The Bolt’s are nearly two months away from the first puck being dropped down on Channelside Drive and only about six weeks from the start of training camp (September 13th )and the most interesting story line to follow, and the one that’ll probably haunt them from the start of training camp through out the season, their willingness to have seemingly stood pat on their most glaring weakness. GOALTENDING. They have made some nice little moves in the off season, although it did seem like they were using an employee phone list that was a couple of years old to “remake” the team. But they didn’t fix what was broken. They are no better off in goal today then they were in april, period. Jay Feaster and John Tortorella are blessed with a wealth of offensive talent that’s as good as, if not better than the majority of NHL teams. What they don’t have on their roster is a goalie who can win them a post-season series. Oh, Marc Denis, Johan Holmqvist, and Karri Ramo on any team with as much fire power on offense as the Bolt’s possess will probably get you into the playoffs, as it did last year. But if you’re Feaster and Tort’s, you and your fan’s, aren’t going to be satisfied with just getting to the post-season. You can’t be. It made no sense for the bolt’s not to pursue a trade for a goaltender this off-season. They could have improved markedly by accquiring Thomas Vokoun or Manny Fernandez, two solid veterans who they could have had on the cheap due to their former teams emergence of good young goaltenders. But for now we’ll have to take the wait and see approach. Wait to see when and if Holmqvist or Denis or Ramo emerge and define themselves as the number one goalie. Until that happens, and there’s no guarantee that we won’t see the game by game flip-flopping in goal again this year, the Bolt’s have to be concerned. If someone doesn’t emerge as the number one net minder the season could resemble the more recent ones than that magical season of 2003-2004.
-Justin Lewis
PRESEASON HOME GAME SCHEDULE
-WED 9/19 vs. Dallas Stars
-SAT 9/22 vs. Washington Capitals
-MON 9/24 vs. Detroit Redwings
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