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Post by Treici on Apr 6, 2007 19:16:53 GMT -5
Yup...I heard that. Did you catch the interview w/ Rutherford? I guess he was saying that he likes Cam and thought he was great and a big part of winning the SC....but that he thought he got too many starts early in the season?? I hope that means we'll be seeing more of JG next season. Nothing bad on Cam, just want to see JG get more time to show off.
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Post by wardo30 on Apr 6, 2007 19:22:31 GMT -5
Yeah I just heard that as well and I have to agree with him. It's the guy's first full season as a starter and from the start until Christmas, John only played 3 games. That's just too much too soon. Tripp said that that should change next season and they'll use John more. And no offense to John but I kind of wanted to see Cam one last time tomorrow night.
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Post by Treici on Apr 7, 2007 7:43:45 GMT -5
It's tough when you like them both.
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Post by wardo30 on Apr 7, 2007 7:53:15 GMT -5
It really is! I hope Johnny goes out there and whoops Panther butt cause they deserve it!! Maybe they'll be a big ole brawl and we can watch him pound on Eddie!!! I'll just watch Cam be pretty on the bench!
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Post by Treici on Apr 7, 2007 8:11:39 GMT -5
Belfour playe dlast night against TB, Anderson is supposed to be in tonight.
But, yeah, I would like to see a big brawl after all the crap the Panturds were saying after the last game!!
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Post by wardo30 on Apr 7, 2007 8:20:36 GMT -5
Yeah Eddie's not playing against us tonight but if the brawl gets big enough, I say Johnny pulls him off the bench and just beats some sense into him! LOL
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Post by Treici on Apr 7, 2007 8:23:29 GMT -5
Ah yes, the Tampa Bay media still drags Johnny and Burkie into their columns as soon as the question of goaltending comes up...
Shaky Goaltending Sends Bolts Back To Red-Light Panic
By MARTIN FENNELLY
Published: Apr 7, 2007
TAMPA - For a whole week, three solid victories, the Lightning acted as if they were serious about a division title, home ice and all that, buoyed by the decision made on high to live or die with Johan Holmqvist in net.
Clearly, just fulfilling John Tortorella's playoff guarantee was enough. The Bolts, nearly to a man, took the night off against an also-ran Florida team so close to golf season three guys accidentally took the ice with 9-irons. The Lightning laid the first egg of Easter in a richly embarrassing 7-2 loss.
For their sins, they hit the road to start the playoffs, as a No. 6 or No. 7 seed, maybe against Atlanta, which would be a break, or against New Jersey, which the Lightning deserve - Martin Brodeur in goal.
But that wasn't the worst part. Looking dead ahead at the playoffs, the worst part skated off in the first period after four Florida goals. An even worse part took his place.
Holmqvist or Denis, Denis or Holmqvist?
We're back to red-light panic.
Real Pressure Yet To Come Going into the Stanley Cup playoffs without goaltending is like waking up on your wedding day and not knowing the way to the church, or where you put the ring, or where your pants are.
But here the Bolts are again, on the very altar of No Tomorrow, with tag-team shaky in goal. And we haven't hit the real pressure yet.
Holmqvist had nicely policed his area for three games in a row, allowing only two goals per win. It was just what this team needed to settle down - steady goaltending, a real reason to believe they might be able carry the day in at least one playoff series.
Maybe Friday was just one night.
Actually, we checked the calendar. It was.
But every time you looked up, the puck was behind Holmqvist. It didn't get better when Denis came in.
Like we said, nearly every Bolt stunk up the joint. They're not going anywhere if they play like the dogs they were Friday.
But we all know what playoff games come down to, what they turn on.
One Panther, named Welch, scored only his second NHL goal (Holmqvist). Two others, Kreps and Sprukts - we're not making those names up - scored their first career goals (Denis).
Neither Holmqvist nor Denis have been able to hold onto a job this season. The Lightning have settled on Holmqvist no matter what, with Friday being rather ghastly proof. Uh, playoffs start in about 19 minutes.
"The goaltending is that important," Tortorella said of goaltending Friday morning. "It's the brain of your team."
It doesn't take an Einstein to know the deal here.
Holmqvist Can Bounce Back What would the Lightning give right now to have anything close to Florida's goaltender Friday, the aged but still capable Ed Belfour, who won a Stanley Cup eight years ago?
Holmqvist, whose job it remains, won a Calder Cup in 2003. There's a big difference between Calder and Stanley's cauldron.
The one thing I like about this kid is his ability to block out stinkers and move on to the next game. But playoffs don't allow for many stinkers.
Very few, in fact.
The Bolts have convinced themselves, and occasionally us, that Holmqvist and Denis give them a better playoff chance than John Grahame and Sean Burke ever did.
Friday, it looked like six of one, half dozen of another.
And seven in the Lightning net.
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Post by kermelbar on Apr 7, 2007 8:23:41 GMT -5
but if the brawl gets big enough, I say Johnny pulls him off the bench and just beats some sense into him! LOL
I would pay good money and/or work out something in trade to see that. I'd also love to see the Canes skating by Eddie's corner, doing their impression of his routine.
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Post by Treici on Apr 7, 2007 8:25:38 GMT -5
I would pay good money and/or work out something in trade to see that. I'd also love to see the Canes skating by Eddie's corner, doing their impression of his routine. Not sure which part I like more....skating by and doing the galloping peacock----or the work out something in trade
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Post by wardo30 on Apr 7, 2007 8:26:09 GMT -5
Treici, that article is ridiculous.....LET IT GO PEOPLE!! Leave the guys alone already!!
Kerri, I think when the last horn sounds, all the Canes should just dive onto the ice in front of the Panthers. That would be a damn riot!!
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Post by Treici on Apr 7, 2007 8:35:46 GMT -5
I liked that the lightning deserved to get the Devils first round and Martin Brodeur in the net. hehehe
Seriously though, when your only goals are from Jason Ward and Nick Tarnasky??? Um, you have some serious issues going on here.
No, Marty, no Vinny, no Richards, no Danny.......hell, not even Perrin! Where the hell was the team?
Hell, at the end of the 2nd they only had 10 shots!
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Post by golden grahames cracker on Apr 7, 2007 10:43:11 GMT -5
And treici, that sucked to be at last night too. Thank God a friend and I went to a friends birthday party before the game and the jello shots I did did not wear off until the the second period. By the third period, the forum was already half empty. My section last night would cheer every time we finally had a shot on goal. Funny thing is I heard alot of people walking around last night saying now that we really didn't have a goalie issue last year but we do this year.
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Post by kermelbar on Apr 7, 2007 11:09:34 GMT -5
Funny thing is I heard alot of people walking around last night saying now that we really didn't have a goalie issue last year but we do this year.
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Post by Treici on Apr 7, 2007 11:19:30 GMT -5
Too bad it took them a year to figure that out!!! They were probably the same folks walking around at game 1 saying that all the goaltending issues have been fixed...
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Post by golden grahames cracker on Apr 7, 2007 11:48:17 GMT -5
Hey, some of us were waiting for Torts to put in both Denis and Holmie in net at the same time last night in the third. Best thing is looking at the stats, the Lightning goalies are worse than the Cane goalies. And Grahame's were better last year than these two that we have this year. Talk about justice. ;D
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