|
Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Mike Smith said he could have played Saturday if necessary
Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Mike Smith characterized his injury as general soreness, and added that he could have played Saturday against the Hurricanes and "be fine." In fact, coach Rick Tocchet said he was going to play Antero Niittymaki against Carolina, anyway.
Don't you love it when a plan comes together like that?
"He's fine," Tocchet said of Smith. "I wanted to play Niitty. It wasn't because (Smith) is hurt. It's Niitty's turn." ... Read more
Antero Niittymaki starts in net for the Lightning Saturday against Pitt; Steve Downie promoted
The Tampa Bay Lightning had a late practice Friday after flying into Pittsburgh from Ottawa. The boys watched video of all their mistakes in Thursday's frightful 7-1 loss to the Senators and then had a spirited practice that focused on one-on-one battles and energized breakouts.
The changes that coach Rick Tocchet spoke of apparently are Antero Niittymaki replacing Mike Smith in goal and Steve Downie moving from the fourth line back up to right wing on a line with center Vinny Lecavalier and Alex Tanguay, both of whom have yet to score this season. ... Read more
Marty St. Louis, Antero Niittymaki and Zenon Konopka wil make appearances Tuesday
From the team:
On Tuesday, Nov. 10, the Lightning have the east and the west covered with Zenon Konopka appearing at the McDonald’s on 3480 East Lake Road in Palm Harbor. Konopka will be interviewed by Dave Mishkin for the “Ice Hot” radio show, to be aired on 620-AM from 7-8 p.m. and he will sign autographs for fans afterwards. ... Read more
Venue change for Lightning "Unplugged" with Marty St. Louis and Antero Niittymaki
Tampa Bay Lightning “Unplugged” originally scheduled from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday in Center Court at The Shops at Wiregrass will now be held indoors at Cantina Laredo, located in the same mall. The event has been moved due to the possibility of inclement weather being forecasted in the area. The time of the event has not changed. ... Read more
Mike Smith starts in net for the Tampa Bay Lightning against the Coyotes; Mattias Ohlund hurt
In a bit of a surprise, given how well Antero Niittymaki has been playing, Mike Smith will get the start for the Tampa Bay Lightning Monday night against the Coyotes. Smith hasn't played since Nov. 2 against the Flyers, against whom he allowed five goals on 18 shots before being pulled after 27 minutes.
Niittymaki is 3-0-3 in his past seven games with a 1.60 goals-against average and a .950 save percentage. Yet, coach Rick Tocchet said it is time to give Smith a game. ... Read more
Niittymaki makes Finnish Olympic team
Lightning goalie Antero Niitttymaki has made Team Finland for the 2010 Olympics. Niittymaki played a big role in Finland reaching the gold-medal game in the 2006 Olympics in Turin.
Calgary's Miikka Kiprusoff is expected to be the starting goaltender. Minnesota's Niklas Backstrom is also on the roster.
-- JOE SMITH, Times Staff Writer
Rick Tocchet: Mike Smith remains Lightning's No. 1 goalie
Tampa Bay Lightning coach Rick Tocchet made it clear that Mike Smith remains his top goalie even though Antero Niittymaki appears set to start his eighth straight game tonight.
And perhaps even longer.
"Smitty is our No. 1 coming in and it’s not like he lost the job,'' Tocchet said. "He is our No. 1. It’s just that Niitty was supposed to be our backup and he’s turned into 1b because he’s really played well for us, especially the last two weeks.'' ... Read more
A rested Antero Niittymaki gets the start in net for the Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning coach Rick Tocchet has given Antero Niittymaki the start in tonight's game with the Flyers. That is important in that Niittymaki has a chance to establish himself as the go-to guy in Tampa Bay's playoff push. Mike Smith agreed, "Niitty has played better hockey this year and because of it, he's getting the start tonight." ... Read more
Pens' Matt Cooke considers himself marked
We all have read the outpouring of hate directed at Penguins trouble-maker Matt Cooke after his blind-side hit on Boston's Marc Savard. And we have heard how the hit, though not penalized or disciplined by the NHL, likely was the catalyst, along with the public and media outcry, to get the league's GMs to recommend that such hits be made illegal. Cook spoke to Pittsburgh reporters.
Here is the Q & A: ... Read more
Most Recent Blog Posts
Advertisement
Most Popular Categories
Lightning Links
Archives
Other NHL Blogs
Comment Policy
| Please be sure your comments are appropriate before submitting them. Inappropriate comments include content that: |
| Is libelous |
| Is abusive, harassing, or threatening |
| Is obscene, vulgar, or profane |
| Is racially, ethnically or religiously offensive |
| Is illegal or encourages criminal acts |
| Is known to be inaccurate or contains a false attribution |
| Infringes copyrights, trademarks, publicity or any other rights of others |
| Impersonates anyone (actual or fictitious) |
| Solicits funds, goods or services, or advertises |
| The Tampa Bay Times does not edit posts but reserves the right to delete comments that violate our policy. |
Recent Comments