Columns

Make Holmqvist No. 1 then keep it that way

By JOHN ROMANO, Times Columnist
Published October 4, 2007

TAMPA - Today, there is no debate. No controversy, and no discord.

It is tomorrow that I worry about.

For, when it comes to the job of Lightning goaltender, tenuous is as good a description as any.

The Lightning waited until 48 hours before the season opener to announce Johan Holmqvist as starter, and there was no pledge about the days that would follow.

I hope that is not an indication the position remains under review. I hope that is not a sign the Lightning will return to the game-to-game uncertainty of last season.

Because Tampa Bay needs a strong No. 1 goaltender.

And the players need to know Holmqvist is that guy.

When Nikolai Khabibulin left for free agent riches, Tampa Bay lost more than just an All-Star goaltender. The Lightning also lost its faith in the most important position on the ice.

Some of that was inevitable. The team did not have the resources to acquire a proven commodity in the net, and so there was bound to be skepticism in the players who followed.

John Grahame did not help with his devil-may-care approach. Marc Denis did not help with his .883 save percentage. And Holmqvist did not help with his inconsistency from game to game.

So, yes, the Lightning has had reason to experiment with various solutions in goal. It made sense to dump Grahame, and it made sense to bench Denis. But, at this point, the tinkering needs to end. The Lightning knows what it has in its two goaltenders, and the team needs to make it clear that Holmqvist is the chosen one.

"These are our two guys, we're confident in them, and Holmer will be our starter against New Jersey," John Tortorella said Tuesday when announcing the decision.

And so is Holmqvist a clear No. 1?

"I'm not going to get into a long discussion about that. I'm really not this year. I think it's gone way overboard," Tortorella said. "You're not going to get much from me there. I just don't think I need to talk about it that much."

That's fine. That's actually preferable. Just don't make it an issue by yanking Holmqvist if he goes through a bad stretch.

Tampa Bay's manner of play requires a certain amount of faith in the goaltender. Because the Lightning pushes so much on offense, odd-man rushes are an inevitable part of the game.

When the players lose confidence in the goaltender, they get away from their preferred style. It is up to Holmqvist to prove he is worthy of their faith, but it is also up to the coaches to give him that chance without looking over his shoulder.

"I have to show I'm improving, I have to show I'm ready to play," Holmqvist said. "That's good. That's the way it should be."

The truth is, Tampa Bay was a pretty good team when Holmqvist was in the lineup last season. A better team than at any point since the Stanley Cup run of 2004.

Between victories and overtime games, the Lightning averaged 1.27 points in Holmqvist's 45 decisions last season. That was the 11th best average in the NHL, better than Miikka Kiprusoff, better than Rick Dipietro, better than Khabibulin. It was also better than Denis, Grahame or Sean Burke in the past two seasons.

Forget his goals-against average or his save percentage. Those are details the Lightning cannot afford to worry about today. The bottom line is Tampa Bay was 27-15-3 when Holmqvist was playing, and winning should be all that matters.

Simply put, the Lightning would not have been in the playoffs last season without Holmqvist. If Denis was a disappointment, than Holmqvist was a revelation. He had a five-game winning streak in January, a four-game streak in February and a four-game streak in March. When the Lightning was gaining ground in the Southeast Division, it was when Holmqvist was playing.

Does this mean he is on the verge of stardom? No. Does it mean he will take the Lightning deep into the postseason? No. Does it mean Holmqvist will beat out Karri Ramo next season? No.

All it does is suggest the Lightning has a better chance of success today with Holmqvist in the net.

In a perfect world, Holmqvist would start somewhere between 55-60 games. That would give Denis around 25 games to get re-established, and perhaps make himself a tradeable commodity. It might even help Denis to know that he enters the season as the clear No. 2 and isn't auditioning for Tampa Bay's starting job every time he steps on the ice.

Grahame had his chance to replace Khabibulin two years ago, and he failed.

Denis had his chance last season, and he also failed.

Now, it is Holmqvist's turn.

Give him a chance.

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

[Last modified October 3, 2007, 21:53:25]