Just a little more on Richards

Right wing Marty St. Louis said he watched the Stars game Thursday night in which former teammate and good friend Brad Richards had his five assists. Asked if he was surprised at what he saw, St. Louis said, "I'm not surprised. Do I know he can make plays like that? Absolutely.''

Asked how much he believed the adrenaline of his first night in a new uniform was part of the equation, St. Louis said, "You have to give credit where credit is due. He could have had more (assists).''

Best friend Vinny Lecavalier said he did not watch the game but saw the highlights.

"Not at all,'' he said when asked if he was shocked. "He's always been a great passer. Obviously, he played great.''

Torts: I'll do it my way

Lightning coach John Tortorella always has said he doesn't coach to please the team's brass, and he reiterated that thought after today's morning skate. Asked if he believed his personalty lessens his job security with new ownership coming in, Torts said, "Me? No, why? What does my personality have to do with job security?

But after a moment to think about it, Torts added, "There is a lot of daggers being thrown around, no question as (Leafs coach Paul Maurice) is going through it, and all coaches do. That's part of the business. Listen, I'm not going to do my job to please people. My job is to do the job the correct way, and I'm going to stay with the way I feel it's supposed to be done.

"And people above, (if) they don't like it, get me the hell out because I'm not going to change as far as what I think is best for the hockey team. It is never been, will be a popularity contest for me. I work for the team to push the players, to make the team the best they possibly can. If people don't like how I'm doing it, or if I'm doing it, they can move me on.''

Nice.

Andre Roy and wife, Karine, had their second daughter, Eloise, at 4:05 p.m. Thursday. Eloise was 6 pounds, 11 ounces and 19.5 inches. Roy said everyone is healthy and doing fine. He said he was in the delivery room, trying to take pictures while helping with the towels and a water bottle and giving encouragement

"A great day,'' Roy said.

The couple's other daughter is Maelie, 2.

Other stuff from the morning skate: Tortorella said he wants to see the Lightning re-sign center Chris Gratton, whose hip surgery next week likely will end his season. ... Vinny Lecavalier reiterated he would be interested in signing a long-term contract with the Lightning. ... Goalie Mike Smith said today's game with the Maple Leafs should be easier with fewer emotions churning from Tuesday's trade. ...  He said the toughest part of the trade was leaving goalie Marty Turco and his family, with whom he had gotten so close. "But he's glad I'm getting this opportunity,'' Smith said. ... Mike Lundin's ice time has plummeted since the return of Dan Boyle. "It's a little frustrating because you want to play,'' he said. "But you realize it's probably better for the team if those other guys are getting more minutes.'' ... Defenseman Filip Kuba (right knee) is out again, so Alex Picard gets a chance to build on Wednesday's strong effort. ... Lecavalier on his slump that has produced four goals in 21 games: "It's been a struggle. It's just tough to produce right now. ... Now it's bringing the puck more to the net and maybe playing better with Marty (St. Louis). Talking more on the ice, getting aggressive on the puck. Being hungry for the puck and bringing it to the net.'' Asked if the trade deadline distractions and falling out of the playoff race has hurt his focus, he said, "I don't want to use excuses. ... There have been some distractions, but you have to battle through them.''    

Speaking of Richards ...

How about Brad Richards picking up five assists against the Blackhawks in his debut with the Stars? Guess all the stories and commentary about him having zero wingers with which to play since Fredrik Modin was traded and Marty St. Louis was moved off his line were accurate. I guess Eric Perrin wasn't kidding last season when he said if he had converted even a handful of the chances with which Richards presented him, he would have scored 30 goals.

Would seem Richards' effort last night puts even more scrutiny on general manager Jay Feaster's comments that he is going to try to rebuild the top two lines through free agency. He has tried that before, but with a little bit more money with which to play, perhaps he can go for higher-profile players, in other words, ones that can make a difference.

By the way, Brad Richards $7.8-million contract being off the books is only one way the team can save money for free agency. The belief is that Marc Denis' contract will be bought out this summer. That will save the team $2-million this season.

Here's the formula: Denis is scheduled to make $3-million next season. Buyouts are done at two-thirds rate spread out over double the remaining years of the contract. Denis has one season left, so the $2-million Denis will be paid will be spread out as $1-million next season and $1-million in 2009-10.

One final word on Richards: The guy was as classy as they come, and he stayed that way till the end. Consider how Feaster described the way the two sides worked through his trade.

When it became clear Richards would be traded, Feaster said Richards gave him the names of six teams to which he would agree to be traded. It just so happens, the Stars were at the top of that list, Feaster and Richards said.

"I can't say enough about he and his agent, Pat Morris,'' Feaster said. "They were professional through the whole thing. He made things a lot easier.''      

Richards reactions: Change of plan

For those expecting to see your reactions to the Brad Richards trade in today's paper, there was a change of plan. With our columnists Gary Shelton and John Romano putting together a point-counterpoint story for Sunday, the bosses decided including your reactions with that story would make a nice package. So, sorry for the delay, and check Sunday's paper.

Gratton needs surgery

Center Chris Gratton will have surgery next week to repair a torn labrum in his left hip. There is no timetable for his return, the team said, but at this point in the season and with the team out of the playoffs, doesn't make any sense to rush him back, so figure he's out for the rest of the season.

The release issued by the team said Gratton sustained the injury in November. He said Wednesday he was injured in December. Not that it matters, really.

Forward Junior Lessard was called up from AHL Norfolk. He has 16 goals, including seven on the power play, and 36 points in 55 AHL games with Norfolk and Iowa. He was acquired by the Lightning from the Stars for Dan Jancevski. Lessard has six goals and 15 points in 19 games with Norfolk.

Other tidbits from today's practice: Defenseman Filip Kuba (right knee) sat out. ... Left wing Andre Roy missed practice to be with wife, Karine, who was having the couple's second child. ... The team spent almost the entire hour working on the power play that was pathetic Wednesday, going 1-for-7 in the 3-2 loss to the Wild.

Just FYI: The face on the side of the mask Mike Smith wore for the Stars, and which he wore Wednesday, is of Garth Brooks. Smith said he has been a long-time fan. He said Brooks did a private concert for the Stars a while back. Smith said he and Brooks got to be kind-of friends and Brooks once gave him a guitar. He put Brooks on the mask as a "tribute.'' Smith said he does not have much of an idea yet what his design will be on his Lightning mask. "Maybe some lightning,'' he said.         

Kuba out; Picard to play

The Lightning announced this morning that defenseman Filip Kuba is day to day with an undisclosed right knee injury. The team recalled Alex Picard from AHL Norfolk, and the defenseman, acquired Monday in the Vinny Prospal trade, will play tonight against the Wild.

Other stuff from this morning: Jussi Jokinen will play on the left side with center Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis. Jeff Halpern will center the second line between left wing Mathieu Darche and Michelle Ouellet. At least that is how the lines will start. You know Torts, after all. ... Halpern will wear No. 11. Jokinen will wear No. 10. Goaltender Mike Smith, who gets the start, wears No. 41, though he still will be in his Stars pads and mask. ... Jokinen said the sprained left knee that kept him out three weeks in January is fine, though he still wears a brace. ... Cute story: Jokinen wore No. 36 in Dallas. Andre Roy wears it for the Lightning. Andre was asked if Jokinen had asked for the number. Andre said he, Andre, that is, had proposed a shootout contest. Absurd, of course, because Jokinen has been one of the league's best at shootouts, going 10-for-13 in 2005-06. "If you win,'' Andre said he told Jokinen, "then we'll have a fight contest.'' Said Jokinen, who has never had an NHL fight, "I'm ready.'' ... Roy said he was happy GM Jay Feaster said he wants to re-sign Roy. "I always loved it in Tampa,'' he said. "I'd like to finish my career here, be a type of Dave Andreychuk till I'm 40 or whatever. That's good with me.'' ... Smith said his idol growing up was Patrick Roy, not Marty Brodeur; a bit strange since Smith is such a good puck-handler. ... Smith seemed most happy that the Lightning provides its players a meal after the morning skate. ... Defenseman Brad Lukowich said he was working out four days after his sports hernia surgery in Germany and isn't ruling out playing again this season. Lukowich's surgery was a less-invasive brand that does not cut through as much muscle.       

Thanks for the e-mails

Must have gotten 40 e-mails with your opinions on the Brad Richards trade. I have moved them along to Tom Jones, our Page 2 editor. The best of the bunch, edited for space, of course, should appear Friday on Page 2. Thanks again.

Richards will wear No. 91

Former Lightning center Brad Richards has worn No. 19 while in the NHL out of respect for Avalanche star Joe Sakic. But with No. 19 retired by the Stars in honor of Bill Masterton, Richards was forced to wear No. 91.

Masterton, as a member of the old North Stars, is the only NHL player to die as a result of an on-ice injury. 

How much thought did Richards put into the number switch?

"If you look at it not a whole lot,'' Richards said.

He called No. 91 an "easy solution.''

Talking Lightning trades

Check out Catch 47's Press Box tonight at 6:30 and 10:30 p.m. as host Tom Jones and his guests talk about the trades of Brad Richards and Vinny Prospal, the signing of Dan Boyle and just where the Lightning will go from here.

One last trade

The Lightning sent left wing Jan Hlavac to the Predators for a 2008 seventh-round draft pick. Hlavac was a big bust this season. Signed as a free agent to play on Brad Richards' line, Hlavac had just nine goals and 22 points in 62 games.

GM Jay Feaster said he also had calls about left wing Andre Roy, but turned them down because he wants to re-sign Andre.

He also said he likely will try to re-sign center Chris Gratton. It was thought Gratton was one of those potential unrestricted free agents who would be moved. But Feaster said he likes what Gratton has done this season, including playing most of the season with a very bad hip that slowed his production and he did not want to move an injured player . He also said Gratton has become a good leader in the locker room and has done about as well as expected.

Holmqvist said he had his chances

Goaltender Johan Holmqvist, who was sent with center Brad Richards to the Stars for goaltender Mike Smith, wing Jussi Jokinen and center Jeff Halpern, said he was given plenty of chances during his almost two seasons with Tampa Bay to prove he was a No. 1 goalie. He even said coach John Tortorella isn't overly tough on goalies.

"That's what everybody keeps talking and saying, but he's been really good for me,'' Holmqvist said. "Everybody wants to win. He lets you know right away when he's not satisfied with you. But he's always been good to me. Torts gave me a good chance to play.''

Holmqvist said he does not consider his time with the Lightning a failure, despite this season's .890 save percentage and a 3.01 goals-against average.

"Forty-seven wins over two years,'' he said. "Not too shabby.''

"I love Holmer. I'm sorry to see Holmer go,'' defenseman Shane O'Brien said. "He's a gamer.''

   

Richards: Don't blame Torts, Feaster

Brad Richards said on a TSN interview, his only public conversation so far, that the "spiral'' in which Tampa Bay finds itself should not reflect on coach John Tortorella or general manager Jay Feaster

"It’s tough,'' Richards said. "Jay Feaster, John Tortorella built that organization into what we did in 2004. It was so good. It was the place to be. It really was, and all of a sudden we go the other way. There were  a lot of outside influences there. You don’t know who the owners are going to be, who they are. It’s a tough job and its unfortunate because it makes them look bad, but they really did a good job with that organization and don’t have a lot of control over what’s going on right now, and that’s unfortunate. Hopefully they get back on track.''

As for what waits for him in Dallas, Richards said he is excited at the opportunity.

"I think I need to get refreshed, a new beginning here,'' he said. "I just know it’s going to be an exciting experience for me, a change. After the last few years haven’t worked out as I would have hoped, but I’m excited, I’m motivated. I can’t wait to be on this team and the individual stuff will take care of itself.''

Asked if he had what it takes to propel the Stars to the Cup as he did for the Lightning in 2004 as the playoff MVP, Richards laughed.

"I’m excited. This is a fun time of year,'' he said. "I have full confidence I’ll be able to help the Dallas Stars. I’m sure they do, that’s why they traded for me, and we’ll just go from there.''
 

Give me your opinion

We're putting together a fan story with your reactions to the Brad Richards trade. If you want to be included, send your thoughts to me at cristodero@sptimes.com. But you must include your full name, where you live and a phone number. Thanks.

Another shot at a No. 1 goalie

There were several parts to the Brad Richards deal. There was the acquisition of left wing Jussi Jokinen, who is about as reliable as they come in shootouts, and center Jeff Halpern, a steady, professional player who has some scoring ability but is likely more valuable as a penalty-kill, forechecking kind of guy. There also was the acquisition of a fourth-round draft pick in 2009.

Most intriguing, though, is goaltender Mike Smith, who will be in net Wednesday night against the Wild, if he gets to town on time.

The Lightning, fearful that too many teams would be after Cristobal Huet during the summer and the price would skyrocket, decided Smith could be their goaltender of the future. He certainly is affordable at $950,000.

For Tampa Bay, the beauty of the deal is that it gets the season's final 20 games to evaluate the guy, unlike how it handled Marc Denis, who was acquired over the summer and given a huge contract that still has hamstrung the team.

"We get to see him play,'' Tortorella said. "I don't know him that well, and we haven't seen him play that much, but the people around us have done a lot of extensive work. I even had a couple of players contact me who have played with him and spoken very highly of him.

"I think it's a good deal,'' Tortorella added, "and I hate saying that because Brad Richards is involved in it. But you put that aside and you think of the business part of it and how it helps your team, I think it's a good deal.''

Defenseman Shane O'Brien, who played with Smith for Kingston of the Ontario Hockey League, said Smith is a great puck handler. He said he even believes Smith scored a goal for Lexington of the East Coast Hockey League.

"He's good,'' O'Brien said. "He can move the puck just as well as anyone in the league. I've seen him and played against him in the AHL. He's big, covers a lot of net, good angles. Just how he plays the puck, for a defenseman that's huge. It's easier when a goalie can make that pass into the corner and break out.'' 

As for Halpern, Tortorella knows him well from Halpern's days in the East playing for the Capitals. Halpern has 10 goals this season.

"He's a right-hand center, and right-handers you're always looking for, there just aren't that many,'' Tortorella said. "He's a solid citizen. He's a good guy. You know, he's done some pretty good things for them. He can kill penalties. He can check. He's responsible. I talked to him at the World Championships a couple of years ago during the lockout. I was putting pressure on him then. I think he can be a goal-scorer too. I think he needs to put some pressure on himself to score some goals. He's a good player. He's a pro. He'll help in a lot of different ways.''

Richards dealt to Dallas

Lightning center Brad Richards has been dealt to the Stars with goaltender Johan Holmqvist for goaltender Mike Smith, center Jeff Halpern and left wing Jussi Jokinen.

-- DAMIAN CRISTODERO, Times Staff Writer

Who is Mike Smith?

The Stars' backup goaltender is coming to the Lightning in a multi-player deal that includes center Brad Richards. Other than clearing Brad's $7.8-million off the books, which would help come free agent time (remember Dan Boyle's new cotnract only increases his salary by $3-million), the question has to be asked: Is Mike Smith the long-sought No. 1 goalie for whom Tampa Bay has been searching?

The reports about the 6-foot-3, 211-pounder have been good. Some reports out of Dallas have said he is as good handling the puck as New Jersey's Marty Brodeur. His stats are good but not outrageous this season at 12-9-0 in 21 games as Marty Turco's backup with a .906 save percentage, a 2.46 goals-against average and two shutouts. He also has been on a hot streak lately, winning his past three starts with a .938 save percentage (76 saves on 81 shots) and a 1.67 goals-against average.

For his career, Smith is 24-14-2 in 44 games with a 2.34 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage.

The question as with all backup goalies is, can they sustain their success over a long season. Johan Holmqvist certainly had stretches in which he looked brilliant, but he never quite got his glove (short) side strengthened sufficiently and his ups and downs helped the Lightning to the bottom of the league defensively. On the other hand, Marc Denis appeared to be able to handle the load as Columbus' starter, and we saw where that got Tampa Bay.

But this kind of deal, if it actually happens, will be even more closely scrutinized simply because it involves Richards. Say what you want about his past two seasons (and he has under-performed given his salary, though he has played with squat on his wings for two seasons), he has meant a ton to this franchise and was the MVP of the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs. At one point, the character guy was believed to be the team's next captain.

And if Smith is acquired, what does this mean to Holmqvist? Do the Lightning go to a Smith-Holmqvist tandem so as not to put to much pressure on either? Is Holmqvist a backup and Karri Ramo sent back to AHL Norfolk for more seasoning. Will Holmqvist be traded before becoming an unrestricted free agent? Is a Smith-Ramo combination a good idea?

On the other end, without the weight of Richards' $7.8-million salary, the team could be freed up to be more pointedly active over the summer, especially if it sheds more payroll either through trade or allowing contracts to expire, and perhaps able to go after higher-level free agents and not doodle at the margins as it had to do last summer with Michel Ouellet and Jan Hlavac.

Lots of intrigue. The trade deadline is at 3 p.m.

(AP photo)

Is Richards headed for Dallas?

The scuttlebutt has been that if Lightning center Brad Richards was going to be dealt to the Stars, it would be for highly regarded goaltender Mike Smith. But Yahoo Sports is reporting a deal might also include checking center Jeff Halpern and defenseman Mark Fistric.

The Lightning said this morning no deal had been made and Richards' agent Pat Morris said late Monday night his client had not been approached about waiving his no-trade clause. Of course, that was about 10 hours ago, so stay tuned.

 

Lightning trades Vinny Prsopal

The Lightning traded left wing Vinny Prospal to the Flyers for minor league defenseman Alexandre Picard. Here is the release sent out by the team.

The Lightning has acquired defenseman Alexandre Picard and either a second- or third-round pick from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for center/left wing Vaclav Prospal, Executive Vice President and General Manager Jay Feaster announced. If Philadelphia qualifies for the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals Tampa Bay will receive Philadelphia’s second-round pick in 2009, and if they do not the Lightning will receive Calgary’s third-round pick in 2009.

"Alexander Picard is a young prospect with good size and excellent hockey sense who has played in the NHL," said Feaster. "We believe he has a significant amount of upside in his future. In moving Vaclav Prospal we wanted to add to our organizational depth, and by acquiring both a young defenseman and a future draft pick we were able to achieve that goal."

A native of Gatineau, Quebec, Picard has played in 53 games with the Philadelphia Phantoms of the American Hockey League this season and ranks second on the team, first among defensemen, in points with 38. His eight goals and five power-play goals also lead all Phantom defensemen. Picard represented Philadelphia at the 2008 AHL All-Star Game and recorded one assist. He has established AHL career highs this season in goals, assists and points.

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound defenseman has played in 134 career AHL games recording 16 goals and 74 points. He has played his entire three-season AHL career with the Phantoms. He has also played in two career Calder Cup Playoff games.

Picard has played in 72 career NHL games with the Flyers, tallying three goals, 22 points and 23 penalty minutes. On February 1, 2007 against the New Jersey Devils he posted five assists which set a Flyers record for most assists by a defenseman and most assists by a rookie in a single game. He became just the second rookie defenseman in NHL history (Gary Suter, CGY, 6 vs. EDM on 4/4/86) and just the third player in Flyers history (Eric Lindros, Bobby Clarke) to accomplish the feat.

The 22-year-old was drafted by Philadelphia in the third-round, 85th overall, at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He played in 255 career junior games with Halifax and Cape Breton of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and recorded 31 goals and 122 points.

Lightning signs Boyle

The Lightning on Monday night signed defenseman Dan Boyle to a six-year deal thought to be worth $40-million. The contract will pay $6.67-million in each season.

"It feels good,'' Boyle said. "It just happened 20 minutes ago, so I'm going through a lot of emotions. I'm happy. I want to win. I'm anxious to turn this thing around.''

"A huge relief,'' GM Jay Feaster said.

The thing that I really liked listening to Boyle was how he was wrestling with his emotions. He certainly was happy to have the deal. But he said it just didn't seem right to celebrate with the team in last place.

"I'm happy, but it's bittersweet,'' Boyle said. "I want to win. feel bad celebrating this when our team is sitting in last place. I don't know if that's right. It's just the way I am.''

Not a normal day for Richards

From the looks of things, Lightning forward Brad Richards tried to act like this was any other morning skate, but there was obviously something different.

Over the course of the last few days, Richards’ name has been one of the most discussed in trade speculation.

Everywhere Richards goes, people want to talk about a trade that could never happen. By the times the trade deadline passes Tuesday at 3:01 p.m., the 27-year-old could be dealt, most likely to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

He’s scored 150 goals (and 488 points) in a Tampa Bay uniform, won a Conn Smythe Trophy, was a critical cog of a Stanley Cup winner, and was one of the organization’s few home-grown talents.

A 50-foot tall banner that hangs from the southeast side of the St. Pete Times Forum shows Richards hoisting the Stanley Cup above his head.

Brad Richards has been a part of the good times for the Lightning, but tonight’s game against the Bruins could be Richards’ last one in a Lightning sweater.

“After tonight’s game, maybe I’ll have more time to think about what’s going on,” Richards said after today's morning skate. “We have another game tonight, and that’s all I can do. There’s really nothing else I can tell you.”

The day after

Lightning coach John Tortorella didn't have much to say Thursday morning, hours after he went on an expletive-laced tirade in the Lightning dressing room following Tampa Bay's 4-3 overtime loss in Buffalo.

“I’m going to keep my comments in the room,” Tortorella told reporters after the team held a team meeting Thursday morning. “I don’t think I’m going to give you guys too much today. I’m keeping my thoughts in the room. That’s where they belong and that’s where I’m keeping them.”

Totorella angrily stormed through the locker room after the game, yelling, "You better get it ... straightened out," he yelled, "because I'm not going to be ... around it. I'm not going to be ... around it."

In other news, Andreas Karlsson wil return to the lineup tonight, with Andre Roy sitting, and Karri Ramo will start in goal tonight, giving Johan Holmqvist the night off after a career-high 42 saves in Wednesday's loss.

Lukowich to have sports hernia surgery

Injured defenseman Brad Lukowich was placed on injured reserve and will undergo surgery for a sports hernia Friday, but is expected to miss just three to four weeks.

The surgery will be conducted in Germany by Dr. Ulrike Muschweck, who has previously operated on NHL players, including former Lightning defenseman Nolan Pratt. Muschaweck is well known for doing unique procedures on Premier League soccer players that cut recovery time in half.

Lukowich did not make the trip with the team for tonight's game against Buffalo.

Would trading Richards secure Boyle?

This is a difficult question, but If the Lightning is going to sign defenseman Dan Boyle, and it seems as if the team wants to, it will have to trade one of its top players to clear some salary space, and right now the most logical part to move might be center Brad Richards.

Think about it. If Boyle is worth about $6.5-million to $7-million a season, that's just about a wash with Richards' $7.8-million annual salary. Also, Richards has underperformed when it comes to his salary; he will make $2.8-million less next season than Marty St. Louis, who could have his second straight 100-point season this year.

The market for Richards also probably took a jump when Peter Forsberg decided his ankles are still not up to NHL readiness. That means teams looking for front-line help have to go elsewhere. Richards, still young and with lots of upside and with a Conn Smythe Trophy under his belt, might be attractive.

His name apparently is floating all around the GM Meetings in Naples. How much of this is grounded information? Hard to tell. Stories out of Naples don't quote sources. Is Tampa Bay serious about trading Richards before the deadline or is GM Jay Feaster just on a fact-finding mission to see what he might get in the summer when the team must sign or trade for a No. 1 goalie?

Feaster declined to comment and Richards said, "I am not paying attention to it. I am focused on helping my team make the playoffs.''

Richards' agent Pat Morris said his client has not been asked to waive his no-trade clause. Asked if Richards would, Morris said, "We haven't bridged that or talked about that yet. There's no sense in having him distracted. He's a very focused man. I don't react to rumors. I don't react to speculation. I don't want to waste my client's time. If there's something necessary to bring to him, if it gets serious, we'll talk about it then.''

As for Boyle, the rumor floating around is Boyle has asked for an eight-year deal worth an average $6.5-million a season. The money seems about right stacked up against some of the league's other elite defensemen, but that kind of length will not fly with the Lightning because Boyle will be 39 by the time it runs out.

More likely what has happened is Boyle's agent George Bazos, who declined comment Monday, has jaw-boned several different scenarios with Feaster. The eight-year number probably was an extreme, but it's probably not unreasonable by Boyle's standards. The Ottawa native is 31. If he signs, say, a four-year deal, he's 35 when it runs out, and that is a tough age to sign another multi-year contract. That's an age when bumps and bruises can turn into more, and that is why clubs might be wary of signing a longer-term deal. Since there are no options in the CBA, a good guess is they might try to work out something between four and eight years.     

Asked about all this, Boyle said Tuesday, "I don't want to get involved.''

Feaster also declined to comment about Boyle, though he told reporters in Naples he would neither confirm nor deny anything.

Bottom line: Feaster isn't trading Vinny Lecavalier. He probably wants to keep Boyle. To do that, he has to cut salary somewhere. Richards has underperformed, Forsberg seems out of the equation, so it seems logical Feaster wants to see what Richards' market is like before deciding if he can sign Boyle, because if Tampa Bay can be out from under Richards' salary, that makes Boyle's contract doable.

Feaster also could free up salary by by moving players such as Vinny Prospal, Jan Hlavac even Johan Holmqvist. You don't think a playoff team would like a guy who would be a fabulous backup?

So, is it worth losing Richards to save Boyle?

Vinny, agent knock down trade rumor

Again, we're not going to respond here to every rumor out there, but when I start getting e-mails, well, maybe it's worth a mention.

Lightning star Vinny Lecavalier said he knows all about the rumor that came out of a Hockey Night in Canada broadcast in which reporter Al Strachan said Lecavalier was tired of playing in a small market and would asked to be traded to perhaps New York, Los Angeles or, surprise, his hometown of Montreal.

Lecavalier said he was called by his agent, Kent Hughes, who asked Lecavalier if he wanted him to "do something about'' the story. But Lecavalier said he would rather the rumor die of its own weight. Lecavalier reiterated he is not looking to be anywhere else.

Hughes, though, said Monday the rumor is not dying down. On vacation, he said he returned to his hotel room today and had "about 30'' phone messages.

Asked if the rumor was true, Hughes said, "Absolutely not. It's not true.''

And Lecavalier has said this about his 2001 trade request, amidst much rancor with coach John Tortorella, that almost got him moved to the Maple Leafs: "There was a time when I thought the grass was greener somewhere else, but it's not.''

It is not like the guy has tried to separate himself from the community. His foundation just pledged $3-million to help build a new hospital wing in St. Petersburg. He has a house in the Tampa area and his parents still use his original condo, which he kept when he moved to his house.

There also is the matter of GM Jay Feaster, who always has said he has no plans to trade Lecavalier. That is not to say a trade will never happen. Sometimes there are offers you can't refuse. Hey, they traded Gretzky. But Lecavalier said the Hockey Night in Canada rumor is false, and Hughes piled on.

"Neither Vinny nor myself have has spoken with Mr. Strachan, so it can't be a misunderstanding of a conversation with him because there haven't been any,'' Hughes said.

Great practice; we're not out of it, coach says

For what it's worth, the Lightning had a terrific practice Monday, lots of hard skating for almost an hour. Doesn't look like the team is down after Saturday's huge loss to the Capitals that put Tampa Bay's playoff hopes on life support.

There was lots of chatter and horsing around after it was over as Andre Roy and Jason Ward had a mock fight. Roy then went after one of the assistant equipment managers who was simply trying to pick up the water bottles on the bench.

"They came to work,'' coach John Tortorella said. "You see, you guys think we're done. I don't think we're done and I they don't think we're done. Everybody around us thinks we're done. But we're not approaching it that way. I've seen to many crazy things happen in our game. I haven't talked to them about it. I've talked about some doubt around us and how we can't buy into that. But as far as the way they practiced today, they practiced hard and practiced well.''

That has been a very good characteristic of this team over the years. Very rarely has it ever mailed it in either during a game or at practice.

"That's never been a huge concern of mine,'' Tortorella said. "We've had certain days, I can count hem on one hand the past two or three years where that's been a concern and we've had to rectify it. I don't see that as a problem right now. I don't think that's in our room.''

Tortorella said he had no doubt his players would show up strong on Monday.

"It was a gut-wrencher. It was a hard one to lose,'' Tortorella said of Saturday's loss to Washington. "There's no sense overthinking it. You have to swallow it for a few hours and I'm sure a few of us swallowed hard for a few hours after we lost. But you come to work the next day and try to get better.''

Clearly, it is an uphill struggle. Tampa Bay is eight points out of the division lead. It does have two games in hand, but it will have to make use of them by going on an even stronger run than the 10-6-1 streak is it on that got it back into the playoff race.

   

Boyle and Ranger vs. Ovechkin

Lightning coach John Tortorella said he likely will put defensemen Dan Boyle and Paul Ranger on the ice to try to contain Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin, who entered Saturday  leading he league with 48 goals and 17 power-play goals.

Why Boyle and Ranger? Because they are Tampa Bay's best defensive skaters.

"He's a different animal,'' Tortorella said of Ovechkin. "You're not going to stop him. You try to limit him and make sure you're just as physical on him as he is on you.''

"He's always just skating,'' Boyle said. "He just seems to always keep his legs going. With him skating forward and us skating backward, I like his chances. He's just the whole package.''

And he's rich, having signed a 13-year, $124-million contract, an NHL record. But to his credit, Ovechkin hasn't gotten lazy. In 16 games since signing that contract, he has 16 goals and 26 points.

"We'll have our hands full with him,'' defenseman Shane O'Brien said. "We just have to try to get a stick in his way as much as we can. I don't know how much you can shut him down. We just have to limit his chances.''

Personally, I love watching Ovechkin because he is so physical, and he also doesn't mind getting hit. Add the enthusiasm that everyone near him says is not faked and there is much to like. He also is the MVP so far, I think. No one else on the Capitals has more than 15 goals and their top goalie has a save percentage of .887. Yet, the team is two points off the division lead. Crappy division ... but still.

Other morning tidbits: Johna Holmqvist in goal tonight. ... Craig MacDonald has taken off his facemask for the first time since getting hit in the mouth with a puck, getting 50 stitches and losing nine teeth Dec. 20 against the Maple Leafs. ... Forward Andreas Karlsson, who missed two days for personal reasons, returned to the team. ... Have you noticed Marty St. Louis creeping up the stat sheet. He entered Saturday with 70 points, eighth in the league. ... There's a 40 or so second clip on YouTube of yesterday's brawl between Norfolk and Worcester. Goalie Jonathan Boutin decks Worcester goalie Thomas Greiss ... Despite St. Louis' stats, Tortorella said the production from the top line must get better. Vinny Lecavalier has just two goals in his past nine games and only 11 shots in his past five. "I'm not saying they're going to dominate every game, but I think they need to do more. This isn't a criticism. It's where are team is. I think they've played good, but I think we need them to be great more consistently,'' Torts said.

The Dan Boyle experience

If there was any question about how much Dan Boyle means to this team, you only had to watch the nine games since he came back from two surgeries to repair the damaged tendons in his left wrist, but especially Thursday's 5-3 victory over the Flyers.

Boyle played a season-high 31:37, had a goal and an assist and was terrific bringing the puck out of the defensive zone and getting involved in the offense. He wasn't bad defensively either.

Here is coach John Tortorella after the game:

"As I've always said, everybody always talks about the three guys,'' he said of Vinny Lecavalier, Brad Richards and Dan Boyle. "But there is no one more important to our team than Danny Boyle. He is our transition key.''

And this:

"Our best trap-breaker is: 'Danny Boyle, get the puck and go.' Power play breaker: 'Danny, take the puck and go.' ... Nothing gets going until it comes from the back end, and that's where Danny Boyle is.''   

That Boyle is playing so well after so long on the bench is a credit to what a talent he really is. That he is doing this as the Feb. 26 trade deadline approaches, and that Tampa Bay is still in the playoff race is probably making the decisions regarding his future very difficult. And please spare us the tired complaints about his defense. Considering his offense and how hard he competes in the defensive zone, the points are moot

How would you like to try and solve this equation: The Lightning is a different team with Boyle. But the defenseman could be an unrestricted free agent after the season. There are negotiations going on right now between the team and Boyle's agent to determine if Tampa Bay can sign him (it is believed Boyle will start by asking for $7-million). If not, Boyle likely will be traded, a deal that could net the Lightning a haul.

Perhaps Boyle, who wants to make the Tampa Bay area, perhaps even St. Petersburg, his long-term home, takes a little less to stay, though he already did that in his current contract of three-years, $10-million. Much could depend on what the Lightning wants to be. Does it want to compete next season under would-be owner Oren Koules, or does it want to take some steps back now to take more forward later. The answer to that riddle may be the key to getting a new contract done.

Calling out one's coach

What was so interesting about Vinny Prospal calling out coach John Tortorella on Sun Sports and on a live St. Pete Times Forum feed after Tuesday's win over the Canadiens, was that it didn't need to happen that way. Say what you want about Torts, that is the kind of stuff players always can bring to him in private, and then it is done with.

Instead, Prospal decided to broadcast his feelings about being moved off Vinny 4's line and his lack of playing time as a second-line center.

In fact, general manager Jay Feaster said today he has no problem with a player using anger as a motivator and he also thought Prospal played perhaps his best overall game as a Lightning in that game against Montreal in which he had two goals (to tie his career-high 25) and a game-high six shots.

Beyond that, though, Feaster said, "As far as I'm concerned, the issue is over.''

Prospal, too, declined to discuss it further. Torts mostly stayed away from it, mostly, but did make a point about separating oneself from the team after what was a terrific win.

"We've had enough distractions,'' he said. "I pick up the paper (Wednesday), did the Tampa Bay Lightning play? It's a team sport and I'm pretty happy with how our team played as a team. Team, that's the operative word.''

All this, of course, plays in front of the backdrop of Prospal's contract situation. He could be an unrestricted free agent after the season which also makes him prime trade bait as the Feb. 26 deadline approaches. It doesn't help Prospal, who is making $1.9-million this season, agent Ritch Winter, and Feaster don't appear to be close on anything resembling a new deal. And while Feaster never comments on player negotiations or trades, he has said he prefers not to let potential UFAs walk away and get nothing for the team in compensation it is clear a player will not be signed.

We'll have to wait and see.

And just FYI, the report by Canada's RDS, which said Dan Boyle's agent has given the Lightning a list of 10 teams for which he would waive his no-trade clause, is false.

Other quick stuff from this morning: Johan Holmqvist starts in net tonight. ... Defenseman Brad Lukowich (groin/abdomen) is still out as is forward Andreas Karlsson (personal reasons). ... Andre Roy, benched after two shifts against Montreal, will play on a fourth line with Mathieu Darche and Jason Ward.

Caution and excitement

Those were the two emotions of Palace Sports CEO Tom Wilson Wednesday after he announced Hollywood producer Oren Koules signed a purchase agreement to buy the team, the St. Pete Times Forum lease and 5.5 acres near the arena for $200-million.

Cautious because he has been here before, on Aug. 7, when Absolute Hockey Enterprises, of which Koules was part, signed a similar purchase agreement. Three months later, that sale imploded as Palace Sports nullified the sale because of a missed $5-million payment and Koules was sued by partners Jeff Sherrin and Doug MacLean.

Still, Wilson said, "It is a step.''

Sale bullet points:

*OK Hockey is headed by Koules but also includes his business partner at Evolution Entertainment, Mark Burg and, it is believed but never confirmed by Koules, a California banker named Russell Belinsky. There also, apparently, are some unnamed others.

* The purchase agreement has a 105-day window for Koules to secure his financing and get the NHL Board of Governors to approve the transfer of ownership. If it doesn't happen, Palace Sports can revisit the agreement.

* Wilson said Koules was talking to three banks about sharing the financial commitment. Wilson also said Koules and his investors put in more money than originally planned to help reduce the new loan. If you want to do some math, Koules lost what Street & Smith SportsBusiness Journal said was $110-million in financing when France's Societe Generale bank closed its U.S. sports lending business. Wilson said he likely needed less this time.

* Palace Sports will continue to be a minority owner in a sense because, Wilson said, it is lending Koules  some money to "give him some flexibility.'' Wilson said it is not as much as the $30-million Palace Sports was to lend Absolute Hockey. Wilson said Palace's stake in the team will go away quickly.

* Wilson said Koules will have a say in personnel matters but as the Feb. 26 trade deadline approaches, Palace Sports still will have the final say.

*Koules, as he has been throughout the process, was unavailable for comment other than the statement on the release. He did not return several e-mail messages. Perhaps he doesn't want to make the same mistake Palace Sports and Absolute Hockey made by being too high profile before all the ducks were in order.

One quote I liked on Koules from Lightning president Ron Campbell that didn't make it into the paper but might at some point:

"He is going to be some much fun. He could be a Mark Cuban type of guy from the standpoint that he's going to have a lot of crazy ideas, out of the box ideas. He's going to be very passionate and visible. If you're a fan, I think you've got to love that. There are a lot of people who may have some challenges or issues with Mark Cuban, but it's not the fans of Dallas. He's sitting there, 'This guy is behind our team 110 percent.' That's the type of energy he'll bring.''

Lightning sold (again)

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before.
It appears would-be Lightning owner Oren Koules had a Plan B at the ready for his financing. Palace Sports & Entertainment and OK Hockey just announced they have entered into a “definitive purchase agreement.’’
As always, the price was not announced, but throughout the nearly six months that this saga has been going on, the purchase price was believed to be about $200-million. That includes the team, the leasehold rights to the St. Pete Times Forum and approximately 5½ acres adjacent to the Forum.
For the moment, the most interesting thing from a fan’s perspective is that the deal is expected to close in the next 105 days, which is a much firmer timeline than the parties have ever laid out.
Of course, it also depends on league approval, which shouldn’t be an issue since Commissioner Gary Bettman helped broker the deal.
“We are pleased to move forward with Oren Koules and OK Hockey LLC as the next owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning, “ said Tom Wilson, President and CEO of Palace Sports & Entertainment. “Oren is a passionate hockey man who cares deeply about the franchise and the Tampa Bay community. We look forward to a smooth transition and a terrific future as he assumes control of the Lightning.”
Koules, a Hollywood producer responsible for the wildly successful Saw films, said, “We are happy that we are able to take this next significant step towards ownership of the Lightning. We are very excited about today’s announcement and look forward to the day when we can make a difference for the Lightning and its fans.”
The next question will be who makes the final calls as the trade deadline approaches.

Prospal jabs Tortorella ... it seems

Lightning left wing Vinny Prospal hasn't been happy since he was taken off a line with Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis. He hasn't been happy the past three games in which he had played fewer than 12 minutes. So it was understandable that he celebrated his two goals in a 3-2 victory over the Canadiens with a fist pumping celebration, especially since he was reunited with Lecavalier and St. Louis.

But then he did something strange. In a Sun Sports interview that also was shown on the St. Pete Times Forum scoreboard, he said the game was one of the most satisfying of his career and that he felt as if he shoved it up someone's backside.

Asked by interviewer Paul Kennedy to whom he was referring, Prospal said. "I would like to think they know who they are.''

A 25-minute closed-door meeting with coach John Tortorella and GM Jay Feaster followed. After the meeting, neither Prospal nor Tortorella talked about what was said. In fact, Torts shrugged it all off, saying, "Athletes who are mad, to me, are good athletes.''

Prospal declined to speak about anything other than the game, which was a terrific one with Prospal tying his career high with his 25th goal and Karri Ramo making 19 saves, including a game saver with 13.2 seconds left.

But it was difficult to ignore Prospal's outburst, though Torts did his best.

"I'm not here to be the happy man and make everybody happy,'' he said. "I'm here to make calls as far as the game is concerned.''

And this after Torts was asked if he sensed some relief in Prospal:

"I'm sure there was quite a bit of relief and a few other things, too. That's life. He played really well. Athletes that are upset, they contribute and help the team win, coaches are happy. This isn't a touchy-feely thing here or love fest. This is a game of hockey and we're fighting for our life.''

   

Where is Roy?

Seems like Andre Roy was benched Tuesday after just two shifts and 1:12 of action. Roy hasn't played since 9:30 into the first period when he was called for an interference penalty while retaliating against Montreal's Mike Komisarek, a penalty that cost Tampa Bay a goal. We're now getting ready to start the third period.

Nothing would surprise in sale saga

Oren Koules apparently will keep on fighting.

Lightning CEO Tom Wilson and president Ron Campbell both said the Hollywood producer and would-be Lightning owner still wants to buy the team. Campbell even said he expects Koules to "hunker down and try to get it done.''

That job got more difficult when Koules lost up to $110-million in financing when France's second-largest bank, Societe Generale, closed its U.S. sports lending business. But it would be foolish to believe there was not a backup source of financing just in case of such calamities.

But even if Koules is able to quickly get backup financing together (say, this week) and announces a purchase agreement (and the way this sale story has been going, nothing would be a surprise), the timetable for closing the deal could still take us into the summer; though if an announcement came, say, this week, that could be accelerated.

First approval must be granted by the league, which should not be a problem, and then the financial deal must close.

Whatever happens, it's been quite a ride from the August announcement that Absolute Hockey Enterprises was to buy the team, to its default on financial obligations, to the lawsuit between partners, to commissioner Gary Bettman's intervention; to Koules forming OK Hockey and the meltdown of a French bank.

As some of the players have said, "Just tell me when it's over.''

   

We want Roy

Left wing Andre Roy will be back in the lineup tonight against the Canadiens and he had a message for Montreal after the morning skate.

"I'm going to try to be physical, and let them know they're in our house and they have to pay the price,'' he said.

But coach John Tortorella had a message for Roy.

"If I have to have another talk with Andre, he's out of this organization,'' Torts said.

Some hyperbole, probably. But Tortorella always has been serious about making sure Roy does not let his emotions get the best of him on the ice. So when Roy fought with Florida Branislav Mezei on Feb. 2 and then yapped with the Panthers player in the penalty box, and then leaned out of the Lightning bench during a timeout to yap some more, Tortorella saw that as a step back.

Roy, to his credit, has taken the blame for the whole incident. As he said on Tuesday, "Sometimes I get carried away and want to grab somebody by the collar.''

Even so, he said, his main focus against Montreal will be, "To make sure I keep my emotions intact.''

Other pregame stuff: Karri Ramo gets the start in net. ... Wing Michel Ouellet, who has played fewer than 10 minutes in his past three games, was a healthy scratch. ... Defenseman Brad Lukowich was out with an undisclosed lower body injury. ... Defenseman Doug Janik, a healthy scratch since Dan Boyle returned, was back in the lineup.    

Ownership saga could be a long one

So, as we read in today's paper, Lightning president Ron Campbell said that unless someone comes along and drops $200-million cash on the doorstep of Palace Sports & Entertainment, the ownership situation might not be resolved until at least the summer and there is a chance Palace Sports could still own the team next season. Even if Hollywood producer Oren Koules rebounds quickly and gets financing back in place, the process of closing the financial deal will take months.

Quite a change from that August day when ownership announced the team would be sold to Absolute Hockey Enterprises. Doesn't that seem ages ago?

I thought Campbell was most interesting, though, when he said Tampa Bay's proximity to the playoffs would not be the determining factor as the whether the team is a buyer or seller at the Feb. 26 trade deadline. Rather, it would be, basically, "Based on an offer you can't refuse.''

Campbell didn't go into specifics about who could be traded. It is generally believed transactions this month would most likely involve potential unrestricted free agents such as Vinny Prospal, Johan Holmqvist, Chris Gratton, Jan Hlavac and even Dan Boyle.

He said, "There is no plan today to give up on the season,'' and, "we could be buyers.'' But he did acknowledged this scenario:

"So you sit back and say, 'We could make the playoffs because of the maturity of our team, but maybe we're not ready to go to the Eastern Conference or Stanley Cup finals.' So you know what? Maybe we take a half-step back for this year because it makes us stronger for next year.''

First time we've heard anyone from the organization make a statement like that, and it actually plays nicely into a discussion we've had before about how it actually could be better for the team to miss the playoffs this season and reap some rewards in the draft.

So here is the lay of the land:

Figure Palace Sports owns the team at least into the summer; the front office does not seem averse to trading assets that could result in short-term pain but maybe long-term gain; and we get to wait a few more months at least if Koules or someone else can finally make a deal for the team work.

   

Lightning sale is in trouble

The bank, Societe Generale, with main offices in Paris, that was going to lend a group led by Hollywood producer Oren Koules up to $110-million to help with his purchase of the Lightning from Palace Sports & Entertainment has closed its sports lending business, Palace Sports CEO Tom Wilson confirmed.

The story was originally in Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal, which said the bank was rocked recently when one of its traders lost $7.2-billion in unauthorized trades.

The move comes as Palace Sports was about to announce a purchase agreement with Koules, who heads OK Hockey. Wilson said the deal had been "99 percent'' done.

"And then,'' he said, "the world kind of blows up.''

Both Wilson and Lightning president Ron Campbell said the move has not killed the deal. But Koules must find alternative financing, something probably not easy given the nationwide credit crunch and the sub-prime mortgage crisis.

"Based on our understandings here in Tampa, despite the hardships in the financial markets today, the process is still moving forward, just not at the pace that any of us desired,'' Campbell said in a statement. "Nevertheless, we will continue to work together to get something consummated in as safe and as timely a manner as possible.''

It is the second letdown for Palace Sports which in December voided a purchase agreement with Absolute Hockey Enterprises which defaulted on financial obligations amidst rancor between investors that led to a lawsuit.

Koules, part of the group, was sued by partners Jeff Sherrin and Doug MacLean. Commissioner Gary Bettman brokered a settlement  and Koules formed OK Hockey with business partner Mark Berg and, it is believed, California banker Russell Belinsky.

More in Sunday's paper.

It's all about battles

Losing them and failing to engage in them.

That is why coach John Tortorella said he benched wings Jan Hlavac and Michel Ouellet in the second period of Thursday's game with the Predators. It was an explanation readily accepted by Ouellet.

"It stinks,'' he said of sitting out, "but I understand why. I have to concentrate and play the game I'm supposed to play.''

Ouellet appeared as if he was ready when he returned after missing 18 games with a separated left shoulder and played more than 17 minutes twice and more than 16 minutes before falling to 8:42 and 6:23 his past two games.

Hlavac too looked strong playing with Ouellet and center Vinny Prospal. But Hlavac, too, saw his playing time fall the past two games to 9:14 and 7:37. Prospal was not benched Thursday but played only 11:35, though Tortorella said it was more because the other three lines were playing well and Prospal, now without linemates, kind of got lost until his overtime winning goal.

"They played better than us,'' Hlavac said of the other lines. "It's very easy.''

How to redeem himself tonight against the Thrashers?

"Try to do something on the ice,'' he said. "Scoring a goal would be a big thing.''

Indeed, Hlavac hasn't scored in 10 games. Ouellet hasn't scored in five games since his return.

Other stuff from this morning:

Prospect Kevin Quick, dismissed Feb. 1 from the University of Michigan team for an undisclosed violation of team rules, has signed a 25-game tryout contract with AHL Norfolk. Quick, a defenseman, the 78th overall pick of the 2006 draft, could play sometime next week.

Gorge Bazos, agent for defenseman Dan Boyle, said negotiations to possibly extend his client's contract were pushed back but are expected to get going this week.

Johan Holmqvist, with five straight road wins, gets another shot in net after stopping 18 of 19 shots against the Predators.

Tampa Bay will try to tie a franchise mark with a seventh straight road win.

Andre Roy will sit for a third straight game. Tortorella said it is still for disciplinary reasons but part of it could be the coach's aversion to switch from a winning lineup. Tampa Bay is 2-for-2 without Roy, who argued with Torts on the bench during a Feb. 2 game with the Panthers. The most interesting part of all this is how Roy has accepted full responsibility for what happened.

"It's my fault,'' Roy said. "It's me that put myself in this position. I got a little frustrated on the bench. I just have to control myself. I can't do anything besides work hard in practice, and when I do (play), keep my emotions in check.''

Andre joked he can't wait for Lightning fans during Tuesday's game with the Canadiens at the St. Pete Times Forum to chant, "We want Roy.''

Vinny says he's playing

Lightning star Vinny Lecavalier says there is no chance he is not playing in Saturday's game against the Thrashers. He did, however, admit to some serious pain Thursday night when he limped down the hallway to the locker room after being hit at the bottom of his left instep with a slap shot.

"Oh, yeah,'' he said Friday. "There was a sharp pain running up my leg. I couldn't put any weight on it at all.''

He said the pain subsided after a few minutes and he is good to go as Tampa Bay, seven points behind the division-leading Hurricanes, with two games in hand, fights to get into the playoffs. Saturday's game is the first of 11 remaining games against the Southeast, the last eight finish the regular season.

"It's a very important game for us,'' Lecavalier said. "We know we have a chance now. The last eight games of the year are against our division, and in between that too. Being six points out, I think we're right there. We'll keep plugging away.''

Let's look at the positive

There really has been so little of it this season, let's take the opportunity to give the boys a pat on the back.

Let's be clear here, making the playoffs by winning the division is not going to be easy. Tampa Bay dug itself a pretty big hole, though it is trying mighty hard to climb out. Sure, the Lightning is being helped by playing in a terrible division, but, hey, it's the only division we've got. So enjoy what is turning into quite a little race and the 11 remaining division games, starting Saturday against the Thrashers.

Loved this quote from Dan Boyle after the 2-1 win over Nashville: "Now we have a little pulse. We have a little life.''

Who would have thought we would actually look forward to yet ANOTHER game with the Thrashers or the Capitals? Sorry, I still can't say I ever will enjoy ANOTHER game with the Panthers.

Anyway, good for the Lightning with the way it scratched out the win over the Predators, who had been red hot coming into the game. You need to win games like that; games in which you are not necessarily playing all that well, especially at the start. The first period was awful with not one Tampa Bay scoring chance. But a little soul searching between the first and second periods gave everyone a lift, and after tying the score, some more between the second and third periods put everyone on the same page. And considering the way the third periods have gone lately (and the lingering sourness about Saturday's late loss to Florida), playing a solid third and pulling it out in overtime was a minor miracle.

I'm not saying anything about the future of this team. I'm not predicting anything. There are still tons of holes and inconsistencies. But top players such as Marty St. Louis, Brad Richards and Vinny Prospal seem to be finding their scoring touches. And you can't deny the third and fourth lines, particularly Craig MacDonald and Nick Tarnasky, Andreas Karlsson, Mathieu Darche and Chris Gratton, have been showing some grit. Now if only Michel Ouellet and Jan Hlavac could get involved.

And you have to give it up to a group that has stayed tight in the locker room, hasn't pointed fingers, accepted the coaching of John Tortorella, whom I believe has done a pretty good job this season, and ripped off six straight wins on the road, one off the franchise mark.

Perhaps the team is on the good side of the breaks for once as what could have been a disaster, when Vinny Lecavalier took a shot off the left foot/ankle in the second period, might be, as one Lightning person said, "a normal postgame bump.'' Keep an eye on him, though, as he was limping pretty good after the game.

The bottom line is this. The Lightning is in the chase. It will take consistency and some good bounces to win it. For now, though, maybe we just enjoy the ride.

      

Vinny starts the third period

He seems okay as he tested his leg before the period, but Vinny Lecavalier took the opening faceoff.

Vinny goes off limping

Not a good sign for the Lightning as star center Vinny Lecavalier limped down the hallway toward the dressing room after the second period. Lecavalier was hit in the left leg/foot at the end of the period by a shot from Nashville's Vernon Fiddler. No other word as yet.

Roy still out

Know this is a little late since the game already has started, but it's worth noting that Andre Roy was benched again for the second straight game after having words with coach John Tortorella during Saturday's game with the Panthers.

"For disciplinary reasons,'' Torts said again.

The reason I mention it now? Haven't seen one body check thrown by the Lightning 15 minutes through the first period.

Don't you miss that?

And just to keep the record straight, Dan Boyle just took out Nashville's Dan Hamhuis behind the Preds net, only 19:10 into the period.

Right or wrong message?

Interesting question from a fan and fellow blog reader after coach John Tortorella, talking to reporters after Tuesday's 5-4 victory over the Blues, took a little piece out of the hides of his players. The win wasn't good enough, Tortorella said, because another third-period meltdown in which St. Louis scored two goals in the last five minutes and turned a good effort into an episode of survivor.

Tortorella called the circumstances "horse(bleep). It's just not pride in the details of the game. You can't even enjoy a win. It was awful.''

The reader wanted to know if that was the right message to send after a road victory, especially one game after a third-period meltdown cost Tampa Bay the game against the Panthers? Why not go positive instead of negative?

For what it's worth, defenseman Paul Ranger said Torts' criticism was correct.

"It's important that we recognize that,'' he said of the third-period problems. "That's completely fair. We get a good win but at the same time, you can't just ignore it. We have to use these situations to learn from it.''

A couple things probably set Torts off. One, the mistakes lately, including those against the Panthers Saturday, when two late goals led to a loss, are being made by the top players. Dan Boyle and Vinny Lecavalier messed up on St. Louis' third goal, and Lecavalier, Brad Richards and Marty St. Louis were on the wrong side of the puck that led to a four-on-two and St. Louis' fourth goal.

The other thing are the points Tampa Bay has left on the table because of rotten third-period play. The team has lost 12 games, nine in regulation, in which it either led or was tied heading into the third period. That is 21 points squandered. And when you're eight points out of first in your division but otherwise out of the playoffs, that's a big deal.

Boyle agreed with Ranger about Torts' outburst, saying, "That's what being a coach is about. He has to look at the third period. The third period has been kind of a mess. You can't give up a four-on-two. You have to be on the defensive side of things. I wasn't happy when I came off the ice. Yeah, we won, but ... ''

St. Louis acknowledged the team has to play better in the third period. But he also said, "I know when that buzzer sounded, I enjoyed that win. Knowing the teams we are chasing lost, I was very happy.''

Torts wasn't. Should he have been?

Roy benched for disciplinary reasons

Left wing Andre Roy has gotten lots of praise for not only his play this season but for being able to hold onto his emotions during a game and not take bad penalties. His minutes have gone up because of it, and even Roy said of coach John Tortorella, "I'm more confident. I feel good out there and it's all because of Torts. He's given me a lot of opportunities to play.''

Still, Tortorella benched Roy for tonight's game against the Blues because of an incident Saturday during the Panthers game in which the two had words.

"We just had a little disagreement,'' Roy said after Tuesday's morning skate. "I went a little too far.''

The incident apparently occurred during the second period against the Panthers. Roy had fought Branislav Mezei, yapped with the Panthers defenseman and continued during a time out, leaning over the boards at the Lightning bench to direct some invective at Mezei.

That is when, apparently, he and Torts got into it as well as the coach wanted Roy focusing on the game. Roy said he reacted badly to the reprimand. The conversation apparently got a bit heated.

"It was just an incident where I didn't agree with him, and it wasn't right by me,'' Roy saida. "I think I might have overreacted with the stuff I said. I said a little bit too much which was not right because he's been fair by me.''

Roy has gotten regular third- and fourth-line shifts recently and has built up his average time on ice to 5:43. His four goals and seven points are his most since he had 10 and 17 in 2002-03 for Tampa Bay. But Roy's time on ice always has been predicated on him keeping hold of his sometimes volatile on-ice emotions.

"Against Vancouver (Thursday), he was rock-solid as far as far as playing with emotion and not going overboard where it affects other things,'' Tortorella said. "We're still in a process of trying to get through that and take another step here. He's given us some good minutes, though.''

Roy said the two spoke and cleared the air.

"Torts has been great,'' Roy said. "For once in my career, I'm having this opportunity to play some minutes, and ever since then my confidence has been building. ... Now I just shut up and take this and be ready for the next time he puts me in the lineup.''

It was unclear when that would be.

Quickies: Roy's absence shook up the third and fourth lines for tonight's game. Chris Gratton centers the third line with wins Nick Tarnasky and Craig MacDonald. Andreas Karlsson centers the fourth with wings Mathieu Darche and Jason Ward. ... Johan Holmqvist starts in net.

 

Not just a contract negotiation

By working on a contract extension for defenseman Dan Boyle, the Lightning also are trying to determine whether it will have to trade him by the Feb. 26 deadline. Tampa Bay wants Boyle. That is, it appears he is wanted by Hollywood producer Oren Koules, who is expected this week to sign a purchase agreement to buy the team from Palace Sports & Entertainment. By negotiating now, the team has about three weeks to see if the numbers are going to work. If not, better to trade him and get some depth into the organization with what can be reaped?

How much is Boyle worth? Consider the other big contracts signed last summer by fellow puck-moving defensemen. Brian Rafalski signed with the Red Wings a contract that pays him $6-million a season for five season. Timmo Kimonen signed a six-year deal with the Flyers that pays an average $6.33-million. Neither matched Boyle's 20 goals and 63 points from last season. With that in mind, it is not inconceivable that Boyle asks for $7-million a season.

With $20-million tied up in Vinny Lecavalier, Brad Richards and Marty St. Louis, and with GM Jay Feaster on record as wanting to acquire a No. 1 goalie, that number could be hard to swallow. But does Tampa Bay then trade Boyle or perhaps it trades others to create the space needed to keep him.

Anyway, more about this in tomorrow's paper. Just interesting how this might play out. But as former Whalers assistant GM Pierre McGuire, now a television analyst for Canada's TSN, said:

"This is how business is done in the NHL. You get aggressive when it's an important players and you want to make sure you don't lose him for nothing. 'We want you here.' But if you find the player's numbers and self-assessment doesn't match yours, you probably have to go in a different direction.''

Tale of the tape

Lightning coach John Tortorella is a great believer in using video to get his points across about the good and bad of a particular game. On Friday he had tons of good to show after Thursday's 4-3 victory over the Canucks. He said he showed the fights, obviously, but more important were the hard checks and the battles for pucks Tampa Bay kept winning because it outmanned the opposition.

Speaking this morning after the team's skate in preparation for the game against the Panthers, Torts said he had a short message for his players:

"I didn't have anything to say,'' he said he told them. "You saw it yesterday. Do it again.''

Of course, we have been down this road before. The team looks good, people think a corner somehow has been turned and then the Lightning falls flat on its face again. Remember the Colorado game? Tortorella does.

"The key is our consistency,'' he said. "We have the people who can play that style. It's the style we want to play. It's not always going to be at that level, I understand that, but it has to be part of our identity, the beginning of creating our identity through these 30 games and how we have to play. They want to do it again. I just don't know what happens sometimes with the electrodes up there. It just doesn't click in. That's what we're striving to do.''

That quote doesn't do justice to the scene in which Torts, when he was talking about electrodes started moving his hands all around his head. Take my word for it, it was pretty funny.

As much as the players enjoyed the good stuff shown in Friday's video session, Tortorella said the team was business-like.

"I think,'' he said, "it's the beginning of re-creating our identity here.''

Just some other quickie things:

Wing Jason Ward, who had such a tough time against the Canucks, and who's bad defensive play, when a puck jumped right over his stick, led to a Vancouver goal, will be scratched. That gives Mathieu Darche a chance to show what he can do. ... No surprise Karri Ramo is in net. ... And an interesting little tidbit from Marty St. Louis, who talked about the way he has divided the rest of the season up into five-game segments with the goal of winning each segment. He said he posts the results in the locker room. He said he, Lecavalier and Richards came up with the idea to keep the focus narrow. "If you look at the big picture, it can be like a mountain,'' St. Louis said. "Take it in small games like that, it's an inch at a time and you're going to get there.''

 

Sale getting close?

It is Feb. 1 and given that Lightning owner Palace Sports & Entertainment wanted to have a purchase agreement done with Hollywood producer Oren Koules by Jan. 31 (and even gave him exclusive negotiating rights), it seems appropriate today to see what happened to those rights.

The Lightning was happy to report today, through spokesman Bill Wickett, that talks are going so well, any deadlines for the loss of those exclusive rights were waived. That means they are making progress, folks. Though Bill wouldn't go any farther than that, there is a sense a deal could be struck as soon as next week.

That would be just the first step in what could be a long process. The league has to approve the transfer of ownership (that should be easy given commissioner Gary Bettman greased the skids of this transaction), and then the financial transaction ($200-million for the team, St. Pete Times Forum lease and 5.5 acres near the arena) has to close. With the current credit crunch, who knows how long that will take.

Hard to tell what effect this would have on whatever might happen leading up to the trade deadline. How much input will Koules have? If nothing else, GM Jay Feaster would have to pass any transaction through Palace Sports and Koules.

Will be interesting to see the consequences. But at least it seems steps, though slowly, are being taken to resolve this situation so the franchise can move forward. For the team's sake, it should be sooner rather than later.