By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Managing Editor

The Flyers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning, 5-2 tonight, but there should be a guarded enthusiasm that goes along with the victory. NHL leading scorer Claude Giroux and goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov each left the game early with injuries.

Giroux, who assisted on two second period goals, was accidentally kneed in the head by teammate Wayne Simmonds, who tried to jump over the center to avoid a collision. Giroux stayed on the ice for some time, holding his head, before skating slowly to the bench. He remained at the end of the bench until there was approimately one minute left in the middle stanza, then headed down the tunnel to the locker room.

“Yeah, he kind of fell and he was right in front of me so I tried to jump over him,” Simmonds said after the game.  “I couldn’t really feel it, you know,  it was kind of fast. I just kept trying to go, and then I turned around and he was still on the ice there. So, obviously I was worried about him.”

Linemate Jaromir Jagr wasn’t seeing the possibly dire situation regarding Giroux.

“I think he’s going to be OK, he’s a tough guy,” Jagr said after the game. “I don’t worry about him, I think he’s going to be back.”

The 39-year-old Jagr continued.

“I don’t think he’s going to be out,” he said. “I don’t even want to think about it, but I don’t think he’s going to be out. That’s my prediction. If he is, maybe  one or two games, no more. I think maybe one or two just to be careful, hopefully. When I asked him I thought he was going to play, I didn’t know he was going to sit the third period. But, of course, you have to be careful with players like that, but I think he should be fine. Hopefully I’m not wrong.”

GM Paul Holmgren addressed the media after the game. “Claude was obviously injured late in the second period,” he said. “He was evaluated by our doctors and held out for precautionary reasons in the third period, and we’ll evaluate him tomorrow and see how he is.”

When Giroux did not return for the third period, rookie Sean Couturier skated in Giroux’s vacant spot centering Jagr and Scott Hartnell.

After the game, Peter Laviolette spoke about the job done by Couturier.

“Well right now, anything involving Claude is just speculation, but to comment on Sean’s game I thought that he did a really nice job in the third period,” the coach said of his 19-year-old rookie. “We double shifted him between that line and his line; you know young kid, lots of energy. He played extremely well, and I think that’s a real positive for our team.”

Couturier had numerous quality chances, but was robbed several times by Lightning goaltender Mathieu Garon.

“I thought young Sean stepped in and did an admirable job,” Holmgren said. “He probably could have had a hat trick during that third period.”

With both Chris Pronger (concussion-like symptoms) and Brayden Schenn (mild concussion) already out with head injuries, and defensemen Erik Gustafsson (wrist surgery) and Andreas Lilja (high ankle sprain) out for an extended period, the sick ward is filling up rapidly in Philly.

Bryzgalov may just be joining the group in the M*A*S*H unit. The club’s number one netminder left the game during a television timeout with 13:01 left in the third period, and the Flyers leading, 4-2.

“Ilya, it’s an injury issue, lower body, (it happened) during the third,” said Holmgren. “We don’t think it’s anything serious.  It’s an off-day tomorrow for the player I would assume that he will be fine for our next game.”

While there is much to be concerned with regarding the club’s injury woes, Holmgren kept things in perspective.

“It is a part of the game,” he said. “Pittsburgh played their game tonight without (Kris) Letang, without (Sidney) Crosby, without (Jordan) Staal.  I mean, everybody goes through injury issues, we’re just through our share right now.”

The Game

Briere celebrates first period goal with Voracek and Meszaros. (AP Photo / Matt Slocum)

The game, itself, was a typical contest for the Orange-and-Black lately. They got off to an extremely slow start in the first period, falling behind on a Ryan Shannon goal, then came out like gang-busters to commence the second.

Simmonds made a nice play at center ice to create a turnover that led to a two-on-rush with Danny Briere the other way. Briere finished off the sequence, beating Mathieu Garon top shelf for his ninth goal of the season to tie the game at 1-1.

Just 34 seconds later, Hartnell sent a pass over to Giroux, who hit Jagr. The Czech superstar ripped a one-timer high over Garon’s glove for his 10th of the year to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead. It was also the 656th of his career, tying him for 11th place on the NHL’s all-time leading goal scoring list with Brendan Shanahan.

With just over five minutes left in the middle frame, Simmonds would strike for one of his own with Vincent Lecavalier in the sin bin. After taking a pass from Giroux to the right of Garon, Simmonds attempted a hard backhand pass out in front. The puck hit off of defenseman Brett Clark’s skate and caromed past his goaltender and into the net for a 3-1 Philadelphia lead heading into the third period. After a recent nine-game goalless drought, it was the second in three games for Simmonds, and seventh of the season.

“Yeah, you know he (Simmonds) doesn’t play in an easy area,” Laviolette said. “It usually comes with a cross-check and a punch to the head, and you’ve got to be willing to take that. So you have to give him credit for standing in the tough areas, but he was able handle the pass, bring it to the net.”

Laviolette said the Simmonds goal is a designed play. Well, sort of.

“We’ve actually been working on that play, not necessarily to bank it off the defenseman’s skate, but you know when you bring pucks to the net, good things happen and he got the reward of that.”

Lecavalier would tally a power play goal of his own — his 11th this year — just 55 seconds into the third, but Matt Carle answered with a man advantage goal, his fourth goal of the year, four minutes later to restore the two-goal lead for the Flyers.

Hartnell iced the game with 28 seconds remaining in regulation, hitting the empty net with Garon pulled or an extra attacker. Jagr had a chance to pass Shanahan on the list, but instead hit Hartnell.

With the five goals, Philadelphia became the first team to top the 100-goal mark for the year (101).

Giroux’s two assists increased his lead in the scoring race to three points over Toronto’s Phil Kessel. Giroux now has 39 points for the season.

Bryzgalov held the Flyers in the game during a lopsided first period, and even though he could not finish out the game, won for the 10th time in his last 12 decisions (10-1-1). His season record is now an impressive 13-5-2.

Most importantly with the win — their fifth consecutive, by the way — Philadelphia stayed one point ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference leads.

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

Wednesday night marked the first time Steve Yzerman has been back to Detroit since he became the Tampa Bay Lightning‘s general manager.

So how do you greet back one of your franchise’s greatest players (and the best captain) of all time after leaving to join the front office of an opposing team?

The Detroit Red Wings made a tribute video to the captain, ending simply with, “Welcome Back.” The jumbo screen then showed Yzerman himself, giving his trademark smile and waving to the arena. The crowd gave him a standing ovation. And started the chant of, “Stevie, Stevie!” It gave me goosebumps just being there for it.

There’s no other way to greet an old friend, a longtime companion.

As for how Yzerman’s new team performed against his old one, they kept the Red Wings on their toes. The 1-3-1 trap only appeared for a short amount of time in the second and third periods, once Tampa had tied the game. The cure for that? Winning the faceoff on a power play and making a tic-tac-toe play to score a goal within ten seconds and take the lead.

Okay, that one was mostly luck, especially since the “toe” part of that play involved Tomas Holmstrom tipping the shot out of midair past Dwayne Roloson.

Much like the Red Wings/Lightning match up that took place last year in Tampa Bay, both teams showed their stuff. The Red Wings played it cool and controlled the puck for the majority of the game, but the Lightning proved that they have youthful players ready to fight back every second of the game.

Seriously. Just look at the third period of the game. The Red Wings had a four minute power play for a high stick on Todd Bertuzzi, and the Lightning had a solid thirty seconds of pressure in the Red Wings’ zone. Let’s not forget the two breakaways with solid saves by Jimmy Howard, either. I was definitely holding my breath with every shot they took. But Howard was on his game.

And while Roloson let in four goals, he saved some wide open shots on goal that had me stumped (and begging the jumbo screen for a better angle replay).

So what else can be said about Yzerman’s return to Detroit that hasn’t already been said everywhere else? He is one person who will always be welcomed with open arms back to his “hometown.” Unless Tampa Bay beats Detroit in the Finals for the Stanley Cup. But even then, we’ll only be a little angry.

It’s Steve Yzerman, after all.

Christina Roberts
NHLHS Detroit Red Wings Correspondent
Twitter: @franzenmuth
Email: christina.roberts@nhlhotstove.com

By Alexander Monaghan
President

By Dan4th Nicholas (Flickr: Eric Brewer)

Eric Brewer will face the St. Louis Blues for the first time since March 30th, 2004 on Saturday night, slightly nine months after getting traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 19th captain in team history was jettisoned from the Gateway to the West in exchange for a third round pick and defensive prospect Brock Beukeboom — a third round pick himself and son of former NHLer Jeff Beukeboom.

Although the Blues finished only 10 points out of a playoff seed, GM Doug Armstrong knew at the trade deadline the team would finish outside of the playoff picture. Brewer, an unrestricted free agent at the time (re-signed with the Bolts this June), became the casualty to proper asset management, leaving a young team for a contender in the Lightning.

In Tampa, the 32-year-old has thrived — playing a physical, two-way game and frequently lining up on the top power play unit. He leads all Lightning skaters in time of ice this season and led them in TOI/G last year. While with the Blues he still played the heavy minutes — leading the team in TOI/G in three of his five-plus seasons, finishing second twice — but playing on a contender with the League’s spotlight attached has given him his due.

As a former opponent of Brewer, Bolts GM Steve Yzerman knew what he was getting via trade. From The St. Petersburg Times, in February:

“He’s a very poised defenseman, a big guy who moves well,” Yzerman said. “He makes the good first pass. He’s a steady, reliable, good defenseman. I think he’s a very versatile guy who can play either side, a valuable player.”

Not only has Brewer been versatile and valuable, he’s been the stabilizing force on the team’s blue line. Most importantly, he fits in, just like he did in St. Louis.

Wearing a Blues sweater, the Vernon, British Columbia posted career highs in goals while establishing himself as a vital defender who could hit, block shots, play physically and contribute offensively. Clearly there would be no ill will against the team that gave him such a responsibility. Under former head coach he earned captaincy due to his lauded leadership qualities which have clearly translated its way over to the Southeast Division powerhouse.

When asked, Brewer was nothing but exuberant when discussing his former club. “I played with a lot of them for a long time and we had some really good times there. I have nothing but good things to say about their organization,” Brewer said to TampaBayLightning.com. Unlike most players who feel like they have something to prove, Brewer and the Blues know each other well and should provide the audience with gamesmanship at its best.

Should be an excellent game to watch if not to see how Brewer reacts but also to see defensive masterminds Guy Boucher and Ken Hitchcock fight to maintain the under.

By Danny Di Nicolantonio

Monday night the Tampa Bay Lightning traveled to Washington D.C. to take on the Capitals for the first time in this early campaign. Washington was certainly hungry to get a win against these same Bolts that knocked them out of last year’s playoffs in what was a four game sweep. Throughout the game this was not one of those times where anyone could say stranger things have happened because well – things haven’t.

It was an evening of debuts; Tomas Vokoun for the Capitals and Bruno Gervais for the Lightning, and the first goal of the game involved the both of them. Gervais assisted on a Teddy Purcell goal 2:22 into the first period on a shot that was taken from behind the goal line, deflected off of defensemen Mike Green and past Vokoun.

Marcus Johansson got credit for the equalizer on a wrap-around goal after his initial shot was deflected by Eric Brewer off the end boards that goaltender Dwayne Roloson attempted to cover up with his glove but Johansson was able to poke the puck free leaving Roloson well out of position.

Gervais added a bad angle goal of his own; throwing a shot off the back of Vokoun as he left a big enough gap between his body and the post to get the puck to land in the back of the net.

After Dennis Wideman tied the game up at 2-2 toward the end of the first period, it was Dominic Moore of the Lightning that got his club back on top early in the second period. The scoring chance began off of a faceoff win by Moore and the hard work of his linemates, Brett Connolly and Ryan Shannon who set him up for a rocket of a shot from just inside the right circle.

Another puck was thrown from the corner by Brett Clark toward Vokoun that hit off of his skate and trickled into the back of the net giving the Lightning a 5-4 lead late in the third. “It’s been a long, long time since I feel as bad as I feel today,” Vokoun said. “I should have lost – hands down – 99 out of 100 games – and I won it.”

Washington’s Jason Chimera scored two goals – first gave the Capitals a 4-3 lead in third period, and his second came with 2:44 left in regulation that tied the game one more time at 5-5 and sent the game to overtime.

Roloson stopped 38 of 43 shots he faced but was not able to hold off Matt Hendricks and Alexander Semin in the shootout that resulted in the 6-5 loss. “The craziest in all my years of playing.” Roloson said.

Perfect Penalty Kill: Tampa Bay is the most penalized team three games into the season, but they have not had to pay the consequences as they have now killed off 18 of 18 power plays.

After playing three games in four nights the Lightning will now have two days off before taking on the New York Islanders at the Nassau Coliseum on Thursday.

Injury Update: D – Mattias Ohlund who has been on injured reserved since the beginning of the season will have knee surgery and is expected to miss 1-2 months.

Draft Pick Signed: Tampa Bay signed 7th round draft pick (208th overall) in the 2011 draft Ondrej Palat to a three-year, entry-level contract.

By Danny Di Nicolantonio

The 2011-12 regular season opened for the Tampa Bay Lightning in Raleigh, North Carolina, against the team they had knocked out of the eighth and final playoff spot last season; the Carolina Hurricanes.

Last year’s Calder Trophy winner Jeff Skinner got the scoring started after he picked the pocket of Matt Gilroy, able to generate a scoring chance that led to him putting a rebound past goaltender Dwayne Roloson.

Roloson, who turns 42 years old on October 12th, faced 33 shots and stopped 32, including some that could be considered grand larceny while earning his 215th career win.  ”It’s all about focusing on what we’ve got to do to win hockey games,” Roloson said. “Last year’s last year, and this year’s this year.  We focus on the now.”

Carolina’s momentum would be taken away by 5’ 9” Martin St.Louis, after he was able to sneak the puck past a sprawling Cam Ward and the Carolina defense out of position to tie the game at 1-1 at the 5:19 mark of the second period.  Ward stopped 29 of 34 shots faced.

Tampa Bay got another goal with less than three minutes to go in the second during a 5-on-3 power play with Justin Faulk and Jussi Jokinen in the box for interference and unsportsmanlike conduct respectfully.  It only took 19 seconds for Vincent Lecavalier to show off his baseball skills, batting the puck into the back of the net.  ”Honestly, we got some fortunate bounces with the 5-on-3, and we took care of it,” St. Louis said.

During the third period the Lightning extended their lead to 4-1 with goals from Steve Downie and Adam Hall just 10 seconds apart. Ryan Malone added a goal of his own on an odd man rush that put the Lightning up 5-1.

One thing better than the power play—the penalty kill as the Lightning killed off all five of the Hurricanes’ man-advantages.

Tampa Bay got goals from five different players, and had 12 players record at least one point in Friday night’s 5-1 victory.

The Lightning are back in action Saturday night as they travel to the TD Garden in Boston to take on the defending Stanley Cup champion Bruins.

After falling to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins in the seventh game of the Eastern Conference Final, the Tampa Bay Lightning are ready to start the 2011-12 campaign in search of getting back to the playoffs and once again contending for Lord Stanley’s Cup.

When free agency opened on July 1st, general manager Steve Yzerman did not hold back as he began to make the necessary moves to fill the holes that were created by those players that had left and signed with other teams.

Steven Stamkos re-signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning for five year/$37.5 million on July 19th. Stamkos finished the 2010-11 season with 45 goals, 45 assists for 91 points. In his NHL career he has 119 goals, 113 goals, 232 points.

Who’s Out: LW – Simon Gagne (LAK), LW – Sean Bergenheim (FLA), LW – Chris Durno (CAR), D – Matt Smaby (ANA), D – Randy Jones (WPG), and G – Mike Smith (PHO).

Who’s In: RW – Ryan Shannon, LW – Alexandre Picard, C – Trevor Smith, C – Tom Pyatt, D – Matt Gilroy, D – Bruno Gervais, and G – Mathieu Garon.

Player on the rise: Teddy Purcell. Purcell, 26, recorded career numbers playing in 81 regular season games in 2010-11 (17G – 34A – 51PTS). During the playoffs, his production continued recording six goals, 11 assists for 17 points in 18 games played.

Player to keep an eye on: Ryan Shannon. The 5’ 9” forward played in 79 regular season games with the Ottawa Senators last year and recorded 11 goals, 16 assists. Shannon has gone from sleeper to a quality production player. Could possibly be seen playing with his idol, Martin St. Louis.

Tampa Bay will start the season with their longest road trip during 2011-12 and do not open at home until October 17th vs. Florida Panthers.

Dates to Remember: Oct. 8th at Boston Bruins; Oct. 10th at Washington Capitals; and then the six games against the Winnipeg Jets on Oct. 29th, Nov. 14th, Feb. 2nd, Feb. 23rd, Mar. 31st, and on APR. 7th. The former Atlanta Thrashers team has lost 11 straight against the Bolts. Tampa Bay will try and prevent them from exiting the Southeast Division on a high note and keeping that streak alive.

The team itself is not the only thing getting Lightning fans excited as the St. Pete Times Forum has undergone renovations during this offseason estimated at $35 million. The transformation will be noticed prior to entering the arena as a new grand entry on the west side, which is still under construction and will feature a newly designed box office and merchandise store. Every fan will enjoy new seats as they have all been replaced; and something that will especially benefit those on the Terrace Level will be an 11,000 square foot outdoor deck overlooking downtown Tampa. Eight suites on the plaza level open up to the renovated main concourse which includes new flooring and concessions. Two Terrace level sections have been removed creating space for a performance stage that includes a pipe organ. Two coils have been installed and will shoot lightning 25 feet across the arena in each direction.

Improvements in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning throughout the arena for the comfort of the fans and improving ice conditions for players. Lightning players will be treated to an enhanced team locker room.

Offense:

Martin St. Louis – Steven Stamkos – Ryan Malone
Teddy Purcell – Vincent Lecavalier – Ryan Shannon
Steve Downie – Nate Thompson – Dana Tyrell
Adam Hall – Tom Pyatt – Dominic Moore
Mattias Ritola

Defense:

Eric Brewer – Victor Hedman
Brett Clark – Pavel Kubina
Matt Gilroy – Bruno Gervais
Marc-Andre Bergeron

*Mattias Ohlund is currently on Injured Reserve.

Goaltenders:

Dwayne Roloson
Mathieu Garon

Coaching Staff/Front Office

Head Coach: Guy Boucher
Assistant Coach: Dan Lacroix
Assistant Coach: Martin Raymond
Goaltending Coach: Frantz Jean
Video Coach: Nigel Kirwan

General Manager: Steve Yzerman
CEO: Tod Leiweke
Chairman/Governor: Jeff Vinik

Danny Di Nicolantonio

The Tampa Bay Lightning has announced a reduction in their training camp roster by 27 today. 26 remain including two goaltenders, nine defensemen and 15 forwards. Recently signed, Daniel Milan will be returning to the Moncton wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, all others will report to the American Hockey League Affiliate, Norfolk Admirals. The Lightning have two preseason games remaining, both against Montreal on September 29th and October 1st.

*- Players that must clear waivers prior to being assigned

Number Player Assigned To
3 PETIOT, Richard* Norfolk (AHL)
15 ASHTON, Carter Norfolk (AHL)
17 OUELLET, Michel* Norfolk (AHL)
24 SMITH, Trevor* Norfolk (AHL)
28 PICARD, Alexandre* Norfolk (AHL)
31 JANUS, Jaroslav Norfolk (AHL)
34 WYMAN, JT* Norfolk (AHL)
36 CONACHER, Cory Norfolk (AHL)
38 HUTCHINGS, Alex Norfolk (AHL)
39 FORNATARO, Matt Norfolk (AHL)
40 TOKARSKI, Dustin Norfolk (AHL)
41 NEILSON, Eric Norfolk (AHL)
43 WRIGHT, James Norfolk (AHL)
48 VERNACE, Michael* Norfolk (AHL)
50 BARBERIO, Mark Norfolk (AHL)
51 QUICK, Kevin Norfolk (AHL)
55 DIMMEN, Jeff Norfolk (AHL)
59 ANGELIDIS, Mike* Norfolk (AHL)
62 DEVOS, Philip-Michael Norfolk (AHL)
63 JOHNSON, Tyler Norfolk (AHL)
64 LANDRY, Charles Norfolk (AHL)
71 PANIK, Richard Norfolk (AHL)
73 MILAN, Daniel Moncton (QMJHL)
74 PALAT, Ondrej Norfolk (AHL)
75 GUDAS, Radko Norfolk (AHL)
76 LABRIE, Pierre-Cedric Norfolk (AHL)

By Jeff Quirin
NHLHS Associate Editor and St. Louis Blues Correspondent
 

-

 
It’s only one game. A preseason game no less. But given recent history and the struggles of the St. Louis Blues, a positive start to the team’s 2011-12 campaign will always be welcome news.
 
Off season trade acquisition Evgeny Grachev lead the way for the Blues. His two goal effort powered St. Louis to a 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. His first strike at the 15:16 mark of the opening set up by Tampa netminder Matheiu Garon. The huge rebound off Jamie Langenbrunner’s shot popped right to a wide open Grachev who wasted no time quickly snapping the puck past Garon.
 
The game remained 1-0 till Bolts forward Steve Downie answered with his own PPG at 9:35 of the second period. Matt D’Agostini countered seven minutes later with a quick snipe off a Jonathan Cheechoo rebound.
 
Grachev’s second goal came with less than a minute left in regulation. The ENG sealed the fate of the visiting split squad. A 3-1 loss.

Brian Elliott started for the Blues and stopped 21 of 22 Tampa shots on goal. He is battling to backup in St. Louis and needed a clean start to the effort. He certainly had it.
 
Though scoring was low, the game was far from uneventful. Sadly, only in a way that completely detracted from the flow of play. The teams combined for 12 power plays with a man advantage tally for each. The first period was the worst according to the half capacity Scottrade Center crowd . A grand total of  four minors and one double minor were called. Prompting more cries of “let them play” than “ref you suck”.
 
The official’s “quick to whistle” tendencies lead to both clubs extensively testing their penalty kill. The Blues did allow the one goal, but killed off seven other situations. Forwards Chris Porter and Anthony Nigro performed the best a man short aside from the usual suspects like David Backes and BJ Crombeen.
 
Porter’s level of play in this game only tightens his choke hold on the open 13th Forward role.
 
Going in the opposite direction is former Richard Trophy winner Jonathan Cheechoo. As impressive as his shot can still be, he had a difficult time keeping up with Phil McRae and Matt D’Agostini. The hands and head are still there, but the rest of his body is not. That said, it didn’t stop the train from running. The AHL will be more Cheechoo’s speed and he’ll help the Peoria Rivermen greatly.
 
Defenseman Brett Ponich was noticeably more comfortable Tuesday night than during Traverse City. His mobility level is increasing, but still not close to the NHL standard. Especially compared to the other Blues defensemen who dressed. Roman Polak, Kevin Shattenkirk, Mark Cundari and Danny Syvert all skated to their norms. A much leaner Carlo Colaiacovo is the exception. He did not look much quicker than last season. If there is no trade off in improved skating ability, adding the weight loss back in muscle will help an oft injured blueliner like Cola survive the season.
 
One of the more interesting training camp battles took an evolutionary step last night. With the solid performances of Grachev and McRae they should have put themselves at the top of the recall order list. There is little chance they can secure a NHL job right out of camp, unless the injury bug strikes early, but they can be the first to catch a ride on the Peoria Express.
 
TJ Hensick and Brett Sterling will likely get their chance to chip away at the young forwards lead Wednesday night as the Blues and Bolts head to Orlando, FL for a double dip of preseason action.
 
Though the lines, pairings and scratches are not known yet, the lineup heading south and the starting netminder are.
 
Per the Blues official website, Ben Bishop gets the start in goal.
 
Here is the lineup
 

5 – Barret Jackman
6 – Kent Huskins
10 – Andy McDonald
12 – Scott Nichol
17 – Vladimir Sobotka
19 – Stefan Della Rovere
21 – Patrik Berglund
23 – Ian Cole
25 – Chris Stewart
26 – B.J. Crombeen
27 – Alex Pietrangelo
29 – Brett Sterling
30 – Ben Bishop
33 – Brennan Evans
43 – Jake Gannon
45 – Jordan Binnington
47 – Kyle Hagel
61 – Ty Rattie
64 – Nikita Nikitin
65 – Chace Polacek
67 – Yannick Veilleux
75 – Ryan Reaves
77 – TJ Hensick
78 – Evgeny Grachev
79 – Adam Cracknell
81 – Stephen MacAulay
82 – Cade Fairchild

 
The Lightning’s big guns will be on display per beat writer Erik Erlendsson.
 

Line combinations
Tom Pyatt-Vladislav Namestnikov-Blair Jones
Brett Connolly-Vinny Lecavalier-Teddy Purcell
Richard Panik-Tyler Johnson-Michel Ouellet
Cory Conacher-Steven Stamkos-Marty St. Louis
 
Defense
Mattias Ohlund-Eric Brewer
Marc-Andre Bergeron-Matt Gilroy
Mike Vernace-Bruno Gervais
 
Goaltenders (split time)
Dwayne Roloson
Jaroslav Janus

 
According to a scouting report provided by Hockey Independent Lightning scribe Bill Philip, Tampa’s last two first round draft picks the ones to watch for.
 

Right Wing Brett Connolly. Age 19, drafted 2010 first round. The talented winger was the first pick (6th overall) of the Lightning in the 2010 draft. Connolly has good size and is a natural born scorer. The 19 year old was bitten by the injury bug last year, suffering a concussion while with Team Canada at the World Junior Championships and a minor shoulder separation in the first game of the WHL playoffs. In just 59 games, the 6’2”, 188 lbs. forward scored 46 goals and had 27 assists last season with the Prince George Cougars, and was the third leading scorer in the WHL. He has netted 86 goals and 152 points in 144 WHL games. The British Columbia native still has world class speed and uncanny hockey sense. If he can remain healthy, he will be a high scoring first liner over the next decade for the Bolts. Tampa Bay’s number one prospect is still a year away from skating on NHL ice and will probably be sent back to the Cougars.
 
Norfolk coach Jon Cooper coached the Lightning prospects during their three team tourney earlier, praised Connolly’s play, “He’s got phenomenal talent,” Cooper said. “I thought day in and day out he was our best player at the tournament, and you hope that from your first round pick and he delivered.”
 
Projection:  Scoring line winger within the next three seasons.
 
Center Vladislav Namestnikov .  Age 19, drafted 2011 first round. The Russian is a very skilled offensive center. He is a reliable finisher with an impressive wrist shot and is a good playmaker who takes advantage of open space. He’s a solid two-way player who needs to gain strength. In his first season in the Ontario Hockey League, he led the London Knights with 30 goals (30-38–68), 11 on the power play, and a plus-12 rating in 2010-11. Namestnikov represented Russia at the 2010 Under-18 World Championships in Belarus, tying for the team lead with five goals (5-2–7) in seven games – Russia finished fourth. He also represented his country at the World Under-17 Challenge tallying eight goals (8-2-10) in five games.                        
 
Namestnikov’s uncle, Vyacheslov Kozlov, is a former Stanley Cup winning, Red Wing teammate of Bolts GM Steve Yzerman. “He always took me to the rink and showed me the locker room, got to meet all the guys. So it was really great growing up with him. (My favorite was) probably Steve Yzerman. He was the captain of the Red Wings at that time,” said Namestnikov
 
Coach Guy Boucher said of Namestnikov, ”He’s a great player trying to “pick it up and figure it out.”
 
Projection: Second or third line center in two to four years.

(Update 2pm CST – Blues Lines and Pairings per beat reporter Lou Korac)
 

Forward Lines
Brett Sterling-Patrik Berglund-Chris Stewart
Stefan Della Rovere-Vladimir Sobotka-B.J. Crombeen
Evgeny Grachev-T.J. Hensick-Ty Rattie
Yannick Veilleux-Adam Cracknell-Ryan Reaves
 
Defensive Pairings
Kent Huskins-Alex Pietrangelo
Barret Jackman-Ian Cole
Nikita Nikitin-Cade Fairchild

 
A few quick thoughts on the set up…
 
- Sterling with Berglund and Stewart is to give Sterling ice-time with skilled players to help determine his place in the recall order with Grachev and Phil McRae. It’s also a good indication that to start the season Berglund and Stewart will be paired together.
 
- Grachev with Henscik is about comparing their play side by side as it were, but also to see if they can form some chemistry to carry them over in to Peoria. Adding Ty Rattie on their wing will also allow the Blues to see where his development is at. If he can keep up with skilled players just a step or two ahead of him, maybe he really isn’t a step or two behind.
 
- Cracknell and Reaves get their first chance to cut away at Chris Porter’s lead on an NHL roster spot.
 
- With the opportunity to pair Jackman and Pietrangelo together, not doing so may say an awful lot. Either that the Blues know they have chemistry from last season’s success or that they don’t intend to pair the two at the start of the season. A situation to monitor, especially for you fantasy players in deep leagues. Jackman with Petro could really boost Jackman’s Plus/Minus and inflate his assist and point totals.
 
- Cole paired with Jackman says: “show you can keep up with the big boys because at some point, you’ll be up and be required to”.
 
- Don’t read more in to Nikitin on the third pairing that just that. He should see it as a chance to prove he’s well ahead of someone like Fairchild, but also support a more offensive minded partner. There is a very strong potential that he is paired with Kevin Shattenkirk during the season. Taking care of business now will build confidence he can later.
 

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Check back later tonight or tomorrow for another recap and FYI for the next preseason game.
 
Thanks for reading. As always you’re welcome to follow me on Twitter: @JTQ_1 for thoughts and news from the Blues and around the NHL.

By Jeff Quirin
NHLHS Associate Editor and St. Louis Blues Correspondent

The temperature dropping in to the mid-40′s Thursday morning was a brisk reminder that hockey season is just around the corner.

Just walking out the door was like stepping in to the rink. The smell of “cold” and the quickly browning leaves rustling in the wind like skates carving through the ice. Come Friday morning at 9 a.m. blue bleeding fans will no longer have to imagine the sights, sounds and smells of St. Louis Blues hockey. They’ll be able to experience it for real as the 2011 Training Camp gets under way at the St. Louis Mills Ice Zone practice facility.

There are some noticeable changes in the schedule of events from the last few years.

While camp will start at the Mills over the weekend and then transition to Scottrade Center as it has previously, there will be additional dates open to the public after the first few days. The first four sessions from September 16th through 19th will take place Ice Zone as will September 26th and 27th. In the past once the team moved downtown they did not go back to the Mills for camp activities.

The widely attended Blue vs Gold Scrimmage is not likely to return per comments made by General Manager Doug Armstrong and head coach Davis Payne the August media summit.

There is speculation that the equally as popular FANFest is going the way of the scrimmage as well. The one time weekend long festival has been continually pared down to the half day event prior to the final preseason home game it was last season. Announcements regarding FANFest typically come during training camp, so check back for details.

An eight game in twelve day preseason schedule kicks off on Tuesday, September 20th as Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning come to St. Louis. The game is the first of five consecutive.

Sept. 20th – vs. Tampa Bay
Sept. 21st – @ Tampa Bay
Sept. 22nd – vs. Minnesota
Sept. 23rd – @ Colorado
Sept. 24th – @ Dallas
Sept. 27th – @Minnesota
Sept. 29th – vs. Colorado
Oct. 1st – vs. Dallas

The lineups for the ten warmups will be derived from the 57 man camp roster which breaks down in to 34 forwards, 18 defensemen and 5 goaltenders as listed on the Blues official website.

Forwards
Jason Arnott – David Backes
Jay Barriball – Cody Beach
Patrik Berglund – Jonathan Cheechoo
Adam Cracknell – BJ Crombeen
Matt D’Agostini – Stefan Della Rovere
Evgeny Grachev – TJ Hensick
Jamie Langenbrunner – Stephen MacAulay
Andy McDonald – Philip McRae
Derek Nesbitt – Scott Nichol
Anthony Nigro – TJ Oshie
Anthony Peluso – David Perron
Chase Polacek – Chris Porter
Ty Rattie – Ryan Reaves
Tyler Shattock – Chris Stewart
Vladimir Sobotka – Brett Sonne
Alex Steen – Brett Sterling
Ryan Tesink – Yannick Veilleux

Defensemen
Brock Beukeboom – Carlo Colaicovo
Ian Cole – Mark Cundari
Joel Edmundson – Brennan Evans
Cade Fairchild – Jake Gannon
Kyle Hagel – Kent Huskins
Barret Jackman – Nikita Nikitin
Alex Pietranglo – Roman Polak
Brett Ponich – Kevin Shattenkirk
David Shields – Danny Syvret

Goalies
Jake Allen
Jordan Binnington
Ben Bishop
Brian Elliot
Jaroslav Halak

This camp will be like none other in recent memory as few NHL roster spots are available. Primarily due to the number of one way contracts and added veteran depth, but also because of the superior level of play from Alex Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk who are both on entry level contracts. Closing the window the only potential openings on the back end.

One exception is the battle to backup Jaroslav Halak. Local boy Ben Bishop has paid dues in the AHL with the Peoria Rivermen and looks to make the jump to the big show full time. Free Agent signing Brian Elliot hopes that his starting experience with the Ottawa Senators gives him a leg up in the battle. Both will see an ample number of pucks through out the entirety of camp to determine who starts the season in St. Louis. It’s clear whoever performs the best will win the job. It’s a straight forward, winner take all contest.

Jake Allen cannot sit back an relax and just let Elliot and Bishop duke it out. No matter how well he performs in games and at camp, he is destined for Peoria. But how many games he will start correlates directly to how he compares to the loser of the NHL backup battle.

As far as Halak is concerned, camp is about confirming he is in shape and ready for a full starter’s workload.

The 13th and potentially 14th forward openings will likely go to more seasoned role players rather than first or second year pros. Look for Chris Porter, Adam Cracknell and Ryan Reaves to all be in contention. All three performed very well in a late season showcase and the front office wants to see who can follow up the best. Reaves has the edge in physicality, but Porter has the best chance of earning the job.

Jonathan Cheechoo will be in the mix as well, but not just to be the safety net in the pressbox. He will compete with Traverse City Prospect Tournament scoring leader Phil McRae, AHL scoring aces Brett Sterling and TJ Hensick, as well as Evgeny Grachev for call-up priority when a skill player is needed. McRae’s 7 points in 4 games run will give him a leg up, but there can be no let down at camp or he will slide down the list.

The Blues top pick in the 2011 draft had a solid showing as McRae’s linemate, but now Ty Rattie will truly be tested. He will not just be among comparable young players as he was in Traverse City, but up against much stronger and more experienced competition. His stock is already high, but he could lock his place in just below Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz as the third highest rated forward prospect in the organization with a solid camp.

There may not be an official battle between top two centers David Backes and Patrik Berglund, but their level of play will be closely monitored. The organization’s faith clearly rests in Backes as he now the captain and Berglund agreed to a “prove your worth” contract this summer. The question is how much must be put on Backes’ shoulders. Will he need to shoulder some of Berglund’s burdens or can Payne utilize them as centers “1A” and “1B”?

Who flanks those two in the middle will also largely determine line order. Expect to see significant experimentation with the top six combinations. The most likely scenario is that trios which have already displayed chemistry will be the defaults. Andy McDonald and Matt D’Agostini with Backes and TJ Oshie and Chris Stewart with Berglund sound about right.

Consensus belief is that Alex Steen will join summer acquisitions Jason Arnott and Jamie Langenbrunner to form the “third line”. Payne does prefer an all purpose group group to a shutdown line in that role. Throughout the preseason they will likely be tested together in all situations.

Two players who stand to loose quite a bit at this camp are Chase Polacek and Brett Sonne. Polacek is a former NCAA scoring star and Hobey Baker finalist. Sonne was a solid center in the WHL and put together an impressive final season as an overager in 2008-09. They could easily fall behind the insurgence of veteran depth (Sterling, Cheechoo) and growing fringe prospects (Tyler Shattock, Anthony Nigro) and find their first opportunity to the NHL closed. For Sonne it’s all about maturing and playing as a professional. For Polacek, it’s about proving his skill set is good enough to compensate for size at the professional level.

In assistant coach Brad Shaw’s world of defenseman there are plenty of questions needing answers.

In general the Blues greatly favor balance in their pairings. A left handed shot with a right handed counterpart. Someone with offensive skill skating with a steady stay at home type. A dynamic the Blues have if they want it. Barret Jackman can pair with Pietrangelo, Carlo Colaiacovo with Roman Polak and Kent Huskins with Kevin Shattenkirk.

That said, tedious tinkering in the preseason is in store to maximize situational match-ups. In offensive zone draws moving Pietrangelo to his off hand left side to get Shattenkirk out there with him. Partnering Colaiacovo and Pietrangelo to pair Jackman with Polak to ice a shutdown pairing.

Russian import Nikita Nikitin will see a good amount of ice time in the preseason and be under the microscope in camp. The organization feels Nikitin is more like a fifth year than second year pro because of his KHL career and expect him to perform as such. If he can it will make keeping Huskins in the lineup difficult for the overall game Niktin brings.

Both Ian Cole and Mark Cundari come to camp pushing for top pairing minutes in Peoria as well as priority on the recall order. Since Cole has already made his debut on NHL ice, he has an obvious advantage. Don’t discount Cundari though. Small he may be, but he is deceptively strong, slick skating and carries a respectable offensive armament.

Are there more stories to follow at Blues training camp? Of course, but they’ve yet to be written. Check back for updates throughout the preseason.

Thanks for reading.

You’re welcome to follow me on Twitter: @JTQ_1 for news and thoughts on the Blues, Western Conference and the NHL at large.

The month of September has arrived and that means there are only a couple more weeks until training camps break around the National Hockey League. The Lightning kicked off the month announcing their 2011 training camp roster. There will be a lot of familiar faces with a few new faces sprinkled in come September 16th when players will report for physicals and fitness testing and then the blades will hit the ice on September 17th.

The always exciting Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, Steven Stamkos, Teddy Purcell, Ryan Malone will have the Brandon Ice Forum buzzing but there are plenty of new faces that are expected to cause a stir of their own.

New to the Bolts blue line are Matt Gilroy and Bruno Gervais, joining the familiar faces of Eric Brewer, Brett Clark, Mattias Ohlund, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Pavel Kubina, and Victor Hedman.

Players to watch include prospects Brett Connolly, Carter Ashton,Richard Panik, and 2011 1st round draft pick Vladislav Namestnikov. Also 5’9” Ryan Shannon who played in Ottawa last season is a notable mention.

Complete list of the 58 players that includes 34 forwards, 19 defensemen and five goaltenders. All on-ice sessions are open to the public, and a full schedule including fan activities will be announce by the Lightning at a later date.

Forwards:
No. 4 Vincent Lecavalier
No. 9 Steve Downie
No. 11 Tom Pyatt – Free Agent Signed on 7/6/11
No. 12 Ryan Malone
No. 14 Brett Connolly – 2010 1st Rd Draft Pick
No. 15 Carter Ashton – 2009 1st Rd Draft Pick
No. 16 Teddy Purcell
No. 17 Michel Ouellet – Free Agent Signed on 7/1/11
No. 18 Adam Hall
No. 19 Dominic Moore
No. 21 Mattias Ritola
No. 22 Ryan Shannon – Free Agent Signed on 7/7/11
No. 24 Trevor Smith – Free Agent Signed on 7/5/11
No. 26 Martin St. Louis
No. 28 Alexandre Picard – Free Agent Signed on 7/7/11
No. 34 JT Wyman – Free Agent Signed on 7/1/11
No. 36 Cory Conacher – Invitee
No. 38 Alex Hutchings – 2009 4th Rd Draft Pick
No. 39 Matt Fornataro – Invitee
No. 41 Eric Neilson – Invitee
No. 42 Dana Tyrell
No. 43 James Wright – 2008 4th Rd Draft Pick
No. 44 Nate Thompson
No. 49 Blair Jones
No. 52 Gabriel Dejardins – Invitee
No. 59 Mike Angelidis
No. 62 Philip-Michael Devos – Invitee
No. 63 Tyler Johnson – Free Agent Signed on 3/7/11
No. 65 Vladislav Namestnikov – 2011 1st Rd Draft Pick
No. 67 Seth Griffith – Invitee
No. 71 Richard Panik – 2009 2nd Rd Draft Pick
No. 74 Ondrej Palat – 2011 7th Rd Draft Pick
No. 76 Pierre-Cedric Labrie – Invitee
No. 91 Steven Stamkos

Defense:
No. 2 Eric Brewer
No. 3 Richard Petiot – Free Agent Signed on 7/2/11
No. 5 Mattias Ohlund
No. 7 Brett Clark
No. 13 Pavel Kubina
No. 27 Bruno Gervais – Acquired from NYI 6/25/11
No. 47 Marc-Andre Bergeron
No. 48 Michael Vernance
No. 50 Mark Barberio – 2008 6th Rd Draft Pick
No. 51 Kevin Quick – Invitee
No. 55 Jeff Dimmen – Invitee
No. 57 Adam Janosik – 2010 3rd Rd Draft Pick
No. 58 Scott Jackson
No. 64 Charles Landry -
No. 72 Geoffrey Schemitsch – 2010 4th Rd Draft Pick
No. 73 Daniel Milan – Invitee
No. 75 Radko Gudas – 2010 3rd Rd Draft Pick
No. 77 Victor Hedman
No. 97 Matt Gilroy – Free Agent Signed on 7/2/11

Goaltenders:
No. 30 Dwayne Roloson
No. 31 Jaroslav Janus – 2009 6th Rd Draft Pick
No. 32 Mathieu Garon – Free Agent Signed on 7/1/11
No. 37 Pat Nagle – Free Agent Signed on 3/22/11
No. 40 Dustin Tokarski – 2008 5th Rd Draft Pick