HOCKEY'S HERE: TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

It's time to air out your gear, sharpen your skates and tape your stick -- it’s hockey season. Sure, your team flat-out ached last season, but there's hope, unless you're an Islanders fan. In that spirit, Out of Left Field is here with early looks at all 30 NHL teams. Presenting: The Tampa Bay Lightning.

Last season: 92 points, 2nd in Southeast Division; lost to Ottawa in first round of playoffs
Coach: John Tortorella
Young gun: No one really, but Brad Richards and Vinny Lecavalier are still only 26
Store this name away: Justin Keller
Hey, get a load of the new guys: Marc Denis, Filip Kuba
Blogs (including but not limited to): Boltsmag
Pop culture moment: Well, they did bring Manon Rhéaume for a tryout/publicity stunt during their first training camp in 1992; Lecavalier portrayed the young Jean Béliveau in The Rocket

The Lightning are a lot like you; not the mature, sensible you (ya, right) of today, but the college- or university-aged you, who would go out every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, order up shots like Prohibition was coming back into effect the next week ... then turn around and ask The Bank of Mom and Dad for a loan so you could buy groceries. That's a roundabout way of saying the Bolts have committed big-time cash to big scorers Lecavalier, Brad Richards and Martin St-Louis (pictured), but haven't quite covered the other areas of their lineup in his era of salary-cap hockey.

Actually, GM Jay Feaster did well with the cap room he had. The back end is quicker with Kuba and Andy Delmore replacing aging Darryl Sydor and Pavel Kubina. (Weep not for Pavel the Plodder, who despite not having new NHL-friendly speed, was snapped up by the Leafs.) The goaltending was seen a weak link last season, so Feaster traded second-line forward Freddy Modin to Columbus for goalie Marc Denis, who played for Team Canada at the world championship last spring. Really, though, the problem wasn't the goalies: It was their defencemen being so slow that opposing forwards regularly roared in almost untouched on whichever poor schmuck was in net that night.

Have to wonder, though, if Tortorella's unalloyed, tough-love style of coaching is starting to make Tampa players tune him out. He's decidedly unhockeylike when dealing with the media, meaning he actually admits it when individual players mess up. That makes for a great sound bite, but it can grate on the players after a time. In light of how eager the Lightning seemed to go home once they fell behind the Senators in the playoffs, you have to wonder if Tortorella might get canned if the team misses the playoffs this season.

The Lightning could win the Southeast, or they could blow sky-high under Tortorella's sardonic wit and give Team Canada three very good forward candidates for the 2007 world championship.

Also in Southeast Division: Atlanta Thrashers, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Washington Capitals

Back with more later. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca