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Successful Start Is Grounds For Optimism

Published: Oct 8, 2007

TAMPA - It has been two games. It has been 120 minutes of hockey. It is way too early to look too far down the road.

Yet there have been some words thrown around the Lightning locker room in the early going that give you an indication that things are different around this team. And it's nothing directly related to the team's 2-0 start (although that certainly helps).

Brad Richards spoke of the energy and tempo the team played with in Saturday's complete-game effort against Atlanta. After the 5-2 victory, Lightning coach John Tortorella spoke of some early-season chemistry developing.

And it has only been two games.

There is much to be encouraged about after the two-game winning streak. But there are two things that stand out.

First, the job is getting done on the blue line even with Dan Boyle out of the lineup. Paul Ranger - despite his gaffe that led to Marian Hossa's breakaway goal Saturday - has been strong, playing more than 26 minutes in each of the first two games, including a career-high 27:09 on opening night. He has been physical in his end and active in the offensive zone. Ranger, Shane O'Brien and rookie Mike Lundin have been able to get quality playing time and are having success while doing it. They are learning valuable lessons that can only help in the long run.

Second is the early indication that this team can learn and adapt quickly.

After Thursday's win against New Jersey, the coaching staff identified a few areas that needed improvement, including in-game adjustments when Tampa Bay was being penned in by the Devils. The coaches went right to work on them in Friday's practice, with the emphasis on winning battles for the puck.

The team came back Saturday and turned in a dominating performance against the Thrashers.

"When you win and play a game like this, you feel like things are coming together, and I do," Tortorella said. "I think the practice day and the tape helped some of our guys in understanding. But having said that, it's just one game to consider a team, that it's going to take some time to get all the people understanding the type of style that we play. But to get success and to be able to show them some stuff, that speeds it up, and it helps players' confidence.

"For one night, and only one night, it was a good night, and now we need to build on it."

That next chance comes Wednesday in the first of back-to-back games against state rival Florida, a team that has given Tampa Bay fits the past two seasons. The Lightning are 5-8-3 against the Panthers in that span.

Perhaps after next weekend we'll find out whether the 120 minutes of hockey played to this point is an indication of things to come or if it's just a mirage.

UP FRONT: When the Lightning unveiled its new jerseys in August, the road white jerseys had the players' numbers on the right chest, while the home jerseys did not. But when the team took the ice for opening night and again Saturday, the home blacks also featured the number just below the right shoulder.

The team decided to make the change near the end of the preseason and sewed the numbers on after getting permission from the league.

PRAGUE UPDATE: Lightning officials held a conference call with the league Friday to discuss the potential of Tampa Bay opening next season against Pittsburgh in the Czech Republic. The discussions were positive, Lightning president Ron Campbell is reportedly optimistic, and the project is moving along. Assuming Tampa Bay receives adequate compensation from the league for losing a home game and travel expenses - and there is no reason to think they won't - an agreement almost certainly will be struck.