Quick take on the Rangers-Lightning game in the Czech Republic and the Penguins-Senators tilt in Sweden.

- The Blueshirts-Bolts matchup was kind of dull. That’s not likely to impress fans of either club but I honestly didn’t find it a very entertaining game.

Might’ve been the ice conditions, I’m not sure, but it just seemed to lack energy in long stretches, although the excitement level increased late in the game when the Rangers Brandon Dubinsky scored on a screen shot  to snap a one-all tie and ultimately proved to be the game winner.

The Czech fans seemed to sit on their hands throughout most of this, at least that's how it came across on television. That’s not to say they weren’t supportive but they certainly didn’t have the noise factor of the Swedish fans.

At least the Rangers didn’t scratch Czech winger Petr Prucha as rumored, perhaps over fear of a backlash?

Fellow Czech Michal Rozsival wasn’t much of a standout on the Rangers blueline except an early first period giveaway that resulted in a good scoring chance by the Lightning.

I can’t help but feel the fans would’ve been more into it had Czech stars Jaromir Jagr and Martin Straka returned with the Rangers this season.

  Jagr is now playing for Avangard Omsk of the KHL after failing to reach a deal with the Rangers (and has 17 points in fourteen games thus far) while Straka was not signed as a UFA and is now playing in the Czech Extraliga.

Had Jagr been there I think the crowd would’ve been more involved.

Both teams headed into this game and this season with concerns over their respective defensive games and it was obvious after this match the Bolts have work to do in that regard, especially their discipline.

Still, despite being outshot 41-21 the Lightning did make a game of it, and a positive note was the performance of goalie Mike Smith, who looked sharp and couldn’t be blamed for his team’s loss

- The Pens-Sens game, won 4-3 by Pittsburgh in overtime,  was a more spirited affair as both clubs played with more energy, and the Swedish fans certainly got into it, cheering on the Senators and their team captain, Swedish star Daniel Alfredsson. 

Nice ovation given to Mats Sundin, the all-time leading scorer amongst Swedish NHL players, who dropped the puck in a ceremonial faceoff, prompting the Hockey Night in Canada commentators to wonder if this was the last time we’ll see Sundin on the ice this season.

Two significant points in this one: Martin Gerber’s goaltending could continue to be an area of concern for the Senators, and the Penguins sorely miss injured blueliners Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney.

Gerber allowed in two softies, both off the stick of Penguins forward Tyler Kennedy which opened and closed the game’s scoring, and at times seems rattled.

The absence of Gonchar and Whitney forced the Penguins  to press younger and lesser skilled blueliners into action  and their inexperience showed.

Still, one game does not an 82-game regular season make, so there’s plenty of time for all four teams to address their weaknesses.

The Tampa Bay Lightning continue to be one of the busiest teams in the league in recent days.

After focusing on signing forwards the Bolts turned their attention to the goaltending depth by signing former Washington Capitals netminder Olaf Kolzig to an affordable one-year, $1.5 million contract.

The former Vezina winner will share the goaltending duties with Mike Smith, whom the Lightning acquired from the Dallas Stars at the trade deadline in the Brad Richards deal, providing veteran leadership and experience as well as tutoring Smith, whom management still sees as their starter goalie of the future.

Kolzig struggled at times last season with the Capitals but with less of a load on his shoulders this season could find a lighter workload more beneficial to his game.

**UPDATE** The rumor is circulating in the media that the Lightning are shopping Smith (!).Looks like the Lightning's wild ride under their new ownership is far from over.

Perhaps the biggest swap of the 2008 trade deadline took place between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars.

The Lightning shipped forward Brad Richards and goaltender Johan Holmqvist to the Dallas Stars in exchange for goaltender Mike Smith and forwards Jussi Jokinen and Jeff Halpern.

This move was made by the Lightning due to a change in ownership, a need to free up cap space as well as both improve between the pipes and add depth elsewhere in the lineup.

For the Stars, they wanted to make a splash heading into the deadline and by acquiring Richards they’ve certainly done that.

Richards won the Conn Smythe trophy in 2004 helping the Lightning win the Stanley Cup, and it was because of his playmaking efforts and smart play that garnered him a whopping $7.8 million per season contract.

Unfortunately his large contract combined with those of Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis tied up too much of the Lightning’s money in three players, giving them little room to bring in much-needed depth.

As a result Richards play suffered this season as he lacked quality linemates to receive his slick passes.

That’ll change on a much deeper team in Dallas, which were looking not only for more scoring but also have an eye on eventually replacing long time Stars center Mike Modano when he retires in a couple of years.  Richards certainly has the talent to step in and replace him down the road.

Holmqvist also gives the Stars a seasoned backup for Marty Turco.

In Smith, the Lightning are gambling that this time they’ve landed that promising starting goaltender they’ve lacked since Nikolai Khabibulin left town three years ago. He played well over the last two years in Dallas, and earlier this season split the duties fairly evenly with Turco when the latter got off to a slow start.

 He’s also a very affordable acquisition salary-wise so if he doesn’t work out his salary can be easily moved to the minors.

Jokinen is a slick playmaker and shootout specialist and should be a good addition to the Lightning, and could end up seeing playing time on the Lecavalier line. Halpern meanwhile is an experience veteran forward who should be a good fit on the Lightning’s checking lines.  Halpern is signed through to next season, Jokinen is an RFA this summer and should be an affordable re-signing for the Lightning.

Bolts management probably didn’t want to make this trade, but they get back some affordable assets that could provide the depth they’ve lacked this season.