Feed aggregator

When the Tampa Bay Lightning acquired defenseman Keith Aulie last spring, there was little doubt that the towering defenseman would one day play a significant role in adding both size and speed to the Bolts blue line. Few, however, expected him...

BoltProspects: RT @SyracuseCrunch: Radko Gudas has his photo taken a #fearthebeard t-shirt. Look for the shirts at upcoming games! http://t.co/UYWHn44C

Sami Salo is in no rush. He slides to his left with a puck at the blue line as the defense moves with him, waiting one, two, three seconds, before delivering a short pass to Marty St. Louis. The patience, composure, allows St. Louis to take th...

BoltProspects: ICYMI: Our #TBLightning Prospect of the Week: http://t.co/FFANMFq1

BoltProspects: @joshdharding JF Jacques would be the closest thing to a 4th liner with that package.

BoltProspects: @JeffBarlisESPN In the words of Lloyd Christmas, you better not be foolin'.

BoltProspects: Not really a big fan of Vinny doing it too as a retaliation/message.

BoltProspects: Oh, & Rinaldo is a POS for hitting Crombeen like that while he was defenseless. You won the fight. Move on with your life. No room for that.

BoltProspects: And I like him, but PC Labrie was at fault for 2nd goal. He pinched, then took a wide turn and put head down to back check. Was way too slow

BoltProspects: Sestito had the puck well out in front of him with arms extended (read: no shot chance), yet Lindback played him to shoot. Didn't get down.

BoltProspects: Just finished the game. I thought Philly played well, and really TB did, too. I thought Lindback was good, but he misread Sestito on 1st gl.

BoltProspects: @cdnbasspro No, they want depth there. They also like Killorn, Johnson, Palat, and Panik on the wing coming up. Possible, but unlikely.

BoltProspects: This week's #TBLightning Prospect of the Week is … http://t.co/FFANMFq1 #SYRCrunch

The Tampa Bay Lightning honored Annie Godbee as the 21st Lightning Community Hero of the year at the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg this afternoon. Godbee, who received a $50,000 donation from the Lightning Foundation and the Lightning Community H...

BoltProspects: If you're into NCAA football recruiting and are a #Gators fan, give friend of BP @jeffbarlisESPN a follow. @derektysonESPN, too. #NSD

BoltProspects: Soccer game tonight so DVRing the #TBLightning game. @mikegallimore may jump on the @BoltProspects account for some comments.

BoltProspects: Cory Conacher No.1 in ESPN Rookie Rankings (Insider) http://t.co/qP4CD3nX (via @GPSHOCKEY) #TBLightning

Nothing was announced officially, but watching the Tampa Bay Lightning's morning skate for its game tonight against the Flyers seemed to indicate a few lineup changes.

With Pierre-Cedric Labrie off the ice early and Dana Tyrell staying late, it seems as if Labrie will get his first game action since the Jan. 21 road opener against the Islanders. Defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron might also get some playing time as he also was off the ice early. Another tweak: wings Teddy Purcell and Ryan Malone have swapped assignments. Purcell was on a line with center Vinny Lecavalier and Cory Conacher. Malone took Purcell's former spot on a line with center Steven Stamkos and Marty St. Louis.

"I tend to keep Stammer and Marty together and Conacher and Vinny together and move guys in and out of there depending on the period, depending on the momentum (of a game)," coach Guy Boucher said. "Malone brings a physical aspect to a line and Teddy brings a passing ability and vision that's out of the ordinary,so they're both good on both lines depending on the moment of the game. If I want to stir up something or I see something or I see the matchup that the other teams wants to have against us, sometimes I'll make a different decision."

As for how Labrie and Bergeron have handled their lack of playing time -- Labrie got 4:54 against the Islanders, Bergeron has 14:15 in two games -- Boucher said he could not have asked for more.

"Terrific attitude and work ethic," he said. "I know they're boiling and want to play, but they want more and to show what they can do. But on the outside, they've helped out the team chemistry and atmosphere."

"I'm practicing and I know I'm getting better, so there's nothing wrong with that," Labrie said. "I'm keeping the positive side. I'm closing my eyes to the other one." 

Even so, he added, "Everybody feels the same when you're sitting down and watching, but we have such a good team. When you win like that you can't expect the coach to make the lineup changes or anything. Nobody deserves to sit."

Other stuff from the morning skate: As expected Anders Lindback will get the start in net. ... Defenseman Victor Hedman (left foot) did not skate in the morning but is expected to play. ... Lecavalier (left foot) also skated in the morning and is expected to play. ... Defenseman Brendan Mikkelson (right shoulder and general soreness) has been cleared to play after sliding head- and shoulder-first into the end boards during a Thursday practice at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. ... Defenseman Matt Carle will play for the first time at the Wells Fargo Center since he left he Flyers as a free agent and signed last summer with the Lightning. "It's a little different. I have a lot of memories in this building," said Carle, who spent four seasons with Philadelphia. "It's weird being over here in this locker room. I had to do a quick tour. I think, maybe, I played two games on the road against the Flyers before I got traded here. I didn't know what the visiting locker room really looked like." ... Tyrell probably is out of the lineup tonight, but that does not mean he hasn't impressed Boucher. "He is pond-for-pound one of the strongest players we've got and one of the most dedicated individuals we've got." ... Ben Pouliot also has impressed, Boucher said. "In front of the net he's unbelievable," he said. "Our goaltenders have told me he's one of the best they've ever seen. So, he screens and he's not scared."

BoltProspects: RT @NHLAdamK: Flyers' Kurtis Foster credits time in Tampa, especially with Marty St. Louis, for extending his career - http://t.co/x5eDF779

BoltProspects: RT @sthomasphotos: Crossing the Blueline @SyracuseCrunch @tjohnny09 skating into @AmerksHockey zone. http://t.co/yMQXVJHs #sports #hocke ...