Canadian Press
12/15/2006 3:48:19 PM
Jay Feaster is frustrated by his team's 13th-place standing in the NHL's Eastern Conference and the Tampa Bay Lightning GM is intent on doing something about it.
He says he's not paying lip service when he says he's looking at making a trade or two to put a jolt in his 14-16-2 club.
"We're serious about it," Feaster told The Canadian Press on Friday. "Let's face it, I can't have a $44-million payroll and be a sub-.500 team.
"The math doesn't work. Having said that, I'm not displeased with the play of (Vincent) Lecavalier, (Martin) St. Louis and (Brad) Richards. They've been very good."
In other words, aside from The Big Three, he's open for business. The holiday roster freeze goes into effect next Tuesday at midnight so he may or may not have time to do something before then.
The Lightning dropped a 4-2 decision at Montreal on Thursday night despite outshooting the Habs 43-20. Tampa has only one win in its last eight games (1-6-1), strangely enough an 8-0 waxing of Southeast Division-leading Atlanta.
The Lightning coughed up a 3-1 lead in Toronto before losing 5-4 to the Maple Leafs last Tuesday.
"You know what, it is frustrating," said Feaster. "We've had an awful lot of games where we've played really well as a team and we don't get big saves or we get outgoaltended.
"Last night, we outchanced that team (Montreal) 23-9 I think, and we don't get a win. Then at other times we have the situation where we melt down for two or three minutes at a time and all of a sudden we take ourselves right out of a game.
"The other night in Toronto, we should be able to finish that out. Instead, we went into the third period tied and they beat us. We're a frustrated bunch right now."
FULL STORY
12/15/2006 3:48:19 PM
Jay Feaster is frustrated by his team's 13th-place standing in the NHL's Eastern Conference and the Tampa Bay Lightning GM is intent on doing something about it.
He says he's not paying lip service when he says he's looking at making a trade or two to put a jolt in his 14-16-2 club.
"We're serious about it," Feaster told The Canadian Press on Friday. "Let's face it, I can't have a $44-million payroll and be a sub-.500 team.
"The math doesn't work. Having said that, I'm not displeased with the play of (Vincent) Lecavalier, (Martin) St. Louis and (Brad) Richards. They've been very good."
In other words, aside from The Big Three, he's open for business. The holiday roster freeze goes into effect next Tuesday at midnight so he may or may not have time to do something before then.
The Lightning dropped a 4-2 decision at Montreal on Thursday night despite outshooting the Habs 43-20. Tampa has only one win in its last eight games (1-6-1), strangely enough an 8-0 waxing of Southeast Division-leading Atlanta.
The Lightning coughed up a 3-1 lead in Toronto before losing 5-4 to the Maple Leafs last Tuesday.
"You know what, it is frustrating," said Feaster. "We've had an awful lot of games where we've played really well as a team and we don't get big saves or we get outgoaltended.
"Last night, we outchanced that team (Montreal) 23-9 I think, and we don't get a win. Then at other times we have the situation where we melt down for two or three minutes at a time and all of a sudden we take ourselves right out of a game.
"The other night in Toronto, we should be able to finish that out. Instead, we went into the third period tied and they beat us. We're a frustrated bunch right now."
FULL STORY
