Brawl in NY/Moore/Connolly to Team Canada/Visors
Posted 4:15 AM ET | Comments 1
So a crazy game against the New York Rangers:
Artem Anisimov scores a goal on Garon, and then to celebrate, he turns back to the net and pretends to fire a gun with his stick towards Garon in net. Since it was a celebration that took aim at the opposing team (literally), its not a big surprise that this is unsportsmanlike conduct, and that the Lightning took exception to it. Right away Lecavalier went after him, and in the end, 38 penalty minutes were handed out to various players. I like the way the Lightning reacted, and I hope this has lit a fire in them and the play (and wins) continues from here on out.
There was some speculation that Downie would get an automatic suspension for leaving the bench, but it appears that isn't the case and it was a legal line change.
At thursday's practice, Boucher worked his team harder than usual, and let the team know that the current play is not acceptable. Then for the actual game, and as usual, Boucher rode Brewer and Hedman (27:35/28:58mins), but what is surprising to me is to see that Stamkos played 26:59.
I have to hand it to Dominic Moore who scored the tying goal in the 3rd, and then scored the only shootout goal for the win. That is truly what the Lightning need to win. I have said many times that it is not the top players on the team that wins the championship, it is the depth players. All teams have a good players. In a way, they cancel each other out. Not all teams have a good 4th line or even 3rd line, and they really make the difference.
Speaking of depth, I think a lot of fans immediate reaction to Yzermans decision to release Brett Connolly to Team Canada at the world juniors, was not a positive one. I like it, and I'll tell you why: As I have said before, Yzerman sees the big picture. While fans see right here and now, Yzerman is building the team to be the next Detroit Red Wings, and a constant contender. He wants a cup, and THAT is his focus, not about right now. Are the Bolts a better team with Connolly right now than without? More than ever, I say yes, but the fact is, this is still a year of developing Connolly, and the experience of the world juniors can do wonders for that. Heck, one of the biggest reasons people thought Nugent-Hopkins should stay in junior this year, was because he would get a chance to win gold for Canada and that valuable experience would help him in the long run. Now, Obviously the Nuge didn't need the experience, and is lighting up the league in his rookie season, but this isn't a new concept to send a player to the world juniors, and it has been done before. In fact, Anaheim made the same decision with Smith-Pelley. So I guess the question SHOULD be: Will Connolly be a better player from staying with the Lightning, or going to the World Juniors (where he has a good chance of starring on a gold medal team)? Fans should be happy that Yzerman does things like this, just like how he isn't rushing Ashton into the NHL, even when he is playing very well in the AHL. It may hurt fans short term, but in a year or two, these players will be a part of a much better Lightning team because of it.
I just wish the players would've listened to Yzerman this offseason, when he asked the entire team to wear a visor. As I mentioned on twitter earlier today, St. Louis was hit by a puck and missed the game with a broken face. Ouch.
I would like to see players wearing more than just a visor, since getting hit in the jaw can knock a player out (just ask boxers/mma fighters), but why not listen to your GM who suffered a serious injury himself before deciding to wear one, and why not at the very LEAST wear one in practice?
@TBLightningDolt
Artem Anisimov scores a goal on Garon, and then to celebrate, he turns back to the net and pretends to fire a gun with his stick towards Garon in net. Since it was a celebration that took aim at the opposing team (literally), its not a big surprise that this is unsportsmanlike conduct, and that the Lightning took exception to it. Right away Lecavalier went after him, and in the end, 38 penalty minutes were handed out to various players. I like the way the Lightning reacted, and I hope this has lit a fire in them and the play (and wins) continues from here on out.
There was some speculation that Downie would get an automatic suspension for leaving the bench, but it appears that isn't the case and it was a legal line change.
At thursday's practice, Boucher worked his team harder than usual, and let the team know that the current play is not acceptable. Then for the actual game, and as usual, Boucher rode Brewer and Hedman (27:35/28:58mins), but what is surprising to me is to see that Stamkos played 26:59.
I have to hand it to Dominic Moore who scored the tying goal in the 3rd, and then scored the only shootout goal for the win. That is truly what the Lightning need to win. I have said many times that it is not the top players on the team that wins the championship, it is the depth players. All teams have a good players. In a way, they cancel each other out. Not all teams have a good 4th line or even 3rd line, and they really make the difference.
Speaking of depth, I think a lot of fans immediate reaction to Yzermans decision to release Brett Connolly to Team Canada at the world juniors, was not a positive one. I like it, and I'll tell you why: As I have said before, Yzerman sees the big picture. While fans see right here and now, Yzerman is building the team to be the next Detroit Red Wings, and a constant contender. He wants a cup, and THAT is his focus, not about right now. Are the Bolts a better team with Connolly right now than without? More than ever, I say yes, but the fact is, this is still a year of developing Connolly, and the experience of the world juniors can do wonders for that. Heck, one of the biggest reasons people thought Nugent-Hopkins should stay in junior this year, was because he would get a chance to win gold for Canada and that valuable experience would help him in the long run. Now, Obviously the Nuge didn't need the experience, and is lighting up the league in his rookie season, but this isn't a new concept to send a player to the world juniors, and it has been done before. In fact, Anaheim made the same decision with Smith-Pelley. So I guess the question SHOULD be: Will Connolly be a better player from staying with the Lightning, or going to the World Juniors (where he has a good chance of starring on a gold medal team)? Fans should be happy that Yzerman does things like this, just like how he isn't rushing Ashton into the NHL, even when he is playing very well in the AHL. It may hurt fans short term, but in a year or two, these players will be a part of a much better Lightning team because of it.
I just wish the players would've listened to Yzerman this offseason, when he asked the entire team to wear a visor. As I mentioned on twitter earlier today, St. Louis was hit by a puck and missed the game with a broken face. Ouch.
I would like to see players wearing more than just a visor, since getting hit in the jaw can knock a player out (just ask boxers/mma fighters), but why not listen to your GM who suffered a serious injury himself before deciding to wear one, and why not at the very LEAST wear one in practice?
@TBLightningDolt
I like the Connolly move. The experience of playing in that high pressure situation for your country has got to be one of the best. Still, depth is an issue for the team. That being said, you bring up a great point when you say this move is about the future.