Time To Start Garon, Obviously

The Tampa Bay Lightning have allowed more goals than any other team in the NHL.

Although they have played at least one or two more games than many of the other teams in the League, their goals against, 26 in 6 games, stands like some great, bloated elephant on skates in the room.

The goals are coming. The Lightning have scored 18 through 6, a total exceeded only by Pittsburgh and Colorado, not coincidentally the two teams who have played as many or more games than the Lightning (7 and 6, respectively).

And the Lightning's goals against per game is not the highest in the NHL either. Ottawa's 4.6 rate (23 in 5 games) is worse than the Bolts' 4.33 average. But keep in mind that Ottawa was pegged by the preseason's inky pundits as a shoe-in for last place in the division. Having awful stats are expected there. Of the Lightning, however, more was expected.

26 goals against not only leads the League, it dwarfs the numbers allowed by other teams. It is twice what the Avalanche have allowed in the same number of games. There are nine teams that have still only allowed a single digit worth of pucks against the twine. Detroit, through four games, has only allowed five!

And speaking of five, poor Dwayne Roloson's personal Goals Against Average has now crept above that gloomy number. 5.09. Woof. No wonder the Lightning faithful at Monday's home opener against Florida started in with the razzing and mock-cheers late in the game, as hopes of a Lightning comeback were completely destroyed by one power play goal after another drifting past Roloson.

Speaking of five...

How did the Lightning allow five power play goals? What kind of breakdown is that? I won't allow that it is simply the law of averages. The Lightning did not allow a goal on the PK in the first four games, but Florida has scored seven in two games. The Panthers have solved them, it seems.

The cliche is that your goaltender is your best penalty killer, but Nate Thompson, Adam Hall, Eric Brewer, Victor Hedman, and the rest of the Lightning's overworked PK unit will have to take a share of the blame. So to will the skaters who absolutely stuffed the box on Monday night. Yes, five power plays goals allowed is awful, but why would you ever allow you opponent nine power plays to begin with?

Nine power plays?

I think it's fair to assume we'll see Mathieu Garon start against the Islanders at home on Thursday. Those same Islanders carved Roloson for five goals last week, and Garon would seem to be a more stable bet. It might be wise to give him Buffalo on Saturday night as well.

This is not to say that I'm giving up on Roloson. It's easy for people to dismiss him because of his advanced age. It's also easy to dismiss a Tampa Bay goalie, since they so rarely perform well for any length of time in this market. But the season is young. Give Garon a few starts and let Roloson work it out in practice. Let him get his legs, and then let him get to work whittling down those brutal numbers of his.