Paul Szczechura News

But when it comes to the start of their respective rookie seasons, there is no comparison.

Though the Lightning held a meeting Saturday morning to discuss its struggling penalty-kill unit, coach Rick Tocchet said there's no need for schematic changes.

A "change of scenery." That is how Lightning coach Rick Tocchet described an interesting personnel move Friday night against the Devils as he put captain Vinny Lecavalier on left wing for a couple of shifts with C Paul Szczechura and Steve Downie .

On paper, the Lightning possess an arsenal of offensive talent capable of lighting lamps inside NHL arenas.

The situation certainly didn't look good. The Lightning trailed by two goals, on the road, with about five minutes left Saturday against the Stars and was playing its second game in as many nights.

Kurtis Foster had two goals, Steven Stamkos added his team-high 16th and the Tampa Bay Lightning routed New York 5-1 on Friday night, spoiling Rangers coach John Tortorella's first game against his former team.

Coach Rick Tocchet said that coming off a weeklong road trip, he knew Wednesday night's game with the Maple Leafs would be a grind.

The NHL has been in existence for over 80 years. In that time, the game has changed tremendously.

The Tampa Bay Lightning will try to stretch their points streak to six games tonight, when they visit the Phoenix Coyotes and Jobing.com Arena.

Though the Lightning and Kings met Saturday for the only time this season, with the gritty, chippy way they played, you would have thought they were division rivals.

The celebration began at the 1:40 mark of overtime. It appeared that Lightning defenseman Andrej Meszaros had just won the game on a shot from the point.

Lightning 4, Wild 3 PHOTOS Minnesota Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom , of Finland, kicks a shot past Tampa Bay Lightning center Paul Szczechura , as Wild players Nick Schultz and Eric Belanger defend during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Nov.

Paul Szczechura will make his return to the Lightning lineup tonight when Tampa Bay hosts Minnesota to open a two-game homestand.

No matter how the Lightning play tonight against the Wild, the aftermath won't be anything like what occurred after the team's 16th game last year.

Just out of the car after a 13-hour, 850-mile drive from Tampa, Brandon Bochenski got the question right away.

SP_311915_SHAD_LIGHTNING_05 Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Mike Smith in net against the Atlanta Thrashers in second period preseason action at the St.

The Lightning 's 7,000-mile training-camp journey was mainly about Hockey. Four games in four nights , five in seven nights and a scrimmage is a lot of Hockey.

The Lightning equipment staff waited all week for Saturday. It was not a day off.

You can tell a lot about a player by the situations in which a coach puts him and the ones in which he puts himself.

Peter Mueller skated up close to beat goalie Antero Nittymaki with the decisive shootout goal, lifting the Phoenix Coyotes to a 4-3 exhibition victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday night.