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Tampa Bay Lightning News

Ryan Malone seeks to return from latest injury
February 11
St. Petersburg Times
 
"For Ryan Malone, the critical moment of Friday's practice came when he and teammate Marc-Andre Bergeron skated toward the side boards after a puck. "Battle, 'Bugsy,' battle!" Lightning head athletic trainer Tommy Mulligan yelled. Malone and Bergeron shook the glass with their collision. Malone skated easily away, the best sign yet the left wing had overcome the upper-body injury that has sidelined him for six games. "It feels good," Malone said later in the locker room. "We'll see how it feels (today) and play it by ear." Music to Malone's ears would be getting the call for tonight's game with the Sabres at the First Niagara Center. It would make coach Guy Boucher happy, too. "All I know"
Bolts still struggling to gain ground
February 11
Tampa Tribune
 
"The Lightning are on a roll, relatively speaking. With a 6-1-2 record in the past nine games, Tampa Bay is enjoying its best stretch of the season as it plays the Sabres tonight. But even with just one regulation loss in the past nine games, gaining any ground in the playoff chance has been a difficult task. With 29 games left in the season, Tampa Bay finds itself tied with Buffalo for 12th place in the Eastern Conference standings, nine points behind the Southeast Division lead and 10 points out of the eighth and final playoff spot. According to sportsclubstats.com, the chance of Tampa Bay earning a playoff spot is 4.8 percent, giving the Lightning just a sliver of hope. "We have to keep"
Lightning's Dominic Moore fined $2,500 for hit on New York Rangers' Ruslan Fedotenko
February 11
St. Petersburg Times
 
"The Lightning's Dominic Moore was fined $2,500 Friday, the most allowed under the collective bargaining agreement, for an apparent head hit on the Rangers' Ruslan Fedotenko. The NHL said in a statement only that Moore was fined "for an interference infraction that caused an injury." Moore did not respond to a request for comment. In the third period of Thursday's game, Moore skated in front of Fedotenko to keep him away from puck-handling Lightning center Nate Thompson and appeared to hit the wing on the chin with his right shoulder. Moore got a roughing penalty. Fedotenko left the game and didn't return."
Lightning defenseman Mattias Ohlund likely won't play this season
February 10
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Nobody is saying it, but it seems clear Mattias Ohlund will not play this season. The Lightning defenseman has not played a regular-season game because of two bum knees, is not skating, and GM Steve Yzerman acknow­ledged Thursday there is no timetable for him to do so. Ohlund contributes, though, as an ad hoc assistant coach. Beginning with the Jan. 20-21 road trip to Dallas and Phoenix, Ohlund has watched games from the press box (with a special eye on the defense), taking notes and passing along what he observes to the coaching staff and players. "He's a really bright hockey guy and well-respected," Yzerman said. "He's got a lot to offer to us in watching the games and watching our"
Lightning falls 4-3 in overtime to New York Rangers
February 10
St. Petersburg Times
 
"A lost point here, another there. Over time, they add up, and not in a good way for a team desperate to stay in the playoff race. The Lightning fell 4-3 in overtime to the Eastern Conference-leading Rangers on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden and got a point for the regulation tie. But Tampa Bay (23-24-6) also left a point on the table and could not gain on the Panthers and Capitals, nine points ahead atop the Southeast Division. "Every point is crucial, either gained or lost," center Dominic Moore said. "But that depends on how you look at it." One way is the Lightning is 6-1-2 in its past nine games. The other is that since winning five straight, it is 1-1-2 and lost crucial"
Malone eyes Saturday return
February 10
Tampa Tribune
 
"As Ryan Malone sat at his locker stall Friday removing his hockey equipment in the visitor's locker room at Madison Square Garden, he tried to catch his breath before answering questions about his playing status. While he wouldn't go as far to say that games are less taxing than being pushed through lengthy morning practices, he did say games are a lot more fun. Malone seems set to get back to having fun. After practicing for the fourth consecutive day, and doing so without a colored jersey indicating an injured player, Malone — out with an upper-body injury suffered Jan.?21 — is expecting to be back in the lineup Saturday when the Lightning play at Buffalo. "Everything feels good. I took"
Lightning fall to Rangers in overtime, 4-3
February 10
Tampa Tribune
 
"The fundamentals of the game do not often lead to fault. But breaks sometimes being what they are, they can result in unfortunate misgivings. That's what happened to Victor Hedman, who did exactly what he was supposed to do on a play that led to a third-period tying goal as the Lightning wound up dropping a 4-3 overtime decision to the New York Rangers on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. Former Tampa Bay center Brad Richards scored the winning goal with 2 minutes, 23 seconds left in overtime. Steven Stamkos scored his league-leading 36th goal of the season for the Lightning, while Vinny Lecavalier and Bruno Gervais also scored. Mathieu Garon had 27 saves in taking the loss. With"
Richards scores OT winner, rips hit on Fedotenko
February 10
New York Post
 
"Brad Richards not only delivered the play of the night, scoring on a gorgeous Artem Anisimov feed at 2:37 of overtime to lift the Rangers to a 4-3 victory over the Lightning at the Garden, the Big Moment Kid also delivered the thought of the night in assessing Dominic Moore's brutal shoulder to Ruslan Fedotenko's head that almost certainly concussed the Blueshirts' winger. "I'm pretty sure that's what we're trying not to do to each other," Richards, who has seven game-winning goals, said after the Rangers had rallied from 3-2 down after two on Brian Boyle's score at 10:13 of the third. "It's us doing it to each other."
Back from concussion, Victor Hedman emerging as Tampa Bay Lightning star
February 9
St. Petersburg Times
 
"When Victor Hedman returned to the lineup after missing 13 games because of a concussion, he did not plan to play it safe. The Lightning defenseman was going to hit and be hit, get into traffic, battle for pucks, prove to himself right away he was 100 percent healthy. "I told myself to go out and play hard," Hedman said. "You'd rather be a little too aggressive at the beginning, try to make some hits and play the way I can." It has been only four games, but he might have even taken a step forward. In a season that could be a nonplayoff disappointment for Tampa Bay, Hedman, 21, the No. 2 overall pick of the 2009 draft, is laying the groundwork for future success. "I think this is just the"
Lightning's Hall makes quick return from injury
February 9
Tampa Tribune
 
"Adam Hall laid a solid, clean hit on Matt Carkner in the corner of ScotiaBank Place early in a game against Ottawa on Jan. 5. Carkner, one of Ottawa's resident enforcers, took exception and challenged Hall to drop the gloves. Though not considered a fighter by any means, Hall knows how to handle himself in those situations with 10 previous fights in the NHL, according to HockeyFights.com web site. So Hall obliged the challenge from Carkner, who has 39 career fights in just three-plus NHL seasons. But during that fight, Hall was off balance and as he fell to the ice, his body got twisted around and his left arm, in particular, moved in a direction it wasn't meant to go. The result was a"
Tampa Bay Lightning GM Steve Yzerman in no hurry as trade deadline nears
February 8
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Lightning GM Steve Yzerman said Tuesday he is no closer to determining whether he will be a buyer or seller at the Feb. 27 deadline. Yzerman had said he believed clarity would come after the homestand that ended against the Kings. But with the team still on the edge of the playoff conversation, there is no longer a clear timetable, though the upcoming three-game road trip that starts Thursday against the Rangers likely will be key. "The team is playing well," Yzerman said before Tampa Bay's 3-1 loss stopped its 6-0-1 points streak. "We're winning games. There's still lots of time left. … Let this play itself out." There was a minor stir when for the eighth time D Evan Oberg was called up"
Bolts notes: Oberg's arrival sparks speculation
February 8
Tampa Tribune
 
"For each of Tampa Bay Lightning D Evan Oberg's six recalls earlier in the season, the 22-year-old was brought up mainly as insurance against nagging injuries to other defensemen. When Oberg was again called up Tuesday, however, it appeared to be a curious move as the Lightning have eight healthy defensemen with the return of D Marc-Andre Bergeron, who had been out since Jan. 13 with a back issue. Oberg's presence gives the Lightning nine defensemen on the roster, creating speculation a trade is on the horizon. But head coach Guy Boucher and general manager Steve Yzerman — who said trade talk is quiet right now — put a quick end to that."
Stingy Kings defense too much for Lightning
February 8
Tampa Tribune
 
"The crowd roared to life and the Tampa Bay Lightning showed some spark. After just tying the game Tuesday night, Tampa Bay earned a power play and the energy was evident. With play in front of the Los Angeles Kings net, the goal horn sounded, just for a brief instant. However, a moment later momentum vanished, silencing the announced crowd of 16,489. Kyle Clifford came racing out of the penalty box and took a long pass for a clean breakaway. His goal through the legs of Dwayne Roloson midway through the second period helped Los Angeles to a 3-1 victory, snapping the Lightning's string of seven consecutive games with at least a point (6-0-1) and dropped Tampa Bay below the .500 mark."
Superstitious? Marty St. Louis? Let's talk about something else
February 7
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Marty St. Louis insists he is not superstitious. That the Lightning wing likes four pieces of gum in his locker before games; that he has worn the same torn, blue shirt under his jersey for six years; that teammate Vinny Lecavalier said, "You want to do something to him? Take his (stick) tape before a game." Nope, doesn't mean anything. "I'm just particular," St. Louis said, grinning. "If something is working, I'm not changing." That includes a theory it is best not to discuss milestones before they happen, streaks until they run their course and rituals or habits that seem to help the team until they no longer prove useful. It makes for interviews during which St. Louis and reporters"
Lightning rewarded for jobs well done
February 7
Tampa Tribune
 columnist Martin Fennelly
"So, this is what real, live winning hockey looks like. We'd almost forgotten. The Tampa Bay Lightning are still in a deep hole when it comes to prolonging their season past the standard 82 games. They've won six of the past seven games to climb back to .500. This is how it has usually worked after home wins: Bolts coach Guy Boucher stares at a flat screen, sees the end of the out-of-town games or all those Eastern Conference scores and sees that little or no ground has been gained. Even after all this good work of late, the Lightning remain miles from contention. "You look at the standings and you'll go nuts," Lightning defenseman Eric Brewer said. "It's not my job. We just need to do our"
Old hands Marty, Vinny keep Bolts in playoff picture
February 7
Tampa Tribune
 
"Knowing when somebody is going to zig and when he is going to zag looks like intuition between teammates. It can't be practiced or mapped out. Sometimes, it just happens. Or, in the case of Lightning stars Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis, happens again. The Tampa Bay veterans have been a big part of the Lightning's mini resurgence over the past seven games and heading into Tuesday's matchup against the Los Angeles Kings. During the 6-0-1 stretch, Tampa Bay's dynamic duo has rekindled some of the chemistry that made it the top scoring duo in 2006-07, when each player reached the 100-point mark and the two combined for 210 points."
Tampa Bay Lightning soon to face dilemma over glut of healthy defensemen
February 6
St. Petersburg Times
 
"When defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron returns from a back injury — and that is simply a matter of conditioning, coach Guy Boucher said — the Lightning will have a glut on the blue line that is a problem and an opportunity. The problem: With Bruno Gervais and Brendan Mikkelson gaining confidence and playing time, Boucher, who likes to play seven defensemen, will have difficult decisions because he will have eight available. The opportunity: GM Steve Yzerman will have organizational depth to manage, never a bad thing with the Feb. 27 trade deadline three weeks away. It is interesting Gervais and Mikkelson are forcing the issue."
Boucher big fan of Hedman's 'monster' game
February 6
Tampa Tribune
 
"After Victor Hedman's first game back from injury, Lightning head coach Guy Boucher described the young defenseman's game as "very good.'' After Hedman's second game, Boucher called him "terrific'' So when the 21-year-old blue liner put in another strong effort in Saturday's 6-3 victory, what way did Boucher use to describe Hedman, who had an assist, five shots on goals, five blocked shots, three hits and was a plus-two? "I was going to use the word machine, but I like the word monster, absolutely,'' Boucher said. "He had a monster game, blocking shots, hitting guys, first on puck, separating players from the puck and taking the puck and skating up with it, getting all kinds of scoring"
Lightning has "no plans" to send rookie Brett Connolly back to juniors yet
February 5
St. Petersburg Times
 
"It seems as if the Lightning is committed to keeping Brett Connolly on its roster despite dramatic dropoffs in his offensive production and ice time, and that the rookie right wing needs to get much better defensively. He was even benched for Thursday's game with the Jets. Connolly can be sent to Tri-City of the junior Western league, and for him to be eligible for its playoffs, the move must be made by the NHL's Feb. 27 trade deadline. But Tampa Bay general manager Steve Yzerman said, "At this time we don't have any plans to do that." It is a decision based on what the team believes is best for Connolly's development and the rules that say when junior-eligble players can be sent to the"
Dwayne Roloson staying focused, positive while sitting for Tampa Bay Lightning
February 5
St. Petersburg Times
 
"G Dwayne Roloson has played in just one of the Lightning's past eight games and just 10 of the past 31. It is clearly no fun for Roloson, who was signed to be the team's No. 1, to be relegated to No. 2 behind Mathieu Garon. But Roloson is not rocking the boat. "You're always disappointed when you're not playing, but you can't focus on that," he said. "You can't focus on the individual part of it. You have to focus on doing whatever you can to help us get better." Roloson, 42, the league's oldest player who during the summer signed a one-year, $3 million deal, is 7-10-2 in 24 games. His 3.65 goals-against average entered Saturday last in the league among goalies with at least 10 games. His"
Marty St. Louis hat trick in 900th game propels Tampa Bay Lightning to 6-3 victory over Florida Panthers
February 5
St. Petersburg Times
 
"For Marty St. Louis, silence was golden. The last time he talked to the media before a potential milestone game, an injury put him on the sideline. So before his 900th NHL game, Saturday night against the Panthers, the Lightning wing declined interviews with a forceful no. He then scored a hat trick to spark an enormous 6-3 victory at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. That was a much better result than when he missed what would have been his 500th consecutive game, Dec. 8 in New York, after taking an errant puck to the face. "Yeah, that's right," St. Louis said, acknowledging it is better not to talk before a game and playfully adding to reporters, "now you guys are learning." What we learned"
Rays of hope keep playoff chances alive
February 5
Tampa Tribune
 
"This news will come as a shock to almost nobody, but the odds are heavily stacked against the Lightning to make the playoffs. I know, I know, crazy right? After Saturday's win against Florida – which leads the Southeast division – Tampa Bay still sits eight points out of a playoff position and eight points out of the division lead. With 31 games remaining on the schedule, there are only 62 points still available. If you figure it will take 94 points to make the playoffs, the Lightning will need to earn roughly 42 of those remaining possible 62 points. There is little margin for error, to say the least. In fact, according to website www.sportsclubstats.com, Tampa Bay's chances to make the"
St. Louis' hat trick leads Bolts past Panthers
February 5
Tampa Tribune
 
"Sitting at his locker following a three-goal performance, Marty St. Louis sat with his three sons on his knee while holding three pucks to pose for a postgame picture. The snapshot served as a special reminder for St. Louis, who capped his 900th game Saturday with his fifth hat trick as Tampa Bay routed Florida 6-3 in front of an announced sellout crowd of 19,204 at The Forum. The six goals scored was a season-high for the Lightning, and the win pulled Tampa Bay to within eight points of the Southeast Division lead behind Florida. Vinny Lecavalier had a season-high four points, with a goal and three assists, while Steven Stamkos notched his league-leading 34th goal of the season to help"
Lightning makes 'no excuses' for anemic power play
February 4
St. Petersburg Times
 
"The word "frustrating" was used a lot in the Lightning locker room Friday. That's what happens when the topic is a quiescent power play that has converted just 5 of 57 chances in the past 19 games. "No excuses," right wing Teddy Purcell said. "We have enough players in this locker room to have two successful (power-play units). We just haven't been finding ways to get it done." This is not a new issue. Tampa Bay's power play entered Friday 28th in the 30-team league at 13.3 percent and last on the road at 8.6 percent. But it deserves to again be spotlighted given the team is desperate to climb into the playoff race and the lack of a power play is killing it. In Tuesday's 4-3 overtime"
Mikkelson making time for himself
February 4
Tampa Tribune
 
"Toiling on the blue line two hours outside of Vancouver while playing in the minor leagues for the Abbotsford Heat, Brendan Mikkelson waited for his call. When it finally came, it wasn't quite what he was expecting. Thinking a call-up to Calgary was on the other end of the line the morning of Jan. 6, the 24-year-old instead learned had been traded to Tampa Bay. And it's been with the Lightning that the 6-foot-3, 202-pound defenseman has enjoyed a bit of a revolution in his career. A former second-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in 2005, Mikkelson spent two seasons up and down with the Ducks before being waived and claimed by Calgary last season. But since turning pro, Mikkelson has played"
Jets strike in overtime to beat Lightning 2-1
February 3
Winnipeg Free Press
 
"They're certainly not going to remind anyone of those potent Edmonton Oiler squads of the 1980s, the dominant Montreal Canadiens dynasty of the late '70s or the Big, Bad Bruins. But the Winnipeg Jets appear to have rediscovered -- and yes, the evidence is still circumstantial even after Thursday's 2-1 overtime victory over the Tampa Lighting -- their winning blueprint. And it is built on this: all hands on deck with 20 guys pitching in, stellar goaltending and just a smidgen of offence."
Wellwood's OT winner gives 'Peg back-to-back road wins
February 3
Winnipeg Free Press
 
"They're certainly not going to remind anyone of those potent Edmonton Oilers squads of the 1980s, the Montreal Canadiens dynasty of the late '70s or the Big, Bad Bruins. But the Winnipeg Jets appear to have rediscovered -- and, yes, the evidence is still circumstantial even after Thursday's 2-1 overtime victory over the Tampa Lighting -- their winning blueprint. And it is built on this: All hands on deck with 20 guys all pitching in, stellar goaltending and just a smidgen of offence. Now comes the next critical hurdle -- doing it again immediately against the Florida Panthers tonight in Sunrise."
Lightning five-game win streak ends with 2-1 OT loss to Winnipeg Jets
February 3
St. Petersburg Times
 
"The Lightning outplayed the Jets on Thursday — outshot them, outchanced them. The only thing it didn't do is outscore them. Tampa Bay fell 2-1 in overtime at the Tampa Bay Times Forum in what, for a team fighting for its playoff life, was one of the season's more disappointing losses. Especially to a Southeast Division foe above it in the standings. "Their goaltender stoned us, basically," coach Guy Boucher said. "We had tons of quality, quality scoring chances and didn't bury them. We did what we needed to do. It just didn't go in. That's what's tough to take." Goaltender Ondrej Pavelec, with 30 saves, certainly had a lot to do with the win; Tampa Bay (22-23-5) had a 31-24 shot advantage."
GM Steve Yzerman: Next two games key to determining Tampa Bay Lightning trade position
February 3
St. Petersburg Times
 
"The final two games of the Lightning's four-game homestand — and perhaps its upcoming three-game road trip — will go a long way in determining if the team buys or sells at the Feb. 27 trade deadline, GM Steve Yzerman said. "Depending on how many points we get out of it and we see what else happens around the league, we'll get a better indication," he said Thursday. The league, Yzerman said, is in a feeling-out pattern as teams wait to see which will make playoff runs (buyers) and which won't (sellers). Eight teams had scouts credentialed for Thursday's game with the Jets, including the Penguins, who reserved seats for pro scout Andre Savard and director of pro scouting Derek Clancy. There"
Winnipeg tops Lightning in overtime, 2-1
February 3
Tampa Tribune
 
"The Lightning ran into a speed bump or a pot hole Thursday night. Which one depends on what takes place in the coming days. But in the present, a 2-1 overtime loss to Winnipeg in front of an announced crowd of 16,923 at the Forum at least took some steam out of Tampa Bay's recent winning ways. Kyle Wellwood scored with 1 minute, 46 seconds left in the extra period to halt the Lightning's season-best winning streak at five games. Tampa Bay, however, did extend its streak of consecutive games with at least a point to a season-long six games. The Lightning had been 5-1 in games decided in overtime, but failed to generate a shot on goal in the extra session. Wellwood converted a 2-on-1 pass"
For now, at least, Mathieu Garon is Tampa Bay Lightning's No. 1 goalie
February 2
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Lightning goaltender Mathieu Garon didn't want to hear it. He didn't want to hear how much he has meant to the team's season-best five-game winning streak or about an improved goals-against average and save percentage. He certainly didn't want to hear how he is giving the team more of a chance to win. "When you win, it seems like all the credit goes to the goalie, and when you lose it's the opposite," Garon said. "It all depends on how the team is playing." Maybe so, but there is no getting around how the goaltending has stepped up lately. Garon leads the way, winning his past four starts with a 2.22 GAA and .918 save percentage. Dwayne Roloson also played well in his last start, a 33-save"
Return brings no ill effects for Lightning's Hedman
February 2
Tampa Tribune
 
"In the early morning hours on Wednesday back in his native Sweden, a very interested fan tuned in to watch Lighting defenseman Victor Hedman's return to action. Hedman had missed more than a month with a concussion. So his mother, Elisabeth, watched every minute of Tuesday night's overtime win against the Capitals, partly to watch her son play, but also to make sure he was OK. "My mom was more afraid that I was going to take a hit, and I think she was more happy than me that I went through the game without any injury,'' Hedman said after practice Wednesday. "She called me (Wednesday) morning and said that I looked good, so that was good. I know she watches all the games, but this game"
Return to action just start of good news for Tampa Bay Lightning's J.T. Wyman
February 1
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Lightning RW J.T. Wyman was glad to be playing again after missing nine games with an injured right pinkie. But even better for Wyman is he won't lose the finger — or a third of it, at least — a real concern after the bone was shattered Jan. 5 against the Senators. "The tip was like falling off," Wyman said. "I've never seen anything like it. We had to make sure it was given enough time to heal so as not to put it at risk." "It was," head athletic trainer Tommy Mulligan said, "in a fragile state.""
Esposito 'in shock' after daughter's death at age 43
February 1
Tampa Tribune
 
"Tampa Bay Lightning founder Phil Esposito said he was leaving for Germany on Wednesday to attend a Sunday viewing for his daughter, Carrie Selivanov, who died Monday at age 43. Carrie died from a unknown illness, according to Esposito, who currently serves as the Lightning's vice president of corporate relations and while working as the color analyst for radio broadcast during home games. She was married to former Lightning player Alex Selivanov and previously worked as director of team services. The couple was living in Germany and he was working as a player-coach in the Netherlands."
Bolts top Capitals in OT for fifth straight win
February 1
Tampa Tribune
 
"Mathieu Garon provided the spark, first knocking down a Troy Brouwer shot and kicking out a Brooks Laich follow-up attempt before poking the puck forward onto the stick of Marty St. Louis. The play allowed St. Louis to spring Steven Stamkos up the ice. Stamkos fed back to St. Louis inside the offensive zone, where he snapped a shot on goal that wound up caroming into the crease at the right post. Stamkos swooped in and knocked in the rebound to cap off Tampa Bay's 4-3 overtime victory against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday. The goal sent the announced crowd of 17,754 at The Forum into a state of frenzy as the Lightning won a season-best fifth consecutive game."
ashington rallies from two-goal deficit before falling in overtime at Tampa Bay, 4-3
February 1
Washington Post
 
"There's no question the Washington Capitals would rather have picked up two points here Tuesday night instead of only one in an overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. But the mood in the visiting dressing room was more positive than morose as the Capitals prepared for the second leg of back-to-back games in Florida. Washington erased a two-goal deficit and forced overtime in one of its better puck possession games in recent memory but ultimately fell, 4-3, to the Lightning when Steven Stamkos recorded the game-winner on a rebound 2 minutes 45 seconds into overtime."
Capitals focus on positives after 4-3 overtime loss to Tampa Bay
February 1
Washington Post
 
"The Capitals' focus Tuesday night wasn't on the negative side of the 4-3 overtime loss to Tampa Bay, but rather the positive elements that allowed them to squeeze a point out of a game that they trailed by two goals halfway through. Chief among those attributes was Washington's ability to cycle the puck and dominate possession as the contest wore on. "I thought we controlled the puck maybe as well as we've done over the last 20, 30 games and that's in our zone, in the neutral zone," said Brooks Laich, who was on the ice for the Capitals' first and third goals. "It felt like we had the puck more often than not — we were making them chase. It comes with good decisions, it comes with"
Time running short if Tampa Bay Lightning is to make NHL playoff run
January 31
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Don't look at newspaper articles. Don't look at the Internet. That, Marty St. Louis said, will serve the Lightning best as it starts what it hopes to be a playoff push. "It's hard, but you have to train your brain to just worry about the one game," the wing said. "If you're constantly looking online or at the paper you'll get outside information you don't need." Such as this: Tampa Bay, with 46 points, is 12th in the East and nine points behind the Devils for the conference's eighth and final playoff spot. Or this: The Lightning is fourth in the Southeast Division, nine behind the first-place Capitals. In other words, defenseman Victor Hedman said, "We have a big mountain to climb to get"
Concussions are headache for NHL
January 31
Tampa Tribune
 columnist Martin Fennelly
"Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman skated here, there, everywhere Monday night at the Forum. It was the Lightning's first practice after the All-Star break. When it was done, Bolts coach Guy Boucher briefly ducked out of a media scrum to check with Lightning head trainer Tom Mulligan. Hedman will play Tuesday night against the Washington Capitals. "Yes, he's ready to go," Boucher said. "I feel good," Hedman said. "It's been a long road back." And still we worry. Victor Hedman is barely 21. And it's the head, man. Hedman has missed 13 games since suffering a concussion in late December. How do you not worry when you consider the hockey times we live in?"
Carrie Esposito, daughter of Lightning founder, dead at 43
January 31
Tampa Tribune
 
"The 43-year-old daughter of Tampa Bay Lightning founder Phil Esposito has died after long illness. Carrie Selivanov was married to former Tampa Bay player Alex Selivanov and previously worked as director of team services. Alex Selivanov was working as a player-coach for the Dutch team Hague."
Hedman likely back as Lightning host Capitals
January 31
Tampa Tribune
 
"After nearly a week off the ice, the Tampa Bay Lightning became reacquainted with each other for a late Monday practice. After ending the All-Star break on a four-game winning streak, the final game before the break with nine players out due to injury, Tampa Bay will face Southeast Division leading Washington Tuesday with a few more healthy bodies back in the lineup. And with a major post-break push required to even consider the chance of reaching the playoffs this season, the healthier the happier for Lightning head coach Guy Boucher. "I know that you can hold on for a while when you have injuries, but you can't hold on forever,'' Boucher said. "It's good to see some guys back for sure."
Back to the real NHL games
January 30
Ottawa Sun
 columnist Chris Stevenson
"The days at the beach, as tweeted by Capitals defenceman Mike Green from the Cayman Islands, are over. The neon tans from Las Vegas will now start to fade. The NHL's feel-good weekend here — a resounding success which revolved around the emotional outpouring between Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson and Senators fans — now becomes a fond memory. Ahead is a 30-game sausage grinder that is the rest of the NHL season. "You need the break whether you're here or somewhere else doing something different. This is a part of the season the guys really look forward to, just to recharge the battery," said Maple Leafs winger Joffrey Lupul. "When you get back from this break, you're re-energized and you"
Chara's stars beat hometown hero Alfredsson
January 30
Ottawa Sun
 
"On his big day, Daniel Alfredsson surrounded himself with Swedes. But it was a bunch of Slovak buddies, led by New York Rangers winger Marian Gaborik, who drove Team Chara to a 12-9 victory over Team Alfredsson in front of 20,510 in the 57th NHL all-star game Sunday at Scotiabank Place. While former Senators defenceman Zdeno Chara scored the third-period winner, it was Gaborik, voted the game MVP, who led his club to victory with a hat trick and four-point effort as Team Chara walked away with the bragging rights. "You could see the guys wanted to win," said Chara when asked if he gave his team any instructions with the score tied 6-6 going into the third period. "I didn't have to say a"
All-Star nod still thrills, amazes Tampa Bay Lightning's Steven Stamkos
January 29
St. Petersburg Times
 
"When it comes to the All-Star Game, Steven Stamkos said he still feels like a little kid. The Lightning center — Tampa Bay's only player in today's game at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa — said he will be star-struck hanging around "(players) I grew up watching and still watch today." "When they say complimentary stuff to you, it's kind of weird," he said. "You never see yourself as one of the top players in the league." Stamkos, in his second straight All-Star Game, is that, with a league-best 32 goals and on his way to a second Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL's top goal-scorer. Just as noteworthy, though, and under the radar, has been his evolution into a star under his own power. No longer"
Stamkos a reluctant superstar on biggest stage
January 29
Tampa Tribune
 
"Hockey takes a break from game action to assemble in Ottawa for this afternoon's NHL All-Star, a showcase to display the top talent in the game today. The spotlight will shine bright, highlighting some of the league's top players in Canada's capital city. With two of the most recognizable players absent – Sidney Crosby continues to recover from a concussion while Alex Ovechkin opted out after being hit with a three-game suspension last week – one might argue that Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos, the league's leading goal scorer entering the break, rests somewhere near the top of the list as a star among the stars. "This game, the goal has always been (to be) kind of a top-five star," Detroit"
Goal leader Stamkos prevails in Elimination Shoot Out
January 29
NHL.com
 
"It had been a while since Steven Stamkos scored during a shootout -- two full seasons to be exact. The NHL's leading goal-scorer has been strangely unreliable during the post-overtime competition. He's 0-for-3 this season after going 0-for-7 last season. His last shootout goal came near the end of the 2009-10 season. But Stamkos more than made up for it during the Tim Hortons NHL Elimination Shoot Out. He went 3-for-3 in the contest, beating Montreal's Carey Price twice and Boston's Tim Thomas once to win the event against 23 other shooters."
Who will win? Breaking down All-Star teams
January 27
NHL.com
 
"The draft is over, the rosters set for the 2012 Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Game. We now know who will be wearing the white jerseys for Team Alfredsson and the blue jerseys to represent Team Chara. Now it's time to take a look at the rosters and break them down by position. Look for our prediction at the end. FORWARDS Datsyuk and Malkin on the same team is a scary proposition for the opposition. They may be the two most skilled players in the NHL right now. As Chara said, you can put them on the same line and they can be unstoppable, or you can put them on separate lines and they'll still be dominant and "make the line." Team Alfredsson has a lot of talent, but it doesn't have two"
Pierre-Cedric Labrie savors stint with Tampa Bay Lightning
January 26
St. Petersburg Times
 
"The thought of Pierre-Cedric Labrie sniffing the NHL seemed like a pipe dream eight years ago. Labrie was a 17-year-old undrafted wing cut by the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He toiled on the midnight shift at a convenience store five nights a week while trying to catch on with another junior team. Sometimes he'd nod off on boxes in the back trying to catch up on sleep between his games at night and morning practices. After a couple of months, Labrie returned home to Baie-Comeau, Quebec, eight hours from Montreal and light-years from the NHL. He planned on being a fireman. His hockey career? "Was going nowhere," he said. That's what has made these past three"
Lightning playoff push will take enormous effort
January 26
Tampa Tribune
 
"The Tampa Bay Lightning's longest winning streak of the season must take a break. With the All-Star game set for this weekend in Ottawa, Tampa Bay will have to wait until Washington comes to town Tuesday — after the weeklong break — to try to pick up a fifth consecutive victory. And resume its come-from-behind effort to make the playoffs. The season began with inflated expectations after the Lightning reached Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals last season, losing to eventual champion Boston. Training camp started with dreams of taking things one step further. Instead, Tampa Bay is 21-23-4 — 11th in the Eastern Conference and nine points out of a playoff spot with 34 games to play."