BluesNut: Thoughts from the Blues and Bolts in Orlando
In the latest BluesNut Program post, blue bleeder Jeff Spoeri, talks about his night watching the Blues down in Orlando.
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As a fan of the Blue Note since 1992, when I was a law student at Wash.U., I was pretty excited to hear that the Tampa Bay Lightning‘s opponents for their preseason game in Orlando – the first hockey game at the year-old Amway Center – would be my beloved Blues. Not having to make the 80-mile drive to Tampa to see the Blues was a treat – as was the $19 lower bowl ticket, thanks to Groupon – but the biggest treat was seeing a 4-3 victory before an arena full of vocal Lightning fans (not to mention representatives of about half of the rest of the NHL … pssst, all you Red Wings fans, here’s a tip: your guys were playing in Pittsburgh tonight). I proudly wore my #39 CHASE sweater and bled Blue all night.
What impressed me the most about the Blues’ effort in winning their second game against Tampa Bay in as many nights was the never-say-die attitude, despite the fact that for much of the game, it was essentially the Peoria Rivermen facing off against Lecavalier, Stamkos, and St. Louis (Martin, not the city). After scoring the only goal of the first period, the Blues answered each of the three Lightning goals by promptly scoring one of their own – within two minutes, two minutes, and three minutes, respectively. With few Blues stars on the ice – the most recognizable players present were guys like Jackman, Stewart, Petro, Crombeen, Bergy, and Sobotka – these gritty Blues stuck it to a 2011 conference finalist. Not a bad night’s work in the happiest place on Earth.
Ben Bishop went the distance in goal, making some solid saves in traffic and impressing the Lightning fans sitting around me (“how tall is that guy anyway?!”). Bishop earned the game’s Third Star, with the Blues’ Chris Stewart earning the No. 1 Star with a goal and two assists. For my money, though, the game’s top performer was Ian Cole, who not only scored a goal of his own but saved one early in the third period by diving headlong into the crease behind a sprawling Bishop to keep the puck out of the net. He personified the determination that, after a somewhat inconsistent opening period, defined the rest of the game for St. Louis. It was disappointing to see former Blues captain and immovable object Eric Brewer score against his old mates again (I seem to remember him doing so in last February’s game in Tampa, but maybe I’m imagining things), while 900-year-old Dwayne Roloson was in goal for Tampa Bay for the first 30 minutes, still proving that there is life after the Islanders.
Orlando acquitted itself pretty well as a host, although the ice was in miserable shape: I counted at least ten stoppages in play where Lightning staff hastily shoveled and scraped the rough patches. Perhaps Amway Center staff lacks experience in putting down a rink (although Disney on Ice was there recently). The Lightning did a classy job with a pre-game tribute to the Lokomotiv team that perished in the recent plane crash in Russia (a photo of Pavol Demitra was included) and with a military tribute, but there was entirely too much noise during stoppages, often because the scoreboard was exhorting fans to “GET LOUD.” I can only conclude that Florida hockey fans can’t be trusted to GET LOUD on their own. The Lightning do have a cool promotional idea, though: if you buy a full season ticket, you get a jersey with a microchip in the sleeve that allows the wearer to get a discount on team gear and concessions. Pretty sweet. (I also have to mention a great T-shirt I saw on a Bruins fan, hearkening back to last year’s Cup Finals: “Sedin Sisters: Two Girls, No Cup.” Genius.)
Anyway, for the Blues, there’s still much to work on: at least three times, forwards missed chip shots into an empty net, and penalties continue to plague the team. I trust Davis Payne and his staff will work on penalty killing, too, as all three Lightning goals were scored with a man advantage. And, oh, Stefan Della Rovere – you stood still and let the winger cruise by you for the pass that resulted in Tampa Bay’s second goal. But of course this is preseason: time to work out the kinks and get ready for the long slog ahead. Yes, there’s work to be done, but from what I saw tonight in O-town, Blues fans have plenty of reason for optimism this season.
Let’s go, Blues!
