Vinny Lecavalier's season was not bad, with 10 goals and 32 points in 39 games while averaging 17:52 of ice time.
Lightning captain Vinny Lecavalier was off to one of his best starts in a while (four goals, 11 points in his first seven games) when his left foot was hit by a slap shot from teammate Sami Salo in the final second of a Feb. 2 game with the Rangers.
Lecavalier played through the injury, which never really healed and limited his mobility. And when on March 12 he skated into Florida defenseman Erik Gudbranson, the bone that had been bruised by Salo's shot was fractured, knocking Lecavalier out of nine games.
Lecavalier's season was not bad with 10 goals and 32 points in 39 games while averaging 17:52 of ice time. He also won 54.4 percent of his faceoffs. But the center said the season "was tough," especially considering his hot start.
"I felt really good when I started the year," he added, "but with that shot the ankle was very weak. ... It didn't seem to get better."
Marty St. Louis led the NHL with 43 assists and 60 points in 48 games to capture his second career Art Ross Trophy.
Lightning right wing is a finalist for the Lady Byng Trophy, given annually "to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability,” as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
Also nominated are Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane and Islanders left wing Matt Moulson. St. Louis won the award in 2010 and 2011. The winner will be announced during the Stanley Cup final
Following are the finalists for the Lady Byng Trophy, in alphabetical order: …
Marty St. Louis, 38 in June, became the oldest player to ever win an NHL points championship.
For all the negativity that surrounded the Lightning this season, right wing Marty St. Louis sounds relatively upbeat about what is in the team's future.
St. Louis, 38 in June, who became the oldest player to ever win an NHL points championship says he "feels good" about what Tampa Bay has in the locker room and that he has "full confidence" in what general manager Steve Yzerman is trying to do.
"I feel some of his pain," St. Louis said, "because he wants to win and it hasn't gone the way he'd like to the last couple of years."
St. Louis hit on some other topics recently. Here are excerpts of what he had to say: …
Lightning right wing Marty St. Louis on Thursday was named a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Awad, given annually by the NHL Players Association to the league's "most outstanding player."
Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and Washington's Alex Ovechkin also were named finalists for the award voted on by Players Association members. St. Louis previously won the award in 2004 when it was known as the Pearson Award.
St. Louis has a good case as he won the league points championship, and at 37 years old is the oldest player to ever win the Art Ross Trophy.
Here is a synopsis of each player's accomplishments this season: …
Jon Cooper went 4-8-3 as head coach of the Lightning after Guy Boucher was fired.
Coach Jon Cooper is passionate about how he wants the Lightning to develop over time. The last thing he wants is a team that, in terms of the playoffs, is "out, out, out, in, out, out, out, in."
Cooper said the model should be the Red Wings, which this season made the postseason for the 22nd consecutive year.
The coach, who went 4-8-3 after Guy Boucher was fired, said of missing the playoffs, "It's somewhere we never want to be again." But 15 NHL games under his belt "makes us that much farther ahead for next season." …
In 22 games with Tampa Bay, Radko Gudas had two goals, five points, was plus-3 and had 38 penalty minutes while averaging 16:59 of ice time.
The Lightning on Monday signed dfefenseman Radko Gudas to a three-year, one-way contract, the team announced.
The $2.975 million package pays $575,000 next season, $1 million in 2014-15 and $1.4 million in 2015-16. His cap hit is $991,667. Gudas, 22, was to be a restricted free agent.
Gudas, 6 feet, 204 pounds, started the season with AHL Syracuse, but in 22 games with Tampa Bay had two goals, five points, was plus-3 and had 38 penalty minutes while averaging 16:59 of ice time. His 87 hits were third on the team, just four behind leader Keith Aulie who played 45 games.
In 57 games for the Crunch this season, Gudas had four goals, 20 points, 207 penalty minutes and was a league-best plus-32.
Steven Stamkos isn't quite done with hockey as he is playing for Canada at the world championship in Sweden and Finland.
Lightning star Steven Stamkos has started what he called "a long summer" after the team for the second straight season finished out of the playoffs.
The center had a fine season. His 29 goals and 57 points were second in the league. Still, he called 2012-13 "a dark year" and put the onus on the core grpoup of players to increase its ugency and consistency to get Tampa Bay back to the postseason.
Stamkos, 23, isn't quite done with hockey as he is playing for Canada at the world championship in Sweden and Finland. He took some time to talk to reporters before he left. …
The Lightning on Thursday agreed to terms with prospect Cedric Paquette on a three-year, entry-level contract. The center had 27 goals, 83 points, 103 penalty minutes and was plus-29 in 63 games for Blainville-Boisbriand of the junior Quebec league.
Lightning GM Steve Yzerman talks with the media during Monday's season-ending news conference.
Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman understands their is impatience with the team's lack of success. But that does not mean abandoning his long-term plan.
"I'm not going to be held to timelines," he said this week. "These things take time and we’re going to be patient and we’re going to try to draft well and we’re going to try to use free agency wisely,"
Yzerman hit on several topics in his postseason news conference. Here are excerpts of what he had to say:Full Story
Want to talk about the 2012-13 Lightning season? What went right or wrong? Who'll be back? Who won't? How about the NHL playoffs? Whatever's on your mind, join Times beat reporter Damian Cristodero for a live chat TODAY, from noon to 1 p.m.
The Lightning has agreed to terms with prospect Nikita Nesterov on a three-year, entry-level contract. The defenseman was taken 158th overall in the 2011 draft. He is expected to play for AHL Syracuse next season.
Damian Cristodero will be chatting from noon to 1 p.m.
Want to talk about the 2012-13 Lightning season? What went right or wrong? Who'll be back? Who won't? Who'll be in goal next season? Join Times beat reporter Damian Cristodero for a live chat Wednesday, May 1, from noon to 1 p.m.
Steven Stamkos flies to Sweden Tuesday to play for Canada at the world championship.
Lightning star Steven Stamkos on Sunday had an MRI exam on his injured left knee that general manager Steve Yzerman said showed "nothing of significance."
Stamkos said he hyperextended the knee slightly when checked by Panthers defenseman Filip Kuba with 1:10 left in the third period of Saturday's 5-3 season finale loss.
"At the time you don't know," Stamkos said Monday when asked if he had been worried about the injury. But the doc checked it out and it should be no problem, nothing major."Full Story
Tampa Bay Lightning captain Vinny Lecavalier said that, considering the way the season started - winning six of the first seven games - he felt "for sure" that they'd havea great year.
That's why having the Lightning miss the playoffs for the second straight season was "really disappointing" to Lecavalier, who says the team is not that far off from being back in there.
Lecavalier talked with the media Monday morning as the Lightning cleaned out its lockers, discussing what went wrong, where it goes from here, and his future in Tampa Bay.
Lightning right wing Marty St. Louis talks about winning his second Art Ross Trophy after Tampa Bay's season-ending 5-3 loss to the Panthers at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on April 27, 2013.
Follow the Lightning through the season with beat writer Damian Cristodero and the Tampa Bay Times sports staff. We invite your participation in the comments area.
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