Alex Tanguay

So, here we are, four days into our 30/30 season preview. These next teams are interesting to say the least, and FanSided authors Tim Redinger and Ryan Patrick have put together compelling arguments concerning their respective team’s outlook for the 2011-12 season. The Bolts will be facing off against the Sabres four times this season and the Flames only once. Last year, Buffalo split the season series with Tampa, and Calgary won the only game. Hopefully, the Lightning will do much better this time around. Well, I hope you enjoy the following (we won’t hold it against you): Buffalo Sabres [...]

As you well know, we have reached the slow news part of the NHL summer here on the Fansided network. But are we going to let that stop us from talking NHL?. NO WAY! Some of the other guys (and gals) on our sister sites have decided to make top 5 lists, such as “top 5 arenas to watch a game in” or “top 5 biggest rivalries for their team”. We here at BBTB decided to go in a different direction. We love our Bolts, and equally hate other teams players. So we (I) decided to compile this list of the 5 [...]

I just got back in town from a month long business trip, so I apologize for the lack of posts lately.  My brother and I will be ramping up the content significantly though as we start to get closer to the NHL season…Now enough of my whining about work. We put up a post a few weeks ago about some of the things that new GM Steve Yzerman had done at the onset of Free Agency (Meszaros, Kubina, Dan Ellis, Martin St Louis).  We were a fan of everyone of those moves.  Phase 2 of Free Agency (after week 1 [...]

With last nights 4-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Bolts dropped 6 points out of the 8th playoff spot with only 16 games to play.  Barring a 6 to 7 game streak of some sort, the Bolts look like they’ll be missing the playoffs again. “We play hard, but hard’s not good enough right now,” Lightning forward Martin St. Louis said. “For us it’s about results right now and we just can’t seem to find that.” The Bolts took an early first period lead on “The Shot”, Steven Stamkos’s 42nd goal from his patented spot.  Not sure why [...]

In an unusually physical game for two teams who see each other only twice  year, the Ducks defeated the Bolts last night at the St Pete Time Forum, 2 to 1 in a shootout. The game featured fantastic goaltending, over 60 PIMs and 3 fights. The Lightning got on the board early with a breakaway goal by Martin St Louis off of a gorgeous dish by Steven Stamkos. One of the guys who sits near me, a season ticket holder as well, was having a conversation with me after the goal about how the two of those guys seem like [...]

With the sale of the Bolts looming over the organization, trade rumors are starting to swirl across the league.  Last night after leaving the game, I popped open some emails and internet stories that had the Los Angeles Kings very interested in our star center. Vinny would make sense for the Kings who have been linked to Ilya Kovalchuk the last few weeks.  With the Thrasers not allowing teams to talk to Ilya’s agents, it is possible that whatever prospects or players you move for Kovalchuk could all be for naught if you don’t win a Cup.  He could end [...]

After enduring a losing streak that threatened to push us out of playoff contention, with a 2-1 win over the Boston Bruins last night, the Lightning have now reeled off four wins in their last 5 games.  Sometimes all that is needed is a good home stand to cure all your teams woes. We have been bashing Alex Tanguay all year on this site, but he came up with a big goal in Saturday nights win over the Atlanta Thrashers, and scored a big goal last night in the win. Kurtis Foster had 2 assists, Vinny 4 had an assist, [...]

The Lightning capped a generally encouraging preseason last night with a 5 to 1 drubbing of the Atlanta Thrashers. The Bolts finish off their 2009-2010 preseason with a record of 4 wins. 3 losses, with 1 win and 1 loss coming in overtime. The overtime loss came in a game against Dallas where none of our superstars were dressed. The game went to a shootout where Brad Richards tallied the game winner. Go figure! After two years of hard to watch hockey, the Bolts seem to have put together a team that will compete in the quite strong Eastern Conference. [...]