I love Steve Yzerman’s moxy.
First year on the job as general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning and darned if he isn’t trying to win the Stanley Cup – this year!
When Yzerman traded for 41-year-old goaltender Dwayne Roloson Monday and then signed veteran defenceman Marc-Andre Bergeron a day later, it was like he was going all-in and laying his cards on the table.
He wants to win now.
That’s not to say this is a make-it-or-break-it scenario for the franchise, but it is obvious Yzerman feels he has the horses to go deep into the playoffs, if not all the way this season.
The Lightning won the Stanley Cup in 2003-04, the year before the lockout, but was a first round playoff victim the following two seasons and has missed the playoffs the past three years. Tampa Bay isn’t exactly a hockey hotbed so if the club wants to maintain interest in the team, it had better win.
So far, the Lightning has won enough to justify its new boss rolling the dice.
Under normal circumstances, it isn’t advisable to acquire a 41-year-old stopper with a career record of 196-229-42-43 and a 2.66 goals-against average as your savior.
In fact, Roloson was 6-13-1 with the Islanders this season and had a 2.64 GAA.
The thing with Roloson is you have to see him play to truly appreciate what he brings to the table. He really didn’t have much of a chance to assemble a winning record the past five years playing with Minnesota, Edmonton and Long Island. And yet, if you watched those teams play when he was minding the net, you know he was often the reason they won or were close in games.
If you had any doubt about his ability, all you had to do was watch him in his Lightning debut against the Washington Capitals. Granted the Caps have issues scoring goals thus far, but Roloson was spectacular in earning first star honours in a thrilling 1-0 overtime win.
Roly the Goalie stopped all 34 shots he faced and looked extremely sharp in the process.
He made a huge difference for the Lightning, who were out-scored 6-0 and 6-3 in two pervious meetings against Washington.
Goaltending has been an issue for the Lightning this season, for a few years, in fact. Dan Ellis and the injured Mike Smith have been OK at times and not so good at others. Newcomer Cedric Desjardins won both his starts since being recalled from Norfolk of the American Hockey League, but with Yzerman’s lofty goal this season, he’s not about to turn the reigns over to an otherwise untested minor leaguer.
Not a chance.
Bergeron is an interesting addition. For starters, the Lightning could lose him on waivers after they send him to the minors and try to recall him.
It’s a risk the team is willing to accept.
Nobody would question Bergeron’s offensive ability. The much-traveled (and smallish) defender has a respectable 75 goals and 194 points in 399 career games, but like Roloson, his numbers don’t tell the whole story. Bergeron was never really interested in trying to keep pucks out of his team’s net, or if he was, it didn’t show. But there is no denying his offensive prowess is improving.
In 132 games with Minnesota and Montreal the past two years, he had 27 goals and 64 points.
Bergeron is nothing, if not a power-play specialist, and he possesses a cannon of a shot from the point. If used properly, he will be a great addition to Tampa Bay.
The Lightning has a lot going for them this season.
Martin St-Louis continues to be one of the best and least appreciated players in the NHL.
A catalyst on the championship team, St-Louis goes out each game and proves over and over he was deserving of being the NHL’s most valuable player the season his team won the championship.
St-Louis has also played a significant role in the rapid development of Steven Stamkos as one of the NHL’s deadliest snipers. Then there’s the potential and hopeful re-emergence of Vinny Lecavalier as an impact player. The Lightning has its fingers crossed he’ll make it all the way back to being one of the best players in the NHL considering he’s in the first year of an 11-year contract.
The Lightning has improved its defence and has added depth, not to mention a sharp-minded young coach in Guy Boucher.
You probably wouldn’t put Tampa Bay at the head of the list of Stanley Cup contenders this season, but given the fact it is tied for first in the Eastern Conference and has an aggressive GM, with his eye on the prize, the Lightning is certainly worth keeping an eye on.
