Lightning’s Stanley Cup defense dreams. On the flip side, he has 16 games where he can further put an exclamation point on lack-of foresight and movement by Jay Feaster before the trade deadline to secure another netminder.
If you believe in Grahame, now is your time to expect him to shine. If you don’t – now is your time to pray.
