Game 7: Tampa in Pittsburgh

I just about cried last game. Mike Smith sucks. It's a good thing he's not playing tonight.

Enemy Blog: The Pensblog. Head over and check our their blog later when their game day post is up. Always a good read, or at least amusing.

Also check out the Puck Huffers for a recap of the game from their intern (who is such a natural PH writer) and their game awards.

Now to start off, I like the Penguins, in fact I even adopted them as my playoff team last year. I watched a game at a bar with a die hard Pens fans last year when they got smoked by Detroit and still I cheered for them. I cheered when they won the SCF this year. But this is a new season, and they are playing my boys tonight, so now they are the enemy.

The Lightning need a game to forget about what happened in Ottawa. Having a game against the Pens tonight, well I don't know if this is gonna help the forgetting, but I hope the Lightning at least bring their gameface. The Penguins are 6-1-0, and this is the first of a five game homestand at Mellon Arena.

Since Mike Smith sucks, Niitymaki is back in net for the Lightning, so we should have an improvement at least on goals that the goalie 'should have gotten'. Last game Lecavalier played well, but still no dice on a goal with Tanguay. Steven Downie is back up on the 1st line as right wing. I think fans/media should really give up on making such a big deal about who Lecavalier and Tanguay need to have as a right wing, too big of a deal has been made for a position that neither Downie or Veilleux seems to be able to fill. Lecavalier and Tanguay need to make it happen with whoever gets put on their line.

The Times is writing that Tocchet isn't playing Nittymaki tonight just because Smith sucked last night. I care to disagree. Smith sucked, so he shouldn't start, in fact he should have been pulled after the 4th goal last game. Starting Niitymaki should challenge Smith is get his game back, then he can go back to being the starting goaltender when he is playing, um, at least reasonably.

Now, I'm not saying it was all Smiths fault last game, no Hedman sucked too. And the Tampa Bay powerplay as well. The boys need to focus on getting a shot from the point that get's to the net, and need a body in front of the goalie. The other teams know we like to shoot from the point, so we either need to make the puck get to the net or change up how we attack the pp.

After tonight no Lightning hockey until next thursday against the Sharks, enjoy it.

Game Time: 7:30 pm on SUN