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So I saw that the bolts locked up Brad Richards long term this morning. It's a good deal for him obviously, I mean who wouldn't like to make 7.8 million a year. We get him here 5 more years which is a plus because he is our top player and one of the best playmakers in the game. The problem is now with his new huge deal how does the team go out now and get a decent goalie and upgrade the defense? This worries me alot and it might be a sign that a strong youth movement is in the works for the team. We'll have some good forwards but the team will be young and inexperienced in many positions, this is trouble.

After insulting the Lightning organization and fan base by calling Justin Keller "trash" and being made to look the fool by Chad Schnarr for claiming there hasn't been a good 8th round pick in a decade (Ryan Craig anyone?) I decided George Bachul must've had a rough day yesterday. So, rather than simply pick him apart I decided to do the right thing and e-mail him to discuss some of his misguided positions:

Mr. Bachul,

You and I need to have a little chat.

-Pete

You see I didn't want to escalate the unpleasantness between our two websites by picking him apart without first giving Bachul the opportunity to explain himself. It only seemed gentlemanly to me. His response?

Pete,

We have nothing to talk about. You have to show professional courtesy to
get professional courtesy.

George

Uh, George, that WAS your professional courtesy. But because you chose to act more like a petulant little child than someone legitimately interested in an honest discussion/debate about HockeysFuture's painfully terrible coverage and rating of Lightning prospects, you've left me no choice but to deconstruct your strain of misguided posts attempting to justify your organization's extremely poor product.

More on the flip:

Has there ever been a clearer indication of the stunning level of incompetence of HockeysFuture's writers than today's exchange between Chad Schnarr and HF writer George Bachul on HFBoards?

Bachul: You don't think there is a reason that Keller was an either (sic) rounder? But nice to see you have faith. You know how many impact 8th rounders there have been since 1997? NONE.(Andrew Ference is the best eighth rounder in the last 10 years.)"

Schnarr: "Well, you could start with the Lightning roster. Ryan Craig had 15 goals in 48 games with limited ice time and nearly singlehandedly turned around the PP. He was an 8th."

Wait, let that sink in. OK, now you know what to do next.

Bwuahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Owned.

The Bottom Line
The Tampa Bay Lightning finished 43-33-6 this season with 92 points, eighth in the Eastern Conference and second in the Southeast Division. In 2003-2004, prior to the lockout, the club finished with 3 more wins but 14 more points in the standings. The Lightning's goal production this year actually improved by 7 goals, but their defense declined by a shocking 68 goals (that is not a typo) and the team actually scored 8 less goals than it allowed this season. The most important number though is 15, as in the 15 less playoff games the team won this season after being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs 4 games to 1 by the Ottawa Senators.

The Bottom Line
The Johnstown Chiefs finished 30-26-16 with 76 points in 4th place in the American Conference North Division. After sweeping their playoff play-in round against 5th place Trenton 2-0 they were swept by Toledo in the first round of the playoffs 3-0. The year was a marked improvement over the 2004-2005 season when the Chiefs finished 7th in the North Division, out of the playoffs, with a 22-36-14 record and 58 points. The Chiefs offensive production improved this season by 32 goals while their defense relented 15 less goals.