Bruins looking to continue winning ways vs. Lightning

by Stanley Cup of Chowder on Mar 31, 2009 3:02 PM EDT in Game Previews

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Have you seen Stamkos? Can you find all 3 Stevens? (answer after the jump)

The Duke Blue Devils, Xavier Musketeers, Pittsburgh Panthers, Villanova Wildcats, and Harlem Globetrotters have all left town, now it is time for the Bruins to play some puck. The Bruins will be back on home ice after a two game road trip when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight at the TD Banknorth Garden. The Bruins enter tonight's game having have won 3 straight games, while the Lightning try to ~~make it look like they aren't tanking it on purpose~~ snap a 3 game skid (0-2-1 in their last 3 games).

Just who are these (is that?) Lightning you speak of?
Tampa Bay Lightning 24-35-17; 65 pts (5th in Southeast, 14th in East)

Leading Scorers

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2008 - Karri Ramo	20	1107	4	8	6	1	65	3.52	644	579	.899	0

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2008 - Mike McKenna	12	624	4	5	1	2	36	3.46	331	295	.891	1

G A P +/- PIM

2008 - Martin St. Louis 29 48 77 6 12

G A P +/- PIM

2008 - Vincent Lecavalier 29 38 67 -9 52

Goaltending

GP MIN W L T EGA GA GAA SA SV SV% SO

2008 - Karri Ramo 20 1107 4 8 6 1 65 3.52 644 579 .899 0

GP MIN W L T EGA GA GAA SA SV SV% SO

2008 - Mike McKenna 12 624 4 5 1 2 36 3.46 331 295 .891 1

Guys That Like to Drop the Gloves
David Koci: 6 Fighting Majors
Ryan Malone: 6 Fighting Majors
Ryan Craig: 5 Fighting Majors

'08-'09 Season Series
Bruins Record vs. Tampa Bay: 2-1-0
12/4 @ TB 3-1 W
12/8 vs. TB 5-3 W
2/22 @ TB 4-3 L

Injury Report

Boston
LW Marco Sturm: IR (Knee)
RW Phil Kessel: Out (Undisclosed Injury)

Tampa Bay Lightning Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Matt Smaby	other-excused	03/30/2009
Paul Szczechura	leg	03/30/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Cory Murphy	foot	03/18/2009
Marek Malik	ankle	03/02/2009

Projected Lines

Notes:

- Kevin Paul Dupont thinks that Manny Fernandez might get the start in goal tonight.

- This is the first time these two teams have met since the deadline day deal that sent Mark Recchi and a draft pick to Boston in exchange for Martins Karsums and Matt Lashoff. Both Karsums and Lashoff are expected to be in the lineup tonight.

- Bruins fans can expect to see another familiar face playing for the visiting team tonight. The Lightning recalled former Bruin Brandon Bochenski from the Norfolk Admirals.

- Game starts at 7:00, Public Skate (open thread) starts at 6:00

- For more on the Lightnig, be sure to check out one of the newest additions to the SBN Hockey crew Raw Charge

How Not to Run a Hockey Team 101

Step 1: Buy a pro hockey team in the Sun Belt.

Step 2: Draft a talented young player and immediately put undue pressure on him and make him the face of the franchise in an attempt to get people in Florida interested in hockey.

Step 3: Hire a cult hero with a mullet to coach team.

Step 4: Force your goaltenders to be human billboards for your next Hollywood blockbuster.

Step 5: Fire coach 16 games into the season for got giving young superstar in the making enough ice time and not being a puppet for the team's management.

Step 6: Dump salary at the deadline and hope for another top draft pick.

Step 7: Practically give tickets away to boost attendance figures.

Step 8: Repeat steps 6 and 7 for the next 3 to 5 years.

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Comments

Step 5 correction

…Fire a coach 16 games into the season for showing he has no clue what he’s doing 10 seasons after he last coached. The system (was there one?) in place in Tampa Bay under Melrose was chaotic at best. It wasn’t about Stamkos as so much a mistake being corrected.

But for all inherit purposes, OK (Not Really) Hockey screwed up firing Tortorella in favor of Melrose in the first place.

The Raw Charge -- the Tampa Bay Lightning weblog at SB Nation.

by John Fontana on Mar 31, 2009 4:11 PM EDT reply actions

what i don't understand

…is why Melrose was ever accorded respect as a coach anyway (not just by the Lightning, I mean around the whole league) at the NHL level. He had one finals appearance where his team lost 4-1 and then went on to coach under .500 for the next two years. And though I don’t have data to back me up on this gut feeling, I think betting against him to correctly call any 3v6 or 4v5 matchups in the playoffs as an analyst would have made me a wealthier man. I think people just liked him because they knew his face from TV time, but as a coach I wouldn’t want him anywhere near a franchise I ran.

Totally agree that Tortorella’s firing was the real messup.

by jctsai12 on Mar 31, 2009 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions