Tonight’s game is a big one. The Lightning are in Carolina to take on the Hurricanes in what is shaping up to be a very pivotal game in the race for a playoff spot. With neither the Jets nor the Capitals in action on this Saturday evening, the Lightning have a shot to move just two points back of 8th place. That’s a far cry from the distant gap that once stood between the Lightning and the top-8. This team is playing with heart right now. The Bolts are winning games on determination, and drive more than skill. Last night’s game against the New York Rangers was a perfect example of how hard work and effort can overcome a great deal of adversity. Because of that victory, the Lightning sit with a 13% shot at making the playoffs. With a victory against the Hurricanes, that number can climb even higher. Let’s take a look at some pre-game notes and Mike’s Three Keys to the Game.
Read the full pre-game report over at TB HB!
http://tblhockeybuzz.blog...ina-for-pivotal-tilt.html
Thanks for reading!
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This game scares me tonight! we don't play well on the road! we need this 2 points bad tonight
This will not end well for you.
Message Posted
Confident statement, Bingo.
It appears as though it ended well for us. Great come back win for the guys. I'll have the post-game blog up in a bit. First, I've got to go grab some dinner. Haven't eaten all day. The gap is down to 2 points...this is huge!
Horrible Call!
Yep, ANYTIME they call a penalty against your own team its a "horrible call". Cry me a river.
Was the goalie in the crease? Clearly not!
You run a goalie, you run a goalie. He had NO attempt to avoid contact.
He has the same right to the puck out of the crease. Plus he tried to pull up, he and Stamkos had light contact, definitely not a penalty on Stamkos though, good play by him.
He didn't pull up, Garon was just above the crease and as Artyukhin said, you run a goalie, you run a goalie. There isn't a rule that says the goalie is fair game outside the crease. Even then, Garon was "in the crease" area. Few goalies today spend time in the crease. They all sit up top. Right call on the play.
So he stops to watch Garon play the puck, outside the crease?
That's the rule. Don't complain to me.
From NHL.com: "In all cases in which an attacking player initiates intentional or deliberate contact with a goalkeeper, whether or not the goalkeeper is inside or outside the goal crease, and whether or not a goal is scored, the attacking player will receive a penalty (minor or major, as the Referee deems appropriate)."
I know it's a judgement call. Watch it again, it was not deliberate. We got hosed like this against Anaheim about a week ago with a non call. Just a little bitter. I just hate they treat goalies like Tom Brady!
He made no attempt to stop, or get out of the way. The right call was made in that case. I'm not disagreeing that goalies shouldn't be given all this freedom, but as of right now, that's the rule.
Then make the crease bigger. I watched Arturs Irbe lay out a New Jersey player in the playoffs one year. Maybe goalies shouldn't be aloud to check then. Plus the number of slashes, cross-checks and spears they get away with is ludicrous.
Good chatting with you. Bedtime, got to drive to the middle of nowhere in the am!
Go to yahoosports.com/nhl and look at the picture, looks more like running then avoiding him.
Post-game blog is up. It really doesn't matter. The rules, are the rules. The right call was made and the Bolts won the game. Two big points here.
Agree, Artyukhin. He ran him....