Lightning 2009-2010

[larrivee 3]

Down 2-0 at the first intermission.

Hedman has made some good heads up plays. Ohlund looks good. Offense has had some great flurries, more scoring chances than Atlanta for sure.

St. Louis has missed a couple passes he would have had 3 years ago.

WTF is up with Vinny? Two coughed up pucks that resulted in major scoring chances. He looks rusty.......

[titand19 0]

Vinny is trying to hard, he as to perform if he wants to make the cut and beat out the others to make it to Vancouver. He needs to realize he has until late December.

[larrivee 3]

Didn't get to see last night's game thanks to the Versus blackout.

Anyone else going tomorrow night?

[TBLfan 25]

I have been very impressed with the team. Lecavalier has been working hard but he's been horrible, I think he's trying to do too much. If Lecavalier and Tanguay get hot, this team will be stellar.

The PP looks good but I think Stamkos should be putting in the full 2 mins at the point, you could still sneak him into that high slot from the point. With Meszaros and Stamkos, you have two BIG shots from the point that are set up for the one-time slapshot. Then Malone parked in front, Lecavalier in the right circle, where he scores sooo many goals and St Louis roaming the left side... that just might be the most dangerous power play first line in the league.

Hedman has been outstanding, so has Downie. When Doownie controls his temper he is one of the smartest, hardest working players the Lightning have.

Halpern has been AWFUL, he needs to bring up his game to the Halpern level we're used to seeing.

[Hooah4 12]

Any info on Mike Smith? I picked him up on waivers as a 4th goalie in fantasy. Had to since I have Toskala, Huet, and Vokoun.

[JR Boucicaut 3760]

I was at the game sitting 5 rows up on that side when Smitty got rocked. His defenseman checked Langenbrunner into him and his mask spun around and cut him and was down for about 5 minutes. His concussion was really bad last year and was still feeling symptoms into the offseason, so I assumed the worst. Hope that's not the case.

[raygunpk 0]

I don't know how Stamkos gets his one timers off in the high slot. There's always somebody right on him, and he's not even facing the net, yet he picks a corner so easily.

[CAmmon 2]

Tonight's game made me want to punch people in the face. How do you give up more shorthanded shots than you take on the pp?

[jschlenske 0]

Not sure if it was posted but here is St. Louis in a strip shootout. Should we be disturbed on how bad some of those guys wanted St Louis to take his pants off?

[RiSeOnFiRe 0]

I saw that earlier, and could not stop laughing after the 1st skate comes off. Just the most awkward looking thing I've seen.

[CAmmon 2]

Yea I would have kept the skates on as long as possible.

[Law Goalie 147]

I was at the game sitting 5 rows up on that side when Smitty got rocked. His defenseman checked Langenbrunner into him and his mask spun around and cut him and was down for about 5 minutes. His concussion was really bad last year and was still feeling symptoms into the offseason, so I assumed the worst. Hope that's not the case.

He'll pull through - he's an official GKB (Good Kingston Boy). If the Sands Brothers couldn't finish him, nobody will. :)

[lampliter87 8]

Lightning play strip-shootout after practice:

http://watch.tsn.ca/thats-hockey/#clip225879

[larrivee 3]

http://www.rawcharge.com/2010/1/20/1262465...rt-ok-hockey-in

Bye bye Koules and Co.

[larrivee 3]

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/hockey/ligh...orts-to/1067256

[TBLfan 25]

I am still AMAZED at how good Downie has continued to be, he works soo freaking hard and is such a smart player. He's really grown up here in Tampa, two years ago I would have never guessed this guy would still be in the NHL.

Kurtis Foster, JESUS CHRIST what a shot. I wouldn't be surprised if he had the hardest shot in the NHL. I really like him on the team, he's great on the point on the PP and he's solid at defense, as well as a solid winger. A real utility player and an above average skater. I have no idea how he's able to get off such a hard slap shot soo quickly, his shot makes Meszaros' shot look average and that is definitely saying something.

Stamkos on the point during the PP is a blessing, he's a true sniper with a great one-timer. He's one of the few guys I trust carrying the puck up the ice through the neutral zone and he's the youngest guy on the team!

Malone, is a beast but anyone that saw him in 07-08 for Pittsburgh already knows that.

But seriously, what the hell do the Lightning do when Hale and Ranger return?

[CAmmon 2]

Same thing they did before Ranger left, hope for him to finally break through. I know I can't wait for it to finally happen.

[larrivee 3]

Stammer's short side OTG'a are beautiful. A teammate of mine last night said he reminds him of Hull.

[larrivee 3]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_dadd...?urn=nhl,217925

[JR Boucicaut 3760]

Got the press release today in my mailbox.

I am still hoping that I can grow within the organization, and I just want to thank Oren for giving me that opportunity even though he will no longer be involved.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 5, 2010

Contact: Bill Wickett (813.301.6875, bwickett@sptimesforum.com)

Brian Breseman (813.301.6871, bbreseman@sptimesforum.com)

Jeff Vinik Agrees to Purchase Tampa Bay Lightning

New Ownership Expected to Take Over Quickly

TAMPA BAY - Tampa Bay Sports & Entertainment LLC, which is owned by Jeff Vinik and a related family entity, has executed an agreement to purchase the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League from its current owners, the club announced today. The sale includes the Lightning hockey team, the company which operates the St. Pete Times Forum, and two parcels of adjacent land. Vinik will be the Chairman and sole person controlling Tampa Bay Sports & Entertainment. The ownership transfer of the Lightning is subject to approval by the National Hockey League Board of Governors.

“Buying the Lightning and joining the Tampa Bay community is a dream come true,” Vinik said. “I’ve been an avid hockey fan my whole life and I pledge to our fans that I will work my hardest to build the Lightning into a world class organization both on and off the ice. I hope to bring a high level of excitement and intensity back to Lightning hockey, with a goal of having the team consistently compete for the Stanley Cup. I have a passion for the game and will do my best to restore a winning culture at the St. Pete Times Forum that all of our fans and partners can be proud of.”

Vinik is purchasing the team from OK Hockey, LLC, whose Chairman and Governor is Oren Koules. “The day is a bittersweet one for us, as I believe we have established a strong foundation on the ice and begun to point things in a positive direction for the Lightning,” Koules said. “We look forward to seeing Jeff take the team from here and move it forward. I believe we are leaving him with some great pieces in place and hopefully he can build upon them to deliver a consistent winner in the future.”

Vinik, 50, is the founder and chairman of Vinik Asset Management and a minority owner of the Boston Red Sox. Prior to founding Vinik Asset Management, he managed Fidelity’s Magellan Fund, at that time the world’s largest equities fund. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Duke University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering and Economics, Vinik went on to earn his Masters of Business Administration degree from the Harvard Business School.

The lifelong hockey fan currently resides in Boston with his wife Penny and their four children, Danny (19), Jared (17), Kyra (16) and Joshua (9). The Viniks are active charitably, both in the Boston community and worldwide, directing their efforts to serving basic human needs.

Founded in 1990 by Hockey Hall-of-Famer Phil Esposito, the Tampa Bay Lightning achieved the crowning moment in franchise history on June 7, 2004, when it won the Stanley Cup in just its 12th year of competition in the NHL. The Lightning averaged 17,820 fans per game that season and then averaged 20,509 fans per game after the NHL lockout in 2005-06. It ranked in the top five in the NHL in attendance for three consecutive seasons.

The Lightning has made the NHL playoffs five times in its history, winning two Southeast Division titles, the Prince of Wales Trophy as Eastern Conference Champions and the 2004 Stanley Cup. During the 1996 NHL playoffs, the team set an NHL single game attendance record, drawing 28,183 fans to a matchup with the Philadelphia Flyers at the Thunderdome in St. Petersburg. It moved to its permanent home, the St. Pete Times Forum (then called The Ice Palace) in Tampa, at the start of the 1996-97 season.

The Lightning are currently 24-21-11 in the 2009-10 regular season, good for second place in the Southeast Division and eighth place in the Eastern Conference. The team is led by star players Vincent Lecavalier, Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis. The Lightning’s general manager is Brian Lawton and its head coach is Rick Tocchet.

(Release PDF, Headshot Attached)

-- tampabaylightning.com -- Twitter - @TBLightning -- Facebook – facebook.com/lightning.nhl --

~TOGETHER WE WILL~

[TBLfan 25]

My first thought after hearing this was of you man... I hope they take good care of you.

Is you-know-who still going to be reading the boards now? ;)

[JR Boucicaut 3760]

I dunno, dude's a minority owner of the Red Sox. Might have to quit on general principle...LOL

He read before he bought the team, so, nah...

[TBLfan 25]

He's a whaaa minority owner of the whoohaaa?! That asshole, I don't like this sale at all.

[larrivee 3]

The last out of town owners with an interest in another city's teams did a pretty good job.

[TBLfan 25]

Any other team, besides the Patriots, and it wouldn't even be worth mentioning.