It was a season of changes in Tampa Bay. On opening night they
had a new owner (Art Williams), several new players (Craig
Janney, Bill Ranford, Wendel Clark, and Vincent Lecavalier), and
a new attitude. Seven months later, only Lecavalier remained.
What went wrong?
The answer is simple - everything.
Two games into the season, a tie and a loss, Lightning owner Art
Williams fired general manager Phil Esposito and his brother
Tony. Jacques Demers, the Lightning coach, replaced them. That
was the first of many moves designed to make the Lightning
younger, faster, and cheaper. The end result - a last place
finish for the second consecutive year.
The Lightning began the season with high hopes. During the
off-season, they acquired Craig Janney, Bill Ranford, Benoit
Hogue, and Wendel Clark through trades and free agency. By adding
these veterans to the roster, Esposito hoped to get the team on
the right track. However, these additions cost him his job since
he inflated the Lightning payroll. Only Clark, who was traded to
the Detroit Red Wings at the trading deadline, played well during
his stay in Tampa.
On the ice, the Lightning could not win many games, nor should
the have. Too many times, players failed to show up for the drop
of the puck. During one dismal stretch, November 10 through
January 15, the Lightning went 3-24-1. Twice they lost eight
consecutive games.
To examine what went wrong, you must go position by position,
staring with goal.
Daren Puppa, for the third season in the row, could not stay
healthy. He only managed to appear in 13 games, posting five wins
and a 2.87 goals-against average. Ranford, a total bust, won
three games in 24 decisions. Corey Schwab led the team with eight
victories and played quite well, although he did not receive a
lot of support from his defense.
On the blue line, rookie Pavel Kubina was the Bolts best
defenseman. In 68 games, he scored nine goals and 12 assists and
was the player clubs were asking for in trade. Petr Svoboda
helped out on the power play after being acquired from the
Philadelphia Flyers. Jason Cullimore, David Wilkie, and Mike
McBain were inconsistent at best.
Darcy Tucker became the clubs leading scorer after the trade of
Clark. He posted 21 goals and 22 assists, not exactly Hall of
Fame numbers, but it was the best the Lightning could do. A major
disappointment was Stephane Richer. The former 50-goal scorer
only managed to light the lamp 12 times. Mid-season arrivals,
Chris Gratton, Alexander Daigle, and Robert Petrovicky managed to
produce just 16 goals.
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Darcy Tucker
by Meredith Martini
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TEAM MVP: Despite the team's on-ice performance, there
were some bright spots. Darcy Tucker, playing in his second full
NHL season, was the Lightning's most consistent player. His
feistiness and ability to score the odd goal is reminiscent of
Ken "The Rat" Linseman, a former Bruin and Flyer who often reeked
havoc upon his opponents.
Tucker, a fan favorite, gave his all, shift after shift, and
managed to keep a positive attitude in a disastrous season. When
team captain Rob Zamuner suffered a groin injury, Demers named
Tucker acting captain. It came as no surprise to NHL observers,
that Tucker's name was often mentioned as being part of the
compensation package the Lightning must pay to the Ottawa
senators for signing their general manager, Rick Dudley, as
director of hockey operations.
SURPRISE: During the season, Demers said the fans of
Tampa would have killed him if he sent first round draft pick
Vincent Lecavalier back to juniors. It was a good thing he
didn't. In 82 games, Lecavalier, an 18-year old center, scored 13
goals and 15 assist, and was often the best forward on the ice.
DISAPPOINTMENT: Pick a name, any name, out of a hat.
OFF-SEASON CHANGES: Don't laugh. The future is bright.
By adding Gratton, Daigle, Svoboda, Colin Forbes, Paul Mara, and
Michael Nylander to the roster, Demers has assembled a talented
cast of young players. This year they have the first pick in the
draft and they should get a high impact player with that pick.
Rick Dudley has assembled winning teams at every level, including
the NHL. Given the right resources, he should be able to do the
same in Tampa.
For the first time in their brief existence, the Lightning has
stable ownership. This should allow the hockey operations to
focus on putting a winning team on the ice. Keep in mind, this
will not be done overnight, but for the first time in years,
there is a plan.
