Ok, I'll say it.

[Godzilla 321,564]

The Lightning SUCK!!!

 

Thanks for fucking up a good thing, Melrose and Mr. Saw movie producer guy who I don't give a shit enough about to make an effort to remember your name.

 

There goes attendance, there goes TV ratings, there goes merchandise revenue, and there go the Lightning to Las Vegas. We had a good run in Tampa and at least we won a cup. Next year the Forum will be a concert and circus venue.

[Edski 250,000]

The Lightning SUCK!!!

....

Next year the Forum will be a concert and circus venue.

 

Agreed. Very bad team, that needs to go white hot for at least 15 games to get in the thick of the playoff hunt. The reduction of inter-division games are exposing the SE teams - the three teams stuck at 19 points are the Lightning, the Panthers, and the Thrashers. Doesn't say much for southern tier teams, does it.

 

The folks at the Lightning board keep harping on "positives" and "effort", but the results have been dismal. Maybe 2 games out of 23 they've looked like a solid hockey team. At this point I can give a crap about effort, I need to see wins, and at the pace they are on the Lightning are headed to having about 22 wins this season.

 

As for the concert venue idea, was there any doubt that the major aspect of the sale was for the Forum and the 5 1/2 undeveloped acres surrounding it? The fact that there was a hockey team involved might have actually been a hinderence to the sale...

[unBUClievable 457,768]

I happened to turn on tonight's huge embarrassing failure just in time to see Malone get a gift Penalty Shot when Scotty Hartnell threw his glove on a breakaway (true dumbassery), but alas we could not make them pay. Lets see how OT goes, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

UPDATE: Loner goes for a chip and charge, d-man stands him up shoulda been interference, they both collide with the goalie, Loner goes to the box. Truly pathetic.

UPDATE: Ensuing 4v3 Philly scores. Another chance to get two and come away with one. Anybody watch the rest of the game. Did we blow a lead?

[BucForce 24,807,016]

I watched the whole game. Criers went up 1-0, early and we tied it up in the 2nd. They played hard, especially from the 2nd period on. And the kids they called up really played well. Smolenak had a fight and an assist. Stamkos had some good shots. Downie scored the tying goal. But when Malone gets handed a gift with 15 seconds left and can't score on the penalty shot, you knew it was only a matter of time.

[unBUClievable 457,768]

Thanks BucForce I will rep you when I can.

[Edski 250,000]

Last night against Philly was just the typical Bolts. Fight back, end up losing, "look for positives".

 

6-10-8

 

Very ugly, and it's probably going to get worse before it gets better.

[BucForce 24,807,016]

I need to see more from the big 3: Vinny4, MSL26 and VinnyP. Lecavalier in particular seems to be floating around the ice at times. As captain, I expect him to lead, to be an Yzerman or Andreychuk type leader. These 3 can elevate the rest of them to overachieve. I don't need to see Gary Roberts and his groin out there stealing minutes from guys that are part of our future. The only reason he's here is he's part investor in Barrie's BC hideaway resort. If he's a playoff guy, this team is not sniffing the playoffs right now, so move his ass. And tomorrow, the hottest team in the NHL, Boston, comes to town

 

What the Lightning really need is a guy like this:

[unBUClievable 457,768]

They brought him in for a tryout, but he melted the ice.

[Edski 250,000]

There are plenty of guys on the roster who might have trade value. The only problem is that the value goes up as one gets closer to the trade deadline.

 

As for some of the additions: Roberts - done, dead weight. Recchi - nice score, but might be the most valuable at the deadline. Vrbata - feh. Malone - sometime I think he's a good long term piece, other times I'm reminded of Michel Oulette.

 

The Boyle trade essentially landed Steve Eminger - who's been playing pretty well, but I think Boyle played a large role in the offense clicking. Mezzaros was essentially traded for Picard - so far I'm not entirely sold on Mezz, but I recall what he looked like for the Senators. And the team has been playing fairly well defensively. It's been crap scorig that's been the biggest problem.

 

BucForce is 100% - the team needs far more from the big 3. At least if they were producing like expected there might be 10-12 wins...not great, but in the hunt for the division.

[BucForce 24,807,016]

Boyle has more points than any other player on the Lightning right now. He might be the leading scoring defensemen in all the NHL too. And the Sharks are like 21-3. Danny hasn't done too badly for himself out of the deal. Though he hated to leave Tampa Bay, and meddling putz Len Barrie is the reason he is gone. That plus the $6 mil salary Feaster doled out to him, which a last place team cannot afford.

 

Malone can be decent, I hope he sticks on VL4's line with MSL. He can get 10 goals just picking up the garbage around the nets on rebounds. Eminger has pleasantly surprised me so far, I expected Carle to be a dynamo here. Meszaros is meh to me so far. Zero goals, and I hardly notice him on the ice. We all need to pray that Mike Smith stays healthy, otherwise is there any place in the standings lower than last? That's where we'd be with Kolzig playing goal full time.

[BucForce 24,807,016]

They brought him in for a tryout, but he melted the ice.

 

Rep to you!

[MadMac 22,727,598]

 

Say it.....SAY IT!!!!

 

Ok, I'll say it.

 

 

Because Truman was too much of a pussy-wimp to let MacArthur go in there and blow out those Commie bastards!

 

**NOTE: I couldn't find an image of Rodney in Prof Turgeson's classroom

[tampabartender 250,001]

Bye Bye Lightning, hello Orlando Magic

[grudensgrimace 8,251,896]

Score some more F'ing goals!!

[BucForce 24,807,016]

Haven't won in 7 games and now go to Boston, Buffalo, Montreal and Ottawa. Is this team worse than last year's last place team? Sure looks like it. I don't see much hope anymore, even our "stars" are playing down to the level of the rest of them.

[Axe 44,203,878]

Bye Bye Lightning, hello Orlando Magic

 

I'd vote for that.. As long as the owners don't swap as well..

[BucForce 24,807,016]

[BucForce 24,807,016]

I guess it's time to revive this thread again for another season. It started with so much hope and now it has begun circling the drain again. With the way the Bucs are playing, the Lightning could have owned this town again like they did in 2004. Now the IP is half full most nights, with mostly opposing team fans, and the coach is bickering with the players, and the stars of the team are sucking donkey dick. Every successful franchise begins and ends with stable, well heeled owners, for the most part, and until this franchise gets that, they will struggle to survive in this market.

[unBUClievable 457,768]

Oren Koules is a moron. The Saw movies are pathetic, 2.5 men is not funny, please bury yourself alive.

[Pewter Power 337,121]

Tocchet looks like he's at "lost the team" status. Every time they give up a goal it's like the roof caves in, they're knocked out of the game mentally and can't get it back for a long time. The lines and d-pairings are all over the map, and nothing he does (benchings, new combinations) seems to work. Might be time to cut the cord because it's easier than you think to find a good hockey coach.

[Christoph2060 18,164,945]

I can't even watch these guys any more.

 

Gutless.

 

Clueless.

 

Listless.

 

No wonder the IP (I refuse to call it the SPTF) is half empty and mostly populated by the opposing teams fans.

 

Sigh. We suck and I hate it.