Matt Walker News

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Rick Tocchet knows it is a coach's cliche, but he also knows there is something to the sentiment: When playing on the road, the best thing to do is to keep it simple.

When David Hale learned during the summer he had been traded for the second time in his career, his family didn't mind the change of locations.

The Lightning weren't very good on the road early in the season, starting with a 6-3 loss at Atlanta in the season opener.

Toronto forward Phil Kessel, left, battles for the puck against Tampa's Martin St Louis on Tuesday.

Lightning head medical trainer Tommy Mulligan said as the vaccine for the H1N1 virus becomes more available, the organization will recommend players get it.

LW James Wright , whom the Lightning must keep or send back to juniors, has a powerful ally in captain Vinny Lecavalier .

The Lightning are in a stretch in their schedule in which they play only four games in two weeks, and they're all at home.

Tampa Bay's Matt Walker takes down Penguins captain Sidney Crosby Oct. 17, 2009.

The Tampa Bay Lightning notched their first victory of the 2009-10 campaign, beating their nemesis, Carolina, 5-2. Going into the game, the Hurricanes had won eight straight meetings with the Lightning, but it wasn't going to happen this night.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have been a doormat for most other teams in the NHL for too many years now.

The thing about scoring a goal into one's own net is that it is so unexpected. Think about it.

For Lightning coach Rick Tocchet, the defining moment of the preseason came in the final game at Atlanta.

Lightning coach Rick Tocchet said Monday night's game with the Senators had a throwback feel thanks to the intimate Brandt Centre, home of the junior Pats.

While the signing of veteran free-agent forward Marian Hossa addressed the Blackhawks' loss of Martin Havlat , the big question will be how well the Hawks' defense endures losing veteran goalie Nikolai Khabibulin and defenseman Matt Walker.

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville was pleased with the team's first training-camp practice Sunday, a four-hour session at Johnny's Icehouse, where 59 players started fighting -- there were three bouts -- for jobs on the 23-man roster.

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Great, After making it all the way to the Conference Finals last season, the Chicago Blackhawks made some major moves to try and push themselves into the Stanly Cup Finals this year.

The Detroit Red Wings should be better rested heading into training camp this year, according to head coach Mike Babcock.

I will be previewing all 30 NHL clubs. I will be looking at their available salary cap room, the additions and deletions from the 2008-'09 rosters, and where I think they will stack up in their division and conference for the 2009-'10 season... Chicago Blackhawks '09-'10 Season Preview I will be previewing all 30 NHL clubs.

The Central Division was the best division in the NHL last season, with four teams reaching the playoffs and fifth-place Nashville finishing just four points out of the hunt.

As we move throughout the NHL with Bleacher Report's NHL Mid-offseason report cards, we've now come to the Central.