"The Lightning plane from Boston landed Tuesday afternoon bearing news, if not victory. No state secrets this time:

Back in goal goes Dwayne Roloson.

It's the call I would make.

Then I would run and hide.

By the way, the Boston Bruins charter landed a few minutes before the Lightning's. Word is Tim Thomas steered the whole way down, using only his goalie stick. He really is feeling it.

It's another must-win moment for the Lightning, Game 6 of the conference finals. Guy Boucher, Coach Coy before Game 5, said Roli, Roli, Roli, to anyone he met Tuesday. Boucher has pushed all the right buttons as an NHL rookie. And now he has pushed another one, a big one, and he'd better be right.

Mike Smith returns to the bullpen, despite a .951 save percentage and a solid Game 5. Boucher reaches for the recently shaky Roloson, a move in some ways as bold as starting Smith in Game 5. The perfectly reasonable play might be Smith to start, Roloson ready in reserve.

Me? I want Roloson in goal tonight. Then again, I wanted him in net for Game 5, even after his slipping and sliding. Smith went in and held up his end. I guess that's why I'm not a finalist for Coach of the Year and Boucher is. Wait, Boucher isn't one of the finalists, either, which will remain, even after this season ends, however it ends, one of life's great mysteries.

Anyway, there's no mystery to Game 6 for Boucher.

"At some moment it has to be about how you feel, the information you've got, and then you make a decision," he said. "The one thing I'm never going to be is a guy who waits for things to change. I dare. Period. About everything.

"And if I feel that's what needs to be done, and it's going to give us an edge, a chance, or give somebody a break, I don't wait because I wonder what it looks like. I'm the last guy to do that.""