Tie

Had to work during this game, so didn't get to see it. 1-1 isn't a heartbreaker considering we had to fly up to Carolina on back to back games; would have been nice to get two though.


gj Grahame

Game was on live in the UK.....Wooooo Hoooo!

In essence we ground out a point. First period started slowly and they were all over us, I think the shots were 16-6, but we managed to take the lead. Grahame was absolutely magnificent all evening with some stunning goaltending to keep us in it. Brad missed an open net which could have made it 2-0 and that probably would have won the game, but after they equalised, I was happy to take the point.

Strangest thing if anything was that after 3 games in 4 days, we actually got stronger in the third and in OT, when you would think we would have been knackered! (This might be an English phrase!)

For me 3 stars were Grahame, Kubina and Cullimore.

Onwards and upwards.

Rob

The team is young so it makes sense that they would be mentally tired and not physically..hence being able to flack the Carolina net late in the game. Khabibulin and Grahame are just sick.

Khabibulin and Grahame are just sick.

I was hoping Khabibulin was going to start for you guys. He's looking like he's about to hit one of his skids. Grahame stole a point for the Bolts.

Khabi had a shutout in his last game - his first game back from the one this year he's been pulled. No skid.

Despite a recent opinion stating "I thought Khabi had it until the guy crossed the blue line," he is indeed "sick."

You're right though, Grahame stole a point. Carolina played very well eliminating space.

I was hoping Khabibulin was going to start for you guys. He's looking like he's about to hit one of his skids.
Wishful thinking maybe? I'd say a shutout in his last game isn't really an indication of a "skid".
Grahame stole a point for the Bolts.
Yup, we're lucky to have him.

If Brad had been able to pot that empty-net pass from Stiller, the Bolts would have probably won. Did anyone see it bounce or anything? Usually Brad nets those with no problem.

I think it was rolling, but it hit the heel of his stick and skate. It was a little behind him.

His two goals this year are flukes and he's muffed several open shots and scoring chances. 20 goals will be quite an achievement at this rate. His shot is very weak and not extremely accurate. Seems more content with just throwing it on net and hoping for a rebound. Last year he practiced shooting off the wrong foot ala Sakic, but couldn't generate the speed on the shot necessary to make it work.

For a guy who potted 71 goals in his last year of junior, his shot is average at best.

Despite a recent opinion stating "I thought Khabi had it until the guy crossed the blue line," he is indeed "sick."

If I really meant that then teams would score about 35 goals a game on Khabi

Just got back a short while ago from Raleigh. (We didn't even know Mike Keenan had been fired until we were watching TV back at the hotel post-game!)

Very pleased to get out of the RBC Center with a point. Not what I'd call an exciting game, and one in which we were fortunate -- thanks to some stellar work in goal by Grahame and some very timely bounces -- to get the tie. I'm looking forward to watching the tape to see how on earth some of Carolina's shots stayed out. (I have to be happy, tho, since it was the first regular season road game I've gone to that we didn't lose!) I had been a bit concerned about St. Louis & Hill, but there didn't seem to be any major problems. Did notice Marty put a nice little hit on Hill in the 3rd period.

RBC Center is nice but I was shocked at the size of the crowd -- or lack thereof. The section we were in ran to double letters... EE, FF, something like that, so it had a minimum of 30-32 rows. At one point during the game I counted 38 people in the entire section. Being generous, I don't see how they could possibly have had more than 8,000 people in the place. Sure hope that's not the norm because, if it is, I don't see how the franchise can survive.

-Sharon

I really didn't think Carolina had that many dangerous chances to be honest. Everything was from the perimeter and unscreened for the most part, and the Lightning d-men were doing a solid job of sweeping out the rebounds (which was good because Grahame has some shakey moments rebound control wise every game IMO, its the second biggest flaw in his game besides the once a game Patrick Roy "I left my brain when I left the crease" move to play the puck).

It was a trap fest. Give Carolina credit: they played it a lot cleaner than Clutch-n-grab-lumbus did, not quite as clean as LA did. The Lightning need to continue to work on breaking the trap because they've only scored 2 goals in the three games where the opposing team has played the trap remotely well. It's something they'll have to solve, especially once they get to the playoffs if they play Jersey again or a couple of other teams like Ottawa, for instance, who can play it well if need be.

-Pete Choquette

You had a little TV time in Carolina, Sharon.

Don't know if anyone told you yet, but you were on. Black jersey, no?

You had a little TV time in Carolina, Sharon.

Don't know if anyone told you yet, but you were on. Black jersey, no?

Oh, yeah, I've heard -- my worst nightmare come true. There were about 4 Bolts fans there and at least one of 'em was younger and a heckuva lot prettier than yours truly, don't know why they picked my ugly mug! :)

Truth be told, before the game started I saw the cameraman spot us. They were at the bottom of our section & he was pointing & talking on his headset. Unfortunately, as time went on I completely forgot about it! Folks say I was looking bored -- in actuality, I was just frozen solid. There were so few people in the building that there was no body heat around us -- I think it was about the coldest I've been in an arena. Even my feet hurt!

-Sharon

Forgot to mention -- at the Carolina game they didn't announce the injuries/scratches over the PA as they do at the Ice Palace. They did eventually post them on the jumbotron: "Thrashers Injuries/Scratches."

:eek:

-Sharon

Ah, the NHL in Carolina.

It didn't look like there was much body heat going around the Office Depot (what a crime it would have been to see Dudley holding a STAPLES yellow pad all game and clapping his hands instead of the Office Depot one he was holding) Center last night.

All 14 fans that were there got treated to a rare home win in Pantherland.

I noticed that too; when I seen Rick talking on the tube I thought it was a clip taken about an hour prior...maybe even they let fans in to watch the morning skate. But then I seen the Bolts on the ice at the same time :handclap:

All 14 fans that were there got treated to a rare home win in Pantherland.

Hmmmmm let's see, I was at the Panther game last night and there were 2 bus loads of Lightning employees and at least 20 other Lightning fans that I saw there. And we were cheering more than the Panther fans the first 2 periods!! :handclap:

Technically last night's attendance was 13,700 something but there was definitely less than 9K last night.

For future reference, there were tons of empty seats in the sections behind the goal where the Lightning shoot twice (section 108-112). I was told they have a hard time "giving away" the tickets in that area. So next Lightning game in Sunrise everyone here needs to make a road trip and fill up those sections!!