Confirmed with Link: [TB/ARI] G Louis Domingue for G Michael Leighton and R Tye McGinn

TropicalFruitGirl2

A Peachy Hockey Gal!
Feb 23, 2013
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Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
I agree with those saying this is mostly an AHL move.

First off, McGinn, for as well has he has played with Syracuse and what he brings to the table, quite frankly, is easily replaced.
Not like he was an elite power forward who hit as much as he scored. If THAT were the case, he'd be up with the Lightning, not with the Crunch.
I thank McGinn for his play in the minors, but ultimately, he is an easily replaceable part.

Second, the goalies.
Replacing Leighton with Domingue is EASILY in favor of the Bolts organization.
Leighton was in no way, shape or form going to be given any time with the Lightning big club....and if he DID need to be called up, it means Budaj went down with injury (in which case Vasy would probably play every game from now till the end of time) or Vasy himself got injured, in which case the Bolts would be in serious trouble with the tandem of Budaj and Leighton facing regular NHL competition.

Now, I am NOT saying Domingue is gonna be moved to the big club, but if some injury did occur at the NHL level, I would feel better having Vasy or Budaj/Domingue than I would Vasy or Budaj / Leighton.
Say what you want about Dominuge (and I am aware he has not been particularly good with the Yotes), but he has had his moments backstopping an atrocious defensive team with little to no scoring, and he wouldn't be the first Arizona goalie to leave the desert, go elsewhere and find success...... Dubnyk (Arz to Min), Bryzgalov to Philly some time back (well, till he got completely spaced out anyways), and looking further back, Khabibulin to Tampa Bay. Hell, some may want to throw in Mike Smith to Calgary too.

That all said, if Domingue had his moments in the NHL facing big boy competition, he should be fine as an AHL regular starter WITH the possibility that if he does play lights out, the Bolts may seriously give him a look at the NHL level once again...particularly if Budaj struggles at some point.

So, bottom line here is, I think the Crunch made out pretty well here.
This really shouldn't affect the Tampa Bay club in any negative way, but it has a small sliver of a chance for it to be a positive for them depending on the play of one Louis Domingue.
At 25, and for the first time playing for a competitive organization, I'd say he is a significant upgrade over an aging Michael Leighton.
 

Crunchrulz

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Apr 30, 2010
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Gosh, you know, you folks are totally correct. The Crunch will be perfectly fine. Have a nice day.
 

Hinterland

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(and I am aware he has not been particularly good with the Yotes).

I think that's a rumor. He may not have been good this season and not very good as a backup (mostly due to usage) but he has mostly been very good when Smith was sidelined. He proved that he can be a solid starter for weeks or even months. Being stuck behind Smith and a very bad team hurt his confidence. Domingue was always weak on the mental side.

Like I said earlier...this move has sneaky upside. Can't have too many good goalies. Bolts gave up essentially nothing for a young goalie with elite skills who already has experience as an NHL starter. Can't lose this deal.
Let's park Domingue in Syracuse until Christmas and then, depending on things go, I think he could get looks with the Bolts, too. Domingue is a much better goalie than Budaj...it's just a question of bringing it when it actually matters. Let's not forget that Budaj was in a similar situation. Not long ago he seemed down and out. Could go both ways for Domingue but I still have high hopes...
 

TropicalFruitGirl2

A Peachy Hockey Gal!
Feb 23, 2013
6,823
3,828
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
Slightly off topic guys, and I don't want to derail the thread, but where can I watch Crunch games?
I would assume online, as most TV outlets won't have them (I live in Minnesota by the way), and I've googled things like that before, but always seem to end up with a bunch of frustrating sites with a bazillion pop ups.

If anyone can tell me of a reliable, non intrusive sites I can watch Syracuse games (or minor league games in general), please PM me or post on my profile page (to keep that stuff off the thread), and I would greatly appreciate it.

I've been meaning to watch minor league games this year, but always seem to forget about doing so.
Now with this trade, I really WOULD like to see what Domingue can do.

I have followed him a bit in Arizona, and at one point, I even proclaimed he would be the Coyote starter once Mike Smith left.
Well, Mike Smith has left, but he still isn't the starter (Raanta isn't bad, but is also suffering from 'Bad Yotes Team' syndrome), but I would like to see what he can do as a regular even if it is minor leagues.

Thanks.

Go Crunch!
 

Werewolf

Registered User
Oct 29, 2013
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Tampa
Crunch games cannot be streamed for free that I'm aware of. Nobody has them. You have to pay the AHL Live fee in order to get them.
 

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