Lecavalier, Lightning; sinking fast!

By Jon Gabrielle,  Special to The Hockey Writers

 

 

The Tampa Bay Lightning are lacking leadership throughout the organization.

Last night’s 4-0 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks is just another manifestation in this team’s slide from grace.

Antti Niemi, the Hawks 26 year old Finnish netminder, playing in just his 11th NHL game, said, “We had it pretty easy. It was not too hard for me.” 

Earlier this year, ownership was banned by commisioner, Gary Bettman, from interfering with G.M. Brian Lawton in player personel decisions. Rick Tocchet was promoted from interim to head coach, receiving one of the lowest salaries in the league as one of the least experienced.  And now, the trickle down effect, can be felt on the ice as  their Captain, Vincent Lecavalier, has 6 goals.

Thirty-two games into their season, the Lightning are dead last in goals per game. Tied with Carolina at 77 goals, they are averaging under two and a half goals a game.

They have lost 8 out of their last 9 games while their power play is mired in an 0-13 slump. Hardly the team some pundits called, “much improved,” during the off-season.

Those in the know pointed to a bevy of stars up front, including, Vincent Lecavalier, Marty St. Louis, Steven Stamkos, Alex Tanguay and Ryan Malone.  Goal scoring couldn’t possibly be this teams’ achilles heal?

Although not all of the aforementioned have pulled their weight, their 85 million dollar man, Vincent Lecavalier has been notoriously absent. Injury free and ready to put last season’s debacle behind him, the Lightning Captain, has scored just 6 goals while averaging a hefty 19:55 of ice time per game.

One NHL scout, who declined to be quoted, but chuckled at the inquiry about Lecavalier’s struggles, said, “what do you expect when you give a kid that kind of money? I’m embarrassed to tell you what I made in the 70’s.”

Generation gaps aside, Lecavalier, near the top of the league in salary, is currently ranked 47th in league scoring. The 29 year old Quebec native, is the only player in the top 50 without a single power play goal. Zero, zilch, nada, none. What do you think the odds of that happening were this many games into the season? And all while playing a regular shift until his recent demotion.

Steve Downie, the teammate who replaced him on the first power play unit, has matched Lecavalier’s goal output this year, with six.  However, four of those have come with the man advantage, something the coach has evidently noticed.

Tired of Vinny’s perimeter play and inability to get to the “dirty areas,” as Tocchet refers to them, the veteran Captain has been relegated to limited time with the second unit.  An obvious jolt to the former All-Stars confidence, albeit great for the oft-troubled Downie, General Manager, Brian Lawton finds himself on the delicate side of the business ledger.

Lawton was optimistic when I spoke to him, saying, “we know Vinny is capable of getting hot, he’s been playing better lately and getting his chances.”  What else would you expect to hear, trapped in a press elevator with a former number one pick overall;  turned lawyer, turned agent, turned General Manager of a highly dysfunctional franchise?

With few teams capable of taking the “cap hit” on Lecavalier and with his “no-trade” clause in place, the list of suitors may be dwindling faster than his goal production.

When I ran into Lecavalier recently and asked him about his chances of making the Olympic team as well as the decrease in power play time;  neither question was greeted eagerly. The Olympic one answered first, with a mumbled, “I don’t know.”  In fairness, it was after a recent loss and seems the 6′ 4″ centerman wasn’t exactly in a talktive mood.

A month ago, Steve Yzerman was quoted as saying, “He’s(Lecavalier) certainly not the same player he was two years ago.” Not exactly a ringing endoresement from your countries Executive Director.

In terms of the demotion, Vinny loooked at me, wide-eyed, as if he hadn’t noticed… and if he did, how dare I ask him that!” As we headed toward the team bus, he asked me, a bit stunned at this line of questioning, and leaning in to view my credentials, “who are you with anyway?”  Satisfied I was where I belonged, he welcomed me to continue along.

Cordial as that may have been, I had the distinct feeling I was about to get penalized, two minutes for instigating.  (And we all know that fightning majors always follow.) So politely, I thanked him and headed off in my own direction, left to wonder…

To wonder what will happen with this Lightning organization, this Lightning coach and most certainly, this Lightning Captain?

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