Boyle to play more minutes. Youngsters paired on blue line

Defenseman Dan Boyle, who was mostly regulated to power play and 4-on-4 minutes in his return from a freak wrist injury Monday, will not be limited tonight as the Lightning face the Devils.

After playing most of the season rotating the defensemen around, Lightning coach John Tortorella said he will use some fixed blue-line pair ups. Paul Ranger will play with Filip Kuba. Boyle will play with Brad Lukowich on another line.

Tortorella feels comfortable pairing two youngsters together: Shane O' Brien (24) with Mike Lundin (22) on the blue line. The emergence of Lundin, who has gone from playing at the team's rookie camp in Traverse City to 20 minutes of ice time, combined with the disappointing play of the veteran Lukowich has been one of the surprising stories in the first month of the season.

Boyle on ice, might be limited

Lightning defenseman Dan Boyle is in uniform and participating in pregame warmups, confirming that he will be in the lineup tonight against the Rangers.

Keep an eye on how many minutes Boyle receives tonight. Defenseman Doug Janik is also on the ice participating in pregame warmups. It's possible that Boyle is worked into the lineup slowly, possibly exclusively on the power play.

That way, his time battling for the puck and other physical parts of the game will be limited. Keep in mind that he hasn't spent a lot of time practicing the physical parts of the game because the Lightning's schedule, which included six games in nine days, hasn't allowed much practice time. And keep in mind that as Boyle's worked to regain strength in his wrist, shooting hasn't been a problem, but moves that need just one hand on the stick, like poke checking are more bothersome.

Boyle to debut tonight. Tough decision to be made

NEW YORK -- Defenseman Dan Boyle, who missed the season's first nine games after three tendons in his left wrist were sliced by a falling skate in the preseason, will return to the lineup for tonight's game against the Rangers.

Lightning coach John Tortorella said that Doug Janik would be playing tonight as the team's sixth defenseman, but Janik practiced late after today's morning skate with the injured players and healthy scratches, which also included just recalled defenseman Matt Smaby.

Meanwhile, Boyle returned to the dressing room with all the skaters who are playing tonight, a clear sign that -- barring unforeseen circumstances -- he will play tonight.

That leaves the team with eight defensemen after the Lightning recalled Smaby from Norfolk this morning.

Tortorella said Smaby would not play today because he played four straight games for Norfolk and boarded a train last night from Philadelphia, where Norfolk was playing, to join the team. The Lightning saw the Admirals schedule as an opportunity to give Smaby, who has averaged 5:59 of ice time, more opportunity to play.

So the Lightning will have to make a roster move because the team obviously wont carry eight defensemen, but Smaby rejoining the team could be a sign that Janik would go down. He would, however, have to clear waivers first before being reassigned.

Tortorella said a decision hasn't been made.

"I don't know what's going to happen there," Tortorella said.

Boyle is back

NEW YORK - It appears that defenseman Dan Boyle, who missed the season's first nine games after three tendons in his left wrist were sliced by a falling skate, will return to the lineup for tonight's game against the Rangers. Lightning coach John Tortorella said that Doug Janik would be playing tonight as the team's sixth defenseman, but Janik practiced late with the injured players and healthy scratches while Boyle returned to the dressing room with all the skaters who are playing tonight. That leaves the team with eight defensemen after the Lightning recalled Matt Smaby from Norfolk this morning. --Eduardo Encina

On the road again

The Lightning have arrived in New York, where they hope to win their first road game tomorrow night against the Rangers.

So how important is this three-game, four-day sweep into Gotham, New Jersey and Long Island? Ask Brad Richards.

"The desperation level will definitely come up," he said. "We need a win on the road. It's going to be a tough week. We're a couple games above .500 and we've worked hard at home and we have to back that up by playing well on the road and getting the job done and we'll put ourselves in position at the end of the week."

So what do you think? Why have the Lightning struggled on the road? Is it more than inconsistency? And will their first extended road trip be just the cure to snap the Lightning out of its away-from-the Forum funk?

“The desperation level will definitely come up,” Richards said. “We need a win on the road. It’s going to be a tough week. We’re a couple games above .500 and we’ve worked hard at home and we have to back that up by playing well on the road and getting the job done and we’ll put ourselves in a nice position at the end of the week.”

Smaby re-assigned to Norfolk ... for now

The Lightning made an interesting roster move Friday morning, assigning rookie defenseman Matt Smaby to the team's AHL affiliate in Norfolk.

Smaby's time with the Admirals might be short lived and might be just a move to give Smaby more minutes. He will report to Norfolk tonight to play in the first of three games on consecutive nights. Smaby and Doug Janik have been rotating as the Lightning's final defenseman, and it's Janik's turn to play on Saturday against Buffalo.

So Smaby could conceivably play in three games with Norfolk and re-join the Lightning for their game Monday against the Rangers, the first in a three-game New York area road swing against the Rangers, Devils and Islanders.

The move is also not believed to be related to the return of Dan Boyle, who has been practicing from his freak left wrist injury and is expected to return soon.

Smaby has averaged 5:59 in ice time in four games this season.

Denis in goal and other pregame notes

WASHINGTON -- Lightning coach John Tortorella knows his team is opening a six-game, nine-day stint that will be the team's most intensive this season, but the coach said he hasn't thought about how he is going to divide his goalies' playing time over the course of that stretch.

What he has decided is that Marc Denis will start tonight's game against the Capitals at the Verizon Center. With the team's first back-to-back games tonight and tomorrow (home against the Flyers), we was going to split Denis and starter Johan Holmqvist, who struggled against the Caps last season (3-2, 3.78) but is 4-1 this season overall. So Tortorella decided to play Denis tonight and start Holmqvist tomorrow against Philly.

Also of note, D Doug Janik will play tonight, meaning rookie Matt Smaby will likely be a healthy scratch.

Expect Tortorella to keep lines the same, with Michel Ouellet on Chris Gratton's third line and Jason Ward on the second line alongside Brad Richards. He likes the look of both on those lines, specifically the way Ouellet has played with less pressure to produce alongside Richards, his former juniors teammate.

Capitals wing Alexander Semin, sidelined with a sprained ankle, will likely play tonight. Semin has played well against the Lightning. He has 10 goals and 16 points in 13 career games against Tampa Bay.

Six in nine

Tomorrow's paper will have a story about the Lightning's upcoming stretch of six games in nine days, which is a welcome change from the season's first three weeks, in which Tampa Bay has played in just six games heading into tomorrow's game in Washington.

The team is definitely looking forward to it. They understand why coach John Tortorella has upped the amount of video study, to keep his players thinking critically about game situations, but you can tell they're itching to "really" get this season started.

"We're going to play a lot of games here in a short period of time and if we can get things going here in the right direction, it's always better to play as many games as you can when things are going good," Lightning center Chris Gratton said.

This stretch will include two sets of back-to-back games, starting with tomorrow's game at Washington and then a home game against the Flyers Thursday. We'll be able to tell a lot about this Lightning team from this stretch. What does the readership think? Is this stretch the Lightning's first true test?

Ramsay looks back with without anger

Craig Ramsay said he looks back on his time with the Lightning as a "great'' time. Ramsay is an assistant with the Bruins after being fired last summer after six seasons with the Lightning in which his stick-first defensive philosophy became the subject of a good-bad debate.

"I loved it in Tampa,'' Ramsay said. "It was a wonderful opportunity to go down there and a great group of players to work with. It was fun.I loved my time there and really enjoyed meeting and working with all those people.''

Ramsay has the same duties with the Bruins as he did with the Lightning, mainly working with the defense. He said the dynamic is different working with two other assistants. With the Lightning it was just he and coach John Tortorella. He bemoaned the Boston traffic and said he has played golf just once since he has been here.

"As tough as it is to leave, you look back and the places I've been, I've met so many good people, and now I have a chance to do it again,'' Ramsay said. "It's going to be a good opportunity for me.''

      

Better for the experience

That is what coach John Tortorella said this morning about his defense which has been toiling without Danny Boyle, who is still recovering from surgery to repair the three severed tendons in his left wrist caused by the falling skate.

The way Torts explained it, he has asked a lot from his defenseman to try and eat up the 27 minutes of ice time Boyle averaged last season. Entering Thursday night's game with the Bruins, Paul Ranger was sixth among league defenseman averaging 26:26. Filip Kuba was seventh averaging 26:23. Both are more than six minutes higher than last season. Shane O'Brien was averaging 23:18 and Brad Lukowich 19:42.

Tortorella said the minutes "are a concern.'' But with the schedule so spread out right now (Tampa Bay plays again Saturday and then not until Wednesday), the concern is somewhat mitigated. Overall, though, he said he believed the players will be better for the experience and their minutes go down once Boyle comes back.

Boyle sees the doctor Monday which will be about four weeks since he was hurt. The original estimate was Boyle would miss four to six weeks.

"Some of the guys aren't used to those minutes, and when Danny comes back they will lose some of those minutes,'' Tortorella said. "But the experience they're getting right now, seeing all this action is going to help them as we go through the year. As Danny comes back it puts them in a better way because they've seen a lot more situations.''

Quick roster notes: Doug Janik will play tonight as the sixth defenseman. Matt Smaby will sit. Johan Holmqvist starts in net.

Boyle rocks on

You like hockey and rock 'n' roll, right? Then listen every Sunday starting this Sunday at 9 p.m. to 98Rock. That's where the Lightning's resident music chef, defenseman Dan Boyle, will spin for an hour. The show is called Dan Boyle's Blueline, and the entire playlist will be programmed by Boyle, who is credited with playing the majority of music in the Lightning locker room and introducing numerous bands during Tampa Bay area shows.

   

Mike Sullivan back to Boston

Will have a good story tomorrow on associate coach Mike Sullivan, who grew up in Marshfield, Mass., a suburb south of Boston and coached the Bruins from 2003-06. Sullivan comes from a remarkable family of five children. There is much in the story but there is plenty that only made the cutting room floor. Here is some of what won't be in the paper tomorrow:

Sullivan was so competitive while growing up, he insisted on playing with his older brother George and his buddies. The age difference was 8 years, but Sullivan was so athletic, he fit in ... kind of. The way George tells it, one day Sullivan was among a group playing backyard football. "He tried to run through two of us and we broke his collar bone. Guess who had to go home and tell our mother Mike was hurt.''

Sullivan had a friend, Jimmy Meagher, who lost his mother to cancer when he was 12. By the time he was a senior in high school, Meagher was living with cousins with whom he quarreled regularly. Sullivan invited him to live with him and his family and would spend hours talking about hockey tactics, what teams he liked to watch and what coaches he believes had the wrong philosophy. "That's where he started developing his passion for hockey,'' Meagher said.

Jack Parker, the legendary coach at Boston University, couldn't say enough about the year Sullivan, his senior captain in 1990, on a severely swollen ankle, starred in a playoff series against Michigan State. "He had such a competitive nature. He wanted to be the best he could be and beat the other club, too,'' Parker said.

After playing four years at Boston University, Sullivan played 11 years in the NHL, coached the Bruins' AHL affiliate in Providence and then the Bruins. He was an assistant with the United States national team at the Turin Olympics and coached the 2007 team at the World Championships in Russia.

Sullivan, 39, is a fascinating guy whose parents taught him well and used those lessons as he grew up. In another life, he might have been a teacher.

One funny moment: After last Saturday's morning skate in Florida, Sullivan stayed on the ice for an extra 45 minutes while Dan Boyle and Andreas Karlsson, both hurt, went through conditioning drills. One drill was laps from sideboard to sideboard. Each player did one, then two, then three, up to five, and then skated laps back down to one.

The thing was, Sullivan did the drill too. He said it was a great opportunity to let the players know he understands what they went through. Coach John Tortorella has not done anything similar which wasn't lost on Boyle.

"He skates with us. I like that,'' Boyle said of Sullivan. "He knows what we're going through. I want to see Torts out here.''

One quick practice note: Karlsson, out since Oct. 1 with an abdominal strain, has been cleared to play. No word on when he will get in a game.

   

Lecavalier helps cancer kids

Lightning star Vinny Lecavalier announced on Tuesday a $3-million commitment to the construction of the new All Children's Hospital in downtown St. Petersburg, specifically for a state of the art facility that will be named the Vincent Lecavalier Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center.

More than half the money will be gifted through the Vincent Lecavalier Foundation by Lecavalier and foundation legacy partners such as Kane's Furniture and DEX Imaging. The remaining dollars will be raised through community and foundation efforts such as Lecavalier's Texas Hold 'Em Poker Tournament, Nov. 12 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Last year's event raised $140,000.

The Lecavalier cancer Center will occupy half the seventh floor of the new All Children's Hospital and include 28 individual patient rooms with accommodations for parents to stay overnight.

"I love kids and I love the Tampa Bay area,'' Lecavalier said. "This is my home. I'm fortunate to be in a situation where I can give back.''

Lecavalier, 27, was drafted No. 1 overall by the Lightning in 1998. Last season, he won the Rocket Richard Trophy with a league-high 52 goals.

Lecavalier to make 'multimillion-dollar' announcement

TAMPA -- Tampa Bay Lightning center Vincent Lecavalier is holding a news conference today at 2:30 to make "an important announcement with multimillion dollar implications for the Tampa Bay area," according to a statement from the team.

The news release notes that someone from the Vincent Lecavalier Foundation is involved in the event, signalling the "important announcement" has a charitable aim.

Richards, O'Brien tussle in practice

It was a long, physical practice Monday at the St. Pete Times Forum with several drills that concentrated on players battling for the puck. No surprise players got in each other's faces Still it was a bit surprising to see the usually mild-mannered Brad Richards getting into it with defenseman Shane O'Brien. Both players got sticks up, pushed and shoved. Teammates separated them but they went back at it and were separated again. No punches were thrown.

They were seen talking at the bench after practice. O'Brien said he did not want tot talk about it. Asked if everything was cool, Richards said, "It better be. We have a lot more days together.''

The best part was watching coach John Tortorella. While all this was going on pretty much right next to him, the coach never stopped what he was doing and continued to run the practice as if nothing was happening. "It's part of practice,'' he said.

A moment that made a difference

Much of the talk after Saturday night's 6-4 loss to the Panthers centered around the lack of discipline the Lightning showed at key moments, taking bad penalties that turned into goals at the worst time. The topic deserved the attention. Still, you have to wonder what would have happened had Vinny Lecavalier converted a breakaway with 1:39 left in the first period.

Had he scored (and it was his third consecutive breakaway this season on which he did not), the Panthers' lead would have been cut to 2-1. "A different game,'' Lecavalier said.

Instead, Tomas Vokoun makes a save and 36 seconds later Stephen Weiss scores to finish a play that began, really, when Lightning defenseman Brad Lukowich had a flat tire and fell down. It was 3-0 then, and while the Lightning made it really interesting in the third period, imagine the lift the team would have gotten from a goal going into the locker room.

Isn't that always the way, though. One thing doesn't go right and that leads to another.

The good news here is that it is clear when Tampa Bay is at the top of its game, it can dominate a game. The key for this team is consistent intensity. Why that should be hard to come by is anybody's guess. The team even talked in the locker room before the game about getting off to a fast start. Yet, the players came out flat.

Coach John Tortorella has talked about how individual players must fight harder to win battles. Perhaps the message should be a little more discipline when it comes to mind-set.

Tampa Bay better get its collective mind right going into Boston on Thursday. The Bruins are not as good as the Lightning, haven't been for a few years. Yet Tampa Bay always has had problems there and is 2-16-3 with six ties. We'll see if it learns anything from Saturday night.

 

Quick update

The Lightning will put the same lineup on the ice that beat Florida on Wednesday except for the addition of Matt Smaby as the No. 6 defenseman. Doug Janik will sit out. Everything else is status quo.

Concerns for tonight:

The game's quickness. Much may depend on the ice, which is never good at the BankAtlantic Center, but coach John Tortorella believes the Panthers, who showed they were quicker than the Lightning on Wednesday, may come out with an even bigger head of steam.

Players getting to the aright areas. This is more an observation than from anything that was said. But doesn't it seem as if Michel Ouellet hasn't quite grasped the intensity thing. Torts has discussed that Ouellet needs to do better in puck battles, and he has. But it just doesn't seem as if he has gotten into the areas in which his center, Brad Richards, can get him the puck. Not sure if that's not enough thinking, too much thinking, not enough reacting or, as was said, just plain intensity. Either way, something needs to click.

And just for fun, here is a quote from Tortorella on how some of the Lightning players, specifically the defenders playing more minutes because of the injury to Dan Boyle, have been dealing with the physical demands:

"They're going to make mistakes with the extra ice time. But eventually, as we get Danny back, I think it's going to help make them better players. I think some of our players got tired at certain times and they gave in to being tired. I don't think you can be tired. Even if you are tired, you can't be tired. You have to make a play.''

The unfortunate tale of Andreas Karlsson

Stop me if you've heard this one before: talented player gets in coach John Tortorella's dog house, fights his way back and then ... gets in it again. Lightning left wing Andreas Karlsson is living that nightmare right now. Out since Oct. 1 with a strained abdominal muscle, the coach clearly has lost patience. Tortorella did not say that directly, but comments about Karlsson still being "in the tub'' and his praise for Mathieu Darche, who has been good, certainly, but not great, are telling.

Some background: Karlsson, one of Sweden's top scorers when he was signed before the 2006-07 season, missed five games with a groin strain at the beginning of last season and spent the rest of the year convincing Tortorella he wasn't soft. It finally paid off during the playoffs when Karlsson shined playing on Brad Richards' line. Karlsson then upped the grit factor in this season's training camp and won praise from the coach and a spot on Chris Gratton's third line. But three days before the season opener, Karlsson was hurt in camp. He came back for one practice but was back "in the tub'' again.

Assume if he stays with the team and is not shipped to the minors, Karlsson is going to have another uphill battle to regain Tortorella's favor, especially if Darche keeps improving and playing with the energy he has shown. It's too bad, too. Killer, as the mild-mannered Karlsson is called (in one of the greatest 180-degree nicknames of all time), is perhaps the nicest guy on the team. Polite, respectful, he takes time to think before he speaks which is why you haven't heard a word out of him about his injury; remember Tortorella's ban on players discussing injuries with reporters.

Karlsson be a positive force on this team ... if he ever gets back on the ice.

Ramo injured

Karri Ramo, the Lightning's goaltender of the future, was hurt in practice on Wednesday and will be out three to four weeks with a high ankle sprain, said Claude Loiselle, the general manager of AHL Norfolk.

"Sprains are tough,'' Loiselle said. "We have to be careful. Guys come back too quickly, and that's when they get in trouble. So we're doing the right thing. He's off his feet.''

Loiselle, also the Lightning's assistant GM, said Ramo rolled his ankle while falling backward and grabbing for a puck after making a save.

Norfolk spokesman Keith Phillips said traveled with the team for Friday's game in Bridgeport. The Admirals called up goaltender Morgan Cey from ECHL Mississippi.

Ramo stopped 26 of 30 shots in Norfolk's first game, a 4-3 loss to Philadelphia.

Behind the 3-0 start

You have to like the way the Lightning beat the Panthers on Wednesday. Okay, perhaps that's a bit strong as the team was outplayed by what really is a quicker team. Still, the factors that led to victory were so out of the ordinary for this team, it gives you another reason to believe they might actually have something here.

Consider Johan Holmqvist stole two points with his 30 saves and improved to a .945 save percentage and a 1.33 goals-against average. The Lightning was 0-30-1 in games last season in which it scored fewer than three goals. It hadn't won a game like that since April 6, 2006, when Sean Burke neat the Penguins 1-0.

Then there was the defense. It battled like crazy and did a great job clearing the few rebounds Holmqvist allowed. Nine players blocked 13 shots, led by Filip Kuba's four. And with Chris Gratton's two goals, the team got all its production out of its third line. When was the last time any Lightning team could say that; that Vinny's line, which did not play well, was picked up by a third or fourth line? We probably have to go all the way back to Dave Andrecyhuk's days.

Sure, you can lament the bad passing, the lack of energy, being pinned in the defensive zone for big portions of the game, Lecavalier's two missed breakaways . The fact is, good teams win games like this. Good teams win when they don't play at their best. Yes, it's just the 0-3 Panthers, but recall what they did to Tampa Bay last season, winning five of eight, the last three, the last four of five and the last two at the St. Pete Times Forum.

As Panthers coach Jacques Martin said before the game, "They seem to bring out the best in us.''

Gratton, who played last season for the Panthers and was acquired by Tampa Bay with a second-round draft pick, said it was something else.

"They play a real defensive style,'' he said of Florida. "Tampa plays a high-tempo offensive game. It's almost the opposite. They (the Panthers) just clog the neutral zone.''

So the Lightning is 3-0. Last times it was that was 2002-03 and 2003-04. Both years the team won the Southeast. Can it go 4-0? We'll see Saturday in Florida. The Lightning is a good bet. Tampa Bay will almost certainly come out better than it did. The Panthers likely cannot play any better. 

   

Lightning still on track for Prague

Despite a report by the Hockey News that the Senators and Penguins will play next season in Prague, the word from NHL officials is the Lightning is still the league's first choice to play Pittsburgh to open next season and Ottawa is the backup. 

Florida surprise in goal

Well, maybe not totally considering how bad Tomas Vokoun has played. But Panthers coach Jacques Martin announced this afternoon that Craig Anderson will make his first start of the season in goal tonight against the Lightning.

Vokoun has really struggled mightily with a 0-2 record, an .816 save percentage and a 4.54 goals-against average. Martin said Vokoun just isn't playing with confidence and that another practice without the pressure of a game might help.

"Craig has been working hard and that was the plan, to play him one or two games this week, so we'll play him tonight,'' Martin said.

Anderson has faced Tampa Bay once in his career and took an overtime loss in 2005-06 while with the Blackhawks. Vokoun, previously with the Predators, is 1-2-1 against the Lightning with a 2.76 goals-against average.

As for Tampa Bay, there are no changes from Saturday's lineup. Doug Janik will be the sixth defenseman, and Mathieu Darche will start on the third line as Andreas Karlsson is still bothered by an abdominal strain.

For the defense

I will have a story tomorrow about Dan Boyle and what is, for the most part, a lonely rehab. But instead of being negative, thought it would be a good idea here to discuss the silver lining that comes with his injury. Mainly, that his fellow blue liners will be better players after this is over because they have been asked to stretch their games some, play more minutes, learn about the concentration needed to do that, and focus on helping the offensive transition more than they would otherwise.

Examples: Paul Ranger (the goof against the Thrashers notwithstanding) is doing a very good job and averaging 26:32 of ice time, up more than six minutes from last season. Shane O'Brien is averaging 25:05, up more than 10 minutes. Filip Kuba is averaging 24:48, up more than four.

Lightning coaches have stressed they do not want their defenders trying end-to-end rushes like Boyle. If they have some room, they can carry the puck forward but the mandate is for strong first passes out of the defensive zone. Make them , and the offensive transition clicks. The forwards have to help some here, as well, by not blowing too far out of the zone too quickly. But it is the defense that quarterbacks.

"We're definitely learning,'' Ranger said. "It's giving us a little bit of experience, so if this ever happens again, and somebody is out for a long period of time, we'll have the experience and know we can do it.''

For younger players such as rookies Mike Lundin and Matt Smaby, it is like a crash course. Lundin has already solidified himself within the top 5. But Smaby stuck with the team because Boyle was hurt and is getting hands-on experience like he would not have otherwise, learning to cope with the pace of the game, which, right now, is his weakness.

Is this going to turn all the blue-liners into All-Stars? Probably not. But they will be better for the experience. So cry over Boyle's injury and the loss of his 20 goals, 64 points and 27:03 of ice time. But, for now, and with the team 2-0, look on the bright side. Your back liners are shouldering responsibility they might not have had to if Boyle were around. So far, they're holding up under the pressure.

Karlsson still out

It looked like Andreas Karlsson (abdominal strain) was on his way back to the lineup when he took part in Monday's practice. But the left wing missed Tuesday's workout.

"He's in the tub,'' coach John Tortorella said. "Where he goes from there, I don't know.''

Tortorella said it matter-of-factly, but knowing the coach, there was a lot of frustration there. And it goes back to last season, when Karlsson strained a groin in the season's first game, missed five games and spent a considerably longer period of time in Torts' dog house.

Mathieu Darche, who has been playing in Karlsson's place, apparently will have at least one more game to prove he belongs. Haven't seen a heck of a lot there yet. Darche averaged 8:03 of ice time his first two games with one shot on goal. 

Second line questions

Lots of talk today about the second line of Brad Richards and wings Michel Ouellet and Jan Hlavac. First there are the numbers, zero goals, zero points in two games. Remember, Richards' two goals came on special teams. Then there is the perspective. It has been just two games and, considering Ouellet's hamstring strain in preseason, the trio has played together just three games, including the preseason finale at Dallas. Not very much time to develop chemistry.

Still, there is much interest in the group after the organization signed Hlavac and Ouellet as free agents to give Richards the finishers he did not have last season.

Coach John Tortorella, too, kept smart perspective. "We're going to give them time to come together, as long as it's a two-way street in understanding the effort we need.''

It has been an interesting process. Hlavac played the past three seasons in Europe and Ouellet was with the Penguins last season. Both said the transition from always trapping to Tampa Bay's generally puck-pursuit system has been a challenge.

"It's so different,'' Ouellet said. "It's more aggressive. Here, you create turnovers with pressure. I had a lot of questions for the coaches.''

On the good side, Tortorella and Richards said things are definitely moving in the right direction. Tortorella said of the Thrashers game, "They played well off one another.'' He even praised Ouellet for doing a better job in puck battles.

"Dallas to New Jersey to Atlanta, we're a lot better,'' Richards said. "We were involved. We had chances. We were close. We just have to take the next step.''

Still, the questions is, is two games too early to start having concerns?

Hlavac doesn't seem to think so. He said he was "disappointed" and "frustrated" he hasn't scored after getting 20 in 41 games last season in his native Czech Republic. Then again, he joked, "Jagr hasn't scored, too.''

Also, a couple injury updates: Andreas Karlsson practiced for the first time since straining his abdomen on Oct. 1. The team said it will wait to see how he reacts on Tuesday before thinking about putting him the lineup Wednesday against the Panthers. ... Also, Dan Boyle (wrist) continues to skate, though he still can't grip his stick with his left hand.

         

Off to Prague?

The games between the Lightning and, presumably, the Penguins in Prague of the Czech Republic that would open the 2008-09 season apparently are a little closer to reality. The Lightning at the least, appears committed to making them happen. Team president Ron Campbell did not offer specifics Saturday but was upbeat talking about last week's meetings with the NHL. He called the league's offer (though we're not sure you can really turn down the league) "flattering'' to the Lightning and its fans.

Richards, Prospal and being 2-0

The Lightning improved to 2-0 for only the third time in its 15-season history. The only other times were 2002-03 and 2003-04. To me, though, the best indicator was the continued good play of Vinny Prospal and Brad Richards, both of whom score twice. Sure it's only two games but Prospal, with three goals, already has matched his total from Nov. 15 last season. And Richards just has been solid and won 59 percent of his faceoffs (24 of 41).

Getting those two guys going is going to be key for the season. Imagine if Prospal can keep up, to a certain extent, with Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis. Talk about a real MVP line. And if Richards and wingers Michel Ouellet and Jan Hlavac can click, that's two formidable lines

Prospal scored from in front of the net twice, a nice place for him to be. Richards' takeaway orchestrated his own shorthanded breakaway, on which he scored, and he also buried a power-play chance.

Look, who knows what's going to happen in the future. But for now, with the team starting right, why not figure the best is yet to come.

Here is something elsea to consider. All the things that Tampa Bay did wrong against New Jersey were pretty much done right against the Thrashers. The puck battles went Tampa Bay's way. The offensive transition was smoother. They had two power play goals and played a more north-south game, and Johan Holmqvist won again in a game that must have been difficult for him to play as the Lightning had a 34-15 shot advanatage.

Was it Friday's practice and an excruciating 60-minute video session? Perhaps. But it also shows the guys are watching and learning and have an upside.

It's a long, long way to go. But the players and coaches are already talking about the team jelling. We'll see. A good test will come Wednesday when the Panthers come to town. Tampa Bay had some kind of mental block with them last season, going 3-4-1. Tampa Bay is a better team. Let's see them act like it.

   

And on defense ...

Forgot to add to previous post: Mike Lundin plays again on defense. Matt Smaby is out. Doug Janik is in as part of coach John Tortorella's rotation to find the best combinations.

Of Lundin, he said: "He just found himself to be a very patient guy and just seems to be in the right spot with and without the puck.''

Also, as expected, Johan Holmqvist in goal.

Classy Perrin

Eric Perrin made his first appearance at the St. Pete Times Forum during the morning skate for Saturday's game. Said he was doing very well in Atlanta. He and the family are living north of the city. Likes the areas, good schools. Hates the traffic. Said it will be "weird" to face his childhood buddy Marty St. Louis as an opponent for the first time -- ever.

Anyway, most intriguing moment came when he was asked about coach John Tortorella's "good riddance'' comment after Perrin signed a free-agent contract with the Panthers.

"Actually, it never really fazed me,'' Perrin said. "Things were said but you know Torts. He's the way, a fiery guy and emotional. But I know that i had nothing but good times with Torts. he gave me my chance, and to me it was a personal decision. It wasn't personal to them. This was a career decision for me, and I'm just grateful for everything they gave me, and the great memories I share here, and that's the bottom line.''

Perrin seems to have settled in to a third-line and special-team gig. Atlanta coach Bob Hartley said, "He shows up every day to work with the right intentions.''

Perrin reiterated he has no hard feelings about the way his time with Tampa Bay ended. In fact, he ended the conversation with a sweet line.

"Just walking into this building,'' he said, "makes me smile.''   

We like Chris Gratton

Give this guy the award for team guy of the first game. The man with the injured right eye, who came so close to a very serious injury, when a stick blade hit him in the cornea in the preseason's first game, came to the rescue of goalie Johan Holmqvist and fought David Clarkson. Imagine if he had gotten popped in the eye?

"It probably wasn't the smartest thing I've done,'' Gratton said.

But it certainly won him points with coaches and teammates.

The incident happened late in the game. Clarkson pushed Lightning defenseman Filip Kuba into Holmqvist. Gratton came storming in and got into it with Clarkson.

"We all have to chip in in different ways here,'' Gratton said. "You want to make sure everyone is protected.''

"High marks,'' coach John Tortorella said.

Absolutely.   

Lots to like

Take the first game of the season and be happy with what you saw. For a first game, considering the injuries that kept the lineup in flux and only five preseason games, give the Lightning credit.

Were you worried about Lecavalier's line matching last season's output? Don't, and perhaps you have Vinny Prospal on the rise. Were you worried about the two rookies on defense? Well, Mike Lundin proved he belonged. Matt Smaby still has to understand the speed of the game, but there is promise there.

Johan Holmqvist made a statement. But he made them last season as well. We'll have to wait and see about his consistency. Brad Richards' line was kind of quiet but that line spent one game together in the preseason and Michel Ouellet showed instincts to get to the net and Jan Hlavac skated well.

There is no doubt, however, the Lightning misses Dan Boyle. The transition was not as crisp not was it as quick. Part of that, as coach John Tortorella pointed out after the game, was the fault of the forwards, who weren't back close enough to the defense on the transition. That made for longer and riskier passes that many times missed the mark. When the forwards started coming back, the passes were shorter and the team had better puck possession. That was key against a Devils team that gave very little room through the neutral zone and even in the defensive zone.

And that was another thing to like about what Tampa Bay did. They fought through what was very tough going and created chances against a pretty good defensive team and the "game-breakers'' finished the job.

Not a bad night's work ... for the first night, anyway. 

2 rookies on D

They won't be paired together. As coach John Tortorella said in today's paper, he wants to put Mike Lundin and Matt Smaby in situations in which they can have success by putting them with more veteran players. Still, it is notable the team will go with two rookies in its top six for tonight's game against the Devils.

Bypassed is Doug Janik, who had a fast start, literally, to camp as he was among the best -conditioned skaters on the team, but couldn't keep up with the newbies as preseason wore on.

Give him credit, though. Asked about the disappointment of not starting, he said, "Right now I'm disappointed I'm not playing. But if we're winning and things are going well, I'm always a team guy first and can honestly say I'll be happy with that. But as long as I'm here, I'm going to work as hard as I can to be ready if I do get a chance.''

That chance might not be long coming. Tortorella said Wednesday, the blue line could be rotated frequently until the final six pairings are shaken. Then perhaps it starts again when Dan Boyle returns.   

Breaking up the Big 4

As we read in today's paper, economics might finally be catching up to a team that has sunk more than $24-million of a $46-million payroll into four players -- Vinny Lecavalier, Brad Richards, Dan Boyle and Marty St. Louis. Two straight seasons being bounced from the first round of the playoffs while the team, as it claims, is losing anywhere from $5-million to $9-million a season and spending to the cap, makes this a pivotal year for those who like having the four under contract. Plain and simple, if the team makes a deep playoff run, the impetus, presumably, will be there to keep them around, even as Boyle (after this season) and Lecavalier (after next) perhaps hit unrestricted free agency. But if the team does not play well this season, there will be pressure to cut costs and rebuild with younger, less-expensive talent. And this dynamic probably will be the same whether Palace Sports or Absolute Hockey is in charge. Not that this is a huge revelation, but to have GM Jay Feaster say it on the record was noteworthy.

I know many believe it is long overdue, that it has been shortsighted to put so much money into so few players. My thought: had they made better choices on goaltenders, no one would be complaining. Then again, had the team had more money to spend on more consistent goaltending, perhaps one of those guys, who helped bring the team the 2004 Cup, isn't here now. The choice at the time, if you recall, was to sign St. Louis or Nikolai Khabibulin.

Anyway, was curious where the board stands. Keep them and build around them? Or is it time to perhaps go in different directions. Not an easy question. St. Louis is 32 (makes Vinny better), Boyle is 31 (one of the league's better offensive defensemen) but Vinny and Brad are 27 and likely just hitting their prime. Does the team wait and see how it handles a Boyle-less offense? Or does it just wait to see where it stands in March at the trade deadline?

   

Quick injury update

Andreas Karlsson (abdominal strain) will not play the first two games of the regular season, though coach John Tortorella said he expects him to play next week. That means Mathieu Darche starts on left wing on Chris Gratton's third line with Jason Ward on the right. ... Trainer Tommy Mulligan said they finally got the protective contact lens in Gratton's right eye. That should help the healing process and reduce the scar tissue that is blurring his vision. Gratton, who has a corneal abrasion and was hurt on the second shift of the Lightning's first preseason game, will play in the opener and wear a visor for the first time in his career.

Bonus coverage: Tim Taylor was at Wednesday's practice. Still limping from his hip surgery but he said the pain is more irritating than debilitating and he can now drive. Said the "biggest'' thing was going to get his hair cut. "Just to get out of the house.''

Holmqvist will start against Devils

Coach John Tortorella announced today that Johan Holmqvist will start the season opener against the Devils. It is absolutely the right choice. Marc Denis played exceptionally well through most of training camp, and even though he was let down by his defense in Saturday's preseason finale against the Stars, he did not always look solid while allowing four goals on 14 shots.

Holmqvist was just solid throughout. Nothing spectacular but he looked much more in command of the game against the Stars. In that sense, Denis' situation was somewhat like Karri Ramo, who did not deliver a knockout blow to unseat either Denis or Holmqvist. Denis played well, but given what happened last season and Holmqvist's solid play in training camp, Denis did not do enough to pass him.

2 rookies on defense

The Lightning finally settled on a roster Monday. It won't be 20 players, as coach John Tortorella wanted, or 21 to accommodate for the training camp inconsistency on the blue line. Nope, Tampa Bay will carry 22 players. It will keep rookie Matt Smaby, giving the team seven defensemen, and it also is keeping Mathieu Darche after left wing Andreas Karlsson strained his abdomen during practice.

So here is the team: Forwards -- Mathieu Darche, Chris Gratton, Jan Hlavac, Andreas Karlsson, Vinny Lecavalier, Craig MacDonald, Michel Ouellet, Vinny Prospal, Brad Richards, Andre Roy, Marty St. Louis, Nick Tarnasky, Jason Ward. Defense -- Doug Janik, Filip Kuba, Brad Lukowich, Mike Lundin, Shane O'Brien, Paul Ranger, Matt Smaby. Goalies -- Marc Denis, Johan Holmqvist.

Non-roster injured: Tim Taylor.

Injured reserve (not on yet but expected to be assigned): Dan Boyle, Ryan Craig.

The two-rookie thing on defense is most interesting. Apparently, the Lightning believes that both Lundin and Smaby have passed Janik as it pertains to on-ice development. But the team also does not want to lose Janik which it believes it would if it tried to get him through waivers and down to AHL Norfolk. We'll see how the three play and see what happens when Dan Boyle gets healthy.

The guess is that Janik and Lundin make up the fifth and sixth defensive spots. But as for playing two rookies, Tortorella said, "If they deserve to be there, they will be there. It's an interesting dynamic to have two guys come in who haven't see NHL hockey at all and trust them in those spots. But I think with our schedule we can spot them. It's not written in stone we have to go three pairs and play all six all the time during games. I think we can still try to give them a chance to be successful.''

Another injury

Add this to your injury scorecard:

Left wing Andreas Karlsson left Monday's practice with a strained abdominal muscle and is "day-to-day.'' Karlsson was moving very slowly at his locker after practice and said when approached, "I have nothing to say.''

On the positive side, defenseman Paul Ranger (right shoulder bruise) and Nick Tarnasky (broken nose), skated, and center Chris Gratton (corneal abrasion) said he expects to be "good to go'' for Thursday's opener.