2005 TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING PREVIEW

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2005-06 Tampa Bay Lightning Preview

(MySportsbook.com) - The Tampa Bay Lightning will finally get their chance to bask in the glow of being the defending Stanley Cup champions.

How long they'll be able to do so remains to be seen.

Most components of the team's nucleus are back for another shot at the chalice, but it's the piece that isn't that creates the most amount of concern. Nikolai Khabibulin, the club's security blanket throughout the regular season and playoffs, signed with Chicago over the summer because the Bolts simply couldn't fit him under the cap without sacrificing other parts of the core group.

Without Khabibulin, John Grahame and the newly-acquired Sean Burke will handle the goaltending duties. Neither player is a sure bet, so it will be interesting to see how they both fare in the early going.

General manager Jay Feaster did do a nice job locking in his key skaters, namely Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, Dan Boyle and Ruslan Fedotenko. The above bunch, plus the likes of '04 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Brad Richards, is dynamic enough to keep the team in the upper tier of the NHL for the foreseeable future.

The Lightning's offensive attack was aggressive and bold before the lockout, so it seems as if the new rules we'll see this season are tailor-made for this team. A lot of clubs will be adapting to the more offensive- minded style. The Lightning, however, have already found success playing an open brand of the game, so their learning curve might not be as wide.

FORWARDS - Considering how long ago the 03-04 season was, many people forget that St. Louis is the reigning Hart Trophy winner. The diminutive winger, who was once let go by the Calgary Flames, has erupted over the past two NHL seasons, culminating with his 38 goals and 56 assists in 03-04. St. Louis was tough to keep up with under the old rules, imagine how he'll be without clutching, grabbing and a red line.

Lecavalier has finally become the dominant power center he was expected to be after an inconsistent first few seasons. His clashing with coach John Tortorella and all those trade rumors seem like the distant past. He potted 32 goals and 34 assists during the Cup season, including six game-winning tallies.

Richards had become one of the league's top playmaking centermen early in his career, but in 03-04 he proved how well he can perform in key situations. He posted 12 goals and 14 assists in 23 playoff games, earning the Conn Smythe Trophy as postseason MVP.

The team did lose consistent sniper Cory Stillman via free agency, but Vinny Prospal returns after spending one season with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Prospal flourished with Tampa in 02-03, leading the team in scoring with 79 points (22g, 57a). Fredrik Modin, meanwhile, hopes to duplicate his career year that saw him tally 29 goals and 28 assists.

The Lightning received somewhat of a surprise when captain Dave Andreychuk decided against retirement and signed on for another two years. The veteran warrior won his first Cup in 03-04 and could have easily rode off into the sunset in the tradition of Ray Bourque. He might not be the big-time scorer he once was, but he is still good for 20 tallies and is a definite asset on the power play.

DEFENSE - The Bolts suffered some key losses on the blueline, as Jassen Cullimore and Brad Lukowich both took advantage of free agency. However, they still sport a terrific top-four with Pavel Kubina, Dan Boyle, Darryl Sydor and Cory Sarich.

Boyle continues to be a dangerous offensive threat, but his defensive performance has improved as well. He tallied nine goals and 30 assists in 78 games during 03-04 and was a plus-23.

The 230-pound Kubina netted a career-high 17 goals last time out, and showed the ability to log anchor minutes. He is at his best when playing a physical game, something that he has improved on over the years.

Sydor isn't the player he was a few years back with Dallas, but he provided a lift after being acquired from Columbus at mid-season. Cory Sarich and Nolan Pratt will have to play bigger roles to help account for the losses of Lukowich and Cullimore.

GOALTENDING - Grahame, whose early career in Boston was plagued by injuries and inconsistent play, has found a home in Tampa but he has never come close to carrying a starter's load. He appeared in 29 games (28 starts) for the champions in 03-04, going 18-9-1 with a 2.06 goals-against average. His number of games that season were a career high.

Burke, meanwhile, joins the Bolts at the age of 38 and is out the prove he can still do it on a consistent basis. The problem is, he hasn't played starter's minutes since the 2001-02 season while with Phoenix, when he logged 60 games.

WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE - Tortorella had this team playing at a level where it could push the button offensively while still remaining responsible in the defensive end. That's a formula many coaches will be trying to figure out with the new rules, so he is already ahead of the game. Tampa is balanced throughout the lineup, but that goaltending situation will be a concern until we see otherwise. Khabibulin is a world-class netminder, while the team is now stuck with a career backup and an aging veteran. The Lightning will be near the top of the East all year, but their playoff journey will only go as far as the goalies can take them.

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