Big bump in traffic from Russia and German visitors this week. Strange, that. Especially since I haven't posted in a week. And it's always the same post that gets visited: an old Bolts-Caps preview where I make a joke about Ovechkin's haircut. It was my hundredth post, by the way, but I don't think that's what's bringing in the traffic.
What? The game? Oh! The game!
Right, so the Tampa Bay Lightning were in Toronto tonight. I was able to catch updates, but despite the fact that the game was taking place in the exact city I have chosen to let my soul wither, I was unable to attend. The Maple Leafs still haven't come through with Frozen Sheets Hockey media credentials. I've had three sit-down meeting with Brian Burke so far (unverified) to explain why it's important that I get an all access media pass to the Air Canada Centre on nights when the Lightning are visiting, but it seems like the meetings get bogged down with Burkie asking me to explain over and over again what my blog title means. "So, it's like, your bedsheets are frozen?" "No, Brian, please..."
And so on.
So I have little to go on about why the Lightning shit the bed so ferociously in Toronto tonight. I can say this: it is amazing that Steve Downie was able to manage over fourteen minutes of ice time, considering he missed a full period worth of penalties. Twenty minutes. Wow. A quick google search did not tell me what the Lightning's single game penalty minute record is. I'm curious if anyone will dig that up.
I wonder who had the last high? Sandy McCarthy? Basil McRae? Enricco Ciccone? Ah, so many favorites.
Anyway, it seemed like pulling Garon in favor of Roloson may not have had the desired effect. Instead of recharging the Lightning, it seemed to give the Leafs offensive confidence. "We already chased one guy! Let's take it to these future divisional rivals (because in someone's eyes Florida is a Northeastern state)!"
I mean, yes, Mathieu Garon let in four goals on twenty-one shots, but the game was within reach. There was a quick exchange, but it was still 4-3. The Lightning were within a goal. Garon might have been given the chance to fight.
But I understand. It must be hard at this point for Guy Boucher and his staff to have much confidence in either of these guys, although you would have to say Garon is getting way more benefit of the doubt than Dwayne Roloson.
But who does Boucher come back with in Ottawa on Thursday? Surely Garon won't be starting every game on this road trip. Even if he's the safer choice (as the stats would suggest), Guy isn't going to start him every night for the rest of the season is he? He will be rested once in a while, right? I mean, Garon isn't suddenly Martin Brodeur (meaning vintage 72-start Brodeur, not current all-too-human Brodeur).
Maybe Boucher starts Roloson next week in Vancouver so if Dwayne gets shredded at least it's not an Eastern Conference team cashing in on the easy two points.
Shit, guys, Toronto is beatable. They are the kind of team Tampa Bay needs to beat if they want to get back in the race, which is the same disgusting line I'm going to have to listen to on Toronto sports-talk radio tomorrow about the Leafs all day at work. Where do I work? I'm like Bukowski, I always manage to find a job as a shipping clerk. Canada Post has my application.
I don't want the Lightning giving away charity points to half-assed team like this, but the fact is, the Leafs are a freakin' mirror of the Lightning; they are both offensively one-dimensional with questions on defense and goaltending that isn't working out as well as everyone thought going into the season. Oh, and buckets of injuries.
All I mean is that the Lightning have been able to make wins happen against other damaged teams like Carolina and Montreal lately, and even pumped the Flyers hard just a week ago. This Lightning does not need to be absorbing four-goal losses to teams as so-so as the Leafs.
After all, they were able to avoid getting caught up in first-win fever from Montreal coach Randy Cunneyworth, but they were under no obligation to give the Canadiens a free ride. Not like Ottawa. After all, Ottawa had to let Cunneyworth beat them. It's part of the NHL secret behavioral code, although it's not talked about much because it's so rarely invoked: if a team's former captain visits as a new or rookie coach and is on a long winless stretch to start his tenure, the team will lie down. So the current Senators nodded, held hands in the locker room, then took it hard from their former captain's new team.
And so the slate was clean.
But Tampa Bay? No, they decided let's stick it even harder to this Montreal Canadiens team that is coached by a non-French speaking coach by having Vincent Lecavalier, one of the NHL's few francophone superstars, score the winning goal. Oh, and the Lightning also have a francophone coach. Coup de grace!
Anyway, reload, go to Ottawa, and see if you can beat them. Way to go. Recap and preview, all in one post.
0 comments:
Post a Comment