1. FS Panthers fails for saying that this is Tocchet's 3rd season as head coach, it's actually his 2nd year (he took over for Barry Melrose last year) and what the hell is the stat for 48-67-0-26?

2. FAIL on head coach Rick Tocchet for having stats of 48-67-0-26

Technically if we can go 10-0-0 we *might* be able to make the playoffs, but logically that just won't happen with a team that has lost 9 out of the 11 games since the Olympic break. When the pressure's on, this team really can bring the suck.

With 10 games left, the question for the Lightning now shifts to whether the Lightning can even finish this season strong. With the different levels of suck that they've doled out over the past week, and the team incoherence that has displayed in the past few weeks, finishing strong seems doubtful for this team.

Our goaltending since the break has been shoddy, minus the few flashes of a good goaltending from Niittymaki, we're right back to where we were last year. Mike Smith who is to make $2.4 million next season, although this year he is not injured, he is not playing like a #1 starter. Each game he plays make it more obvious that the GM will need to make a change whether is be a different set of goaltenders or a someone in the goaltending coaching area if they think he can get his game back.

With that being said, does the Lightning management think that Niittymaki is a true #1 starter? His contract is up and he will be looking for a raise from his $600,000 he got this season. If the Lightning don't think either of those two has the potential for being a consistent goaltender, there are a lot of goalies on the market this season, though that means those will also be question marks since they are being shopped.

The good news? Ryan Miller is struggling and was pulled in the game against the Thrashers. The not so good news? He's looking to rebound from being pulled and the team won anyways over the Thrashers

Enemy Blog: Check out Double Edged Sabres

Line-up Notes:

• Ryan Malone is out with an upper and lower body injury, 10-14 days
  
• Mattias Ohlund is out with a lower body injury
  
• David Hale is out with a lower body injury on injured reserve
  
• Zenon Konopka is out with back spasms
  

Tomorrow the Sabres rolls in to town, perhaps handing us one of the 3 losses that will completely end our playoff hopes, until then some links of what went on in the Boltosphere

• Ryan Malone will be out for for 10 to 14 days after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. He is also undergoing a seperate treatment for a separate upper-body injury
  
• Former Sens exec Roy Mlakar is interested in the Lightning CEO job
• The Lightning have reassigned 2009 draft picks Richard Panik (2nd round pick) and 29th overall pick Carter Ashton to the Norfolk Admirals
  
• The Lightning have submitted a bid to host the All-Star Game in either 2011, 2012 or 2013
• It's Dave Andreychuk Foundation night tomorrow night at the Sabres game. Watching a Lightning game and donating to charity? The Hockey Bay Blog approves! You have until noon tomorrow to purchase tickets, packages start at 30 bucks, see the Dave Andreychuck Foundation website for more info

Stick tap to John at Raw Charge for sending me this info:

Former NHL player and former Lightning assistant coach Wes Walz will be stopping by to talk some hockey at NHL FanHouse. They will be discussing today are the development of Steven Stamkos in Tampa Bay, the new proposed rule change for hits to the head and the progress of the Minnesota Wild.

Chat starts at 2pm EST and the link to join in on the live chat is here

When Todd Fedoruk scores your only goal, you know that the offense is lacking. I won't even bother to recap tonight's loss. A loss is a loss, and with the Bruins and Thrashers winning tonight, the Lightning fall to being 6 points back from Boston in the 8th spot with the Rangers and Thrashers ahead of us.

As I said in my game preview, according to Mirtle's post in the Globe and Mail, the Lightning needed to go 10-4-0 for the rest of the season, with the loss tonight, they will have to go 10-3-0 to make it into 8th spot. If you are being optimistic, then you sounds like a Leafs fan trying to grasp at something statistically improbable. But I'm not optimisitc, because when it matters, this team doesn't have it in them to get the big win.

The problem I had with tonight's game had to do with penalties. The first issue was that the Lightning had 3 straight powerplay's but were not able to score on any of them. Really guys, if you want to play in the playoffs, scoring when it matters is important. The other was the tripping penalty that Downie took in the 3rd period to take the Lightning off of the powerplay. The penatly was completely unnecessary. And fail to SUN for continuously pronouncing Pyatt's name incorrectly. It was un-freakin-bearable.

Oh and FAIL to the Lightning website recap:

Phoenix Coyotes beat the Tampa Bay Lighting 3-1 Tuesday night.

The score was 2-1, which just shows that you didn't watch the game, or perhaps you gave up midway through the third?

Recap from my girl over at The Good, The Bad, The Coyotes

Next game Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres, game time 7:30pm

In a bit of a late appearance during the stretch drive, we host the Phoenix Coyotes in Tampa tonight. Before you try to remember what the Coyotes looks like, don't bother, with a new coach they've improved their game and now win games. They currently sit in 4th place in the West, tied with points with the Canucks who sit in third because they are top of the NW Division.

Enemy Blog: Check out Hipchecks or The Good, The Bad, The Coyotes

Under Coach Dave Tippett, and having an excellent goaltender in Ilya Bryzgalov, the Coyotes have become a tight checking team that is giving Tippett a good chance at winning the Jack Adams award. The Coyotes are currently on a five game win streak and look to add to that tonight. We have played the Coyotes earlier this season back on November 16th where we Lecavalier scored two goals in a 4-1 win with Smith in net.

Like last game against the Penguins, tonight is now a bigger must win game if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive. According to the Mirtle over at the Globe and Mail's playoff push the East needs 88 points to make it into the playoffs, meaning the Lightning need to go 10-4-0 for the rest of the season. So is this a must win tonight? Yeah definitely.

Don't know if Malone will play tonight as he is day-to-day, will update if he does.

• There is a tail-gate before the game starting at 5:00pm. It's all you can eat/drink St. Patrick's day themed tail-gate for $25 bucks, info can be found here
  

Line-up Notes:

• Ryan Malone is out with an upper body injury, day-to-day
  
• Mattias Ohlund is out with a lower body injury
  
• David Hale is out with a lower body injury on injured reserve
  
• Zenon Konopka is out with back spasms