In what may be a glimpse into the crystal ball, the Tampa Bay Lightning Young Guns took to the St. Pete Times Forum ice on Wednesday night. After a scrimmage between these two teams which resulted in eleven goals the day before, fans in attendance that were expecting a high scoring affair had to show a bit of patience throughout the first period, as goalie Dustin Tokarski put on quite a show. Over the course of the game, he made multiple point-blank saves and more than one stop on a breakaway. For Tokarski, who stopped all 20 shots that were sent his way, it was a statement for Lightning management not to forget about him after re-stocking the goaltender position with the addition of Dan Ellis.
Among other standout players, Brandon Hynes was credited with a hat trick (I use that term loosely; in games and events like this, it is far tougher to properly credit the goal scorers than in the regular season, and one goal was changed well after the final whistle). Dana Tyrell checked in with a goal and an assist, and may have had the best camp of anyone there. He also had five shots on goal; Ty Wishart scored a goal as well. One thing that has become evident during this camp is that, after many lean years down on the farm, the team now has some pieces down there that will be ready to contribute sooner rather then later.
This article appears in Jul 15-21, 2010.