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" • Canada • 26 Years Old • Male
With the Lightning off for a couple of days, I have time to sit back and enjoy some other hockey games. That being said, there’s always chatter and things going on in the Lightning world so I do my best to keep my readers posted. Here are some news and notes on the Lightning to begin December.

- Guy Boucher is really trying to push speed. An article posted today in the St. Pete Times quoted Boucher on how speed was the most effective way for him to coach the team successfully. I can’t disagree. Look at this season as a whole. When the Lightning come out flying and use their speed to create offense they win games. By having a strong offense, the team doesn’t have to rely so much on the blueline or Roloson.

- The more I think about Victor Hedman’s new contract, the more I like it. Despite not having the offensive game yet, he does possess a lot of attributes that come with a top D-man in this league. Here’s what Boucher had to say on the kid; clearly he’s pretty impressed. “He's a horse. He's a Chara-type player that's going to bring you some offense, but he brings you a lot more things. The focus of his game can't be run-and-gun and carry the puck on the blue line … that's not him.” That pretty mcuh sums it up. Hedman is the kind of guy that will just float under the radar and do a great job. The Chara comparison is a pretty bold one to make. Right now, I’d liken him more to another star D-man who doesn’t get as much credit as he deserves, Ryan Suter of Nashville.

- I read an interesting article on the Lightning and more specifically Mr. Jeff Vinik. The culture around this team has really changed since he took over and it’s great to see. Every season ticket holder is given a jersey, each jersey has a microchip that, when scanned, gives the wearer discounts and the Forum looks great. Props to Mr. Vinik and the culture he’s creating in a once relatively unknown hockey market.

- The guys over at NHL.com did a fantasy re-draft over the summer that was released today. It’s actually pretty funny when you think about some guys wearing jerseys other than their current ones. For example, think about Zdeno Chara in a Canucks’ uniform….doubt that will be happening soon. Plus, I’m sure guys like Ryan Kesler and Maxim Lapierre would love to see him after last spring. With that said, I thought I’d highlight some of the key guys on the “Lightning Roster” created by Dan Rosen. The draft order was the same as this past draft so Lighting were 26th. Yet, they still managed to grab Henrik Sedin (he was available at 26th….?) and Nicklas Lidstrom. That’s a pretty solid core if you ask me. Jordan Staal, Paul Martin and Brian Gionta round out the bigger names on the team. Funnily enough, Dwayne Roloson is still the number one goalie…YIKES!

Things are really starting to get interesting this season with all the coaching movement and player rumors. It’s an exciting time to be writing here at HockeyBuzz and I look forward to the month ahead. Enjoy your Thursday and let’s beat the Rangers on Saturday.

Thanks for reading.

Follow me on Twitter: @michaelstuart93
Filed Under:   tampa   bay   lightning   news   notes   december  
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Blog Archive

01 Lightning News and Notes to Start December
02 Why Bolts Must Get Into Bobby Ryan Trade Discussions
02 Breaking News: Lightning Make Minor Trade with Panthers
03 10 Bold Predictions for Rangers vs. Lightning Game
04 Lightning Lose to Rangers: My Prediction Round Up
06 Simply Embarassing: Lightning Drop 5th Straight to Islanders
08 Lightning Beat Rangers to End Losing Streak - Mixed Bag
10 The 1-3-1 Returns: Flyers Take on Bolts at Wells Fargo
11 Lightning Fall to Flyers: The Slot Looks Like a Drive-Thru
12 From Bad to Worse + Lightning Sign Miettinen
14 Lightning Talk: Defensemen to Target in Free Agent Frenzy
14 Scenario
15 Bolts Squeeze By Flames Thanks to Dominant Second Period
17 Lightning Should Make a Push for Shea Weber
18 Bolts Down Blue Jackets + Rumor Round-Up
20 Why the Lightning WILL make the Playoffs This Season
22 Lightning Embarrassed by Sharks in San Jose: U-G-L-Y
22 Tampa Bay Lightning: I Want Your Opinions
23 Bolts vs. Avalanche: A Long-Winded Game Preview
24 Bolts Lose to Avalanche in Goalie Battle + Rumor Round-Up
25 Risky Business: Victor Hedman and Other Top-5 D-Men
26 Flyers vs. Bolts Shaping Up to be a Great Game -- Preview
27 Next 6 Games Vital for Lightning + My Predictions
27 Bryzgalov Shaky as Lightning Beat Up on Flyers
29 A Tale of Two Underperforming Teams: Bolts vs. Canadiens
29 A V for Vinny, a V for Victory: Bolts Down Habs 4-3
30 Bolts/Canes Preview + HB Hotstove Response + Rumor Update
31 Lightning Defeat 'Canes 5-2 on Phil Esposito Night