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For the moment, let's glorify Holmqvist

It is important not to get carried away. Remember, this could be a fluke, a coincidence or a tease.

By JOHN ROMANO
Published February 14, 2007

TAMPA - It is important not to get carried away. To assume too much or to plan too far into the future. Remember, this could be a fluke, a coincidence or a tease.

On the other hand, doesn't Johan Holm-qvist look nice covered in glory?

The Lightning goaltender of last resort is now Tampa Bay's first choice for success. He won another game Tuesday night against Phoenix, even if he wasn't particularly brilliant. Then again, that has been part of his appeal.

If you are unable to point to a single area of his game that is extraordinary, you can always blind skeptics with the glare from his winning percentage.

In the simplest of terms, Holmqvist is racking up victories like no Lightning goaltender before him. The 5-3 win against the Coyotes pushed his season record to 21-11. That's a .656 winning percentage which, if he keeps it up, would be the highest in Tampa Bay history for a No. 1 goaltender.

And, make no mistake, Holm-qvist is No. 1.

They are no longer pretending that he is keeping the job warm for Marc Denis. Or that he and Denis will share an equal burden down the stretch.

Holmqvist has been the single biggest difference in Tampa Bay's sudden revival as a playoff contender. Since he assumed the bulk of playing time on Jan. 4, the Lightning has gone from a team that was below .500 to a team that is creeping up on Atlanta near the top of the Southeast Division.

So maybe he does not remind anyone of Martin Brodeur or Dominik Hasek. And he hasn't yet made you forget Nikolai Khabibulin was once here.

Holmqvist's 2.64 goals-against average is roughly in the middle of the league, and it has taken a hot streak to get to that point.

Mainly, what Holmqvist has done is allowed the Lightning to play with a more reckless approach. This is a team that thrives on aggressiveness, and that's not easy to do when there is a lack of faith in the net.

"That's our whole team commitment, and it stems from the goaltender," defenseman Cory Sarich said. "He's done a great job when we've had breakdowns, the odd times that we allow a 3-on-2. You know you can give (up) a shot and it's probably not going to go in."

All of this from a guy who, as of a few months ago, had never won a game in the NHL. And, to be honest, had not quite dazzled his new bosses.

For a season and a half, the Lightning tried every option imaginable in the net. Yet it took Holmqvist, 28, to recapture the Lightning in a bottle.

"This is not what we were thinking," goaltending coach Jeff Reese said. "We were thinking he was a guy who could give us 20 or 30 games as a backup.

"Skill-wise, we knew what he could do. We liked the way he moved, we liked the way he competed. He was a pretty polished goaltender. But mentally, you never know what you're going to get until a guy is here."

That is why the past week has been so important. Holmqvist had a shot at starting earlier in the season but stumbled after some initial success.

So who could blame coaches for wondering if he would again falter after being pulled during a 5-0 embarrassment against the Rangers Friday night? Yet, barely 48 hours later, he beat Brodeur and the Devils 4-1.

It was an indication he could live and learn. Or live and forget.

"That's very important for goalies to have amnesia and get ready to go the next game," coach John Tortorella said. "That was another step in his growth process."

It has been, you might say, a slow growth. Holmqvist was drafted nearly 10 years ago and still had only four NHL games on his resume before this season. Even after winning a minor-league championship and being named MVP in 2003, he hardly caused a stir in front offices.

So when Reese and scouts Jake Goertzen and Corey Schwab went to Latvia for the World Championships last year, Holm-qvist was just one of three possibilities they had in mind.

After he went 5-2 with a 2.00 goals-against average during Sweden's run to the gold medal, the Lightning grabbed him for a one-year deal at $600,000.

With a payroll around $42-million, it could be the best money the Lightning will spend.

Naturally, there are questions about Holmqvist's staying power. Whether, as the playoffs draw near, he can remain consistent.

He gave up the lead twice against the Coyotes, and the Lightning needed to be bailed out by Vinny Lecavalier, Marty St. Louis and Brad Richards. But, in essence, that is Tampa Bay's recipe for success.

At this point, the Lightning does not need a goaltender to carry the team.

Just to provide hope.

John Romano can be reached at (727) 893-8811.

[Last modified February 14, 2007, 01:08:45]