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Lightning Hope Investment Will Start Paying Off

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By ERIK ERLENDSSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 21, 2008

TAMPA - The Lightning threw money around this summer like an Ivy League grad with a new credit card, in hopes of creating a high-octane group of forwards.

Five games into the season, the credit limit from the $151 million doled out this summer in guaranteed salaries dedicated solely to the offense seems to have dried up.

Entering tonight's game against division-rival Atlanta, the Lightning have scored the fewest goals in the league with eight in five games and remain one of two teams without a victory. The thought-to-be high-powered power play has scored twice on 25 opportunities, the 28th-worst success rate in the league entering play on Monday.

Needless to say, all the hype has meant almost nothing.

"You would have thought we'd be able to score a couple more goals, that's for sure," said left wing Ryan Malone, who signed a seven-year deal worth $31.5 million and has one of the team's eight goals.

To this point, Radim Vrbata, who scored 27 goals last season, has been a healthy scratch after four unproductive games while other key free-agent additions Mark Recchi, Gary Roberts, Vinny Prospal, Adam Hall, Chris Gratton and overall No. 1 pick Steven Stamkos have combined for three goals between them.

Despite the lack of production, seeing as there are 77 games still remaining in the season, few believe that the goal-scoring drought is going to drag on and drag the team down.

"Our guys are going to score goals," Lightning head coach Barry Melrose said. "We are getting the chances and the goals are going to start coming, our guys just have to believe in what we are doing away from the puck and continue doing that. Then, all of a sudden, when the goals start coming and we are playing this good five-on-five, then you don't need three or four goals to win, you need two."

Therein lays the irony to the early-season quandary the Lightning find themselves in. With a defense that was believed to be porous and a goaltending situation thought to be mediocre at best, Tampa Bay is near the top of the rankings when it comes to goals allowed.

Of the 12 goals the Lightning have allowed, 10 have come during regulation time and two were given up in overtime. Goaltender Mike Smith pitched a shutout on Saturday - only to come away without a win following a shootout loss - and ranks third in the league in save percentage having stopped 102 of 108 shots he has faced. The team's 2.32 goals-against average ranks seventh in the league.

"I think those guys are confident enough in themselves that our big scorers are going to score," defenseman Paul Ranger said. "We're all still learning here a little bit and it just hasn't happened for us yet. I think we are going to score; we're getting opportunities."

There is a growing sense that a breakthrough is on the horizon.

"We're right there," captain Vinny Lecavalier said.

But time is rapidly running out to prevent frustration from spilling over.

"I think we're all still frustrated that we don't have that win yet," Malone said. "But enough is enough, we have to find ways to win and turn it around."

Reporter Erik Erlendsson can be reached at (813) 259-7835.

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