Prospal's honor reflects hot team

TAMPA -- Lightning center Vinny Prospal added another achievement to his season Monday when he was named NHL player of the week.

Prospal, 28, had three goals and three assists in three wins to help the Lightning take first place in the Southeast Division. He scored two goals, including an empty-netter, in a 4-2 win at Buffalo on Friday.

"I'm honored," he said. "The first one is always special."

Prospal began Monday night tied for fourth in the league in assists (51 in 70 games) and 16th in scoring with 71 points. He has smashed his season best for points (55), needs two goals to tie a career high set with Ottawa in 1999-2000 and continues to reclaim his career since being acquired from Florida in July 2001 for Ryan Johnson and a sixth-round draft pick.

"We knew we needed some scoring and he's done that from Day1," coach John Tortorella said. "He's continually working on his defensive play and he's battling."

Daymond Langkow (Feb. 24, 1997) is the only other Lightning skater to win the award. Daren Puppa won four times and Nikolai Khabibulin has won three, two this season.

YOUNG DUO IMPROVING: Center Alexander Svitov, 20, and wing Nikita Alexeev, 21, have been doing subtle things better recently, enough to impress Tortorella and ensure their talented, imposing figures are on the ice more often.

Tortorella used Ben Clymer and Ruslan Fedotenko as the third wing on their line in a 3-3 tie against Minnesota on Monday.

"I thought they were our best line tonight," Tortorella said. "I know (Brad Richards') line will get going more consistently and (Vinny Lecavalier's) line will, but to add another is very important.

"The shift they had before (Fedotenko's) goal was just amazing."

Alexeev and Svitov finished plus-1. Svitov picked up his second point in six games.

WHAT A TRIP: Tortorella called this stretch of the schedule an "absolute joke." The team played Friday and Saturday in Buffalo and Montreal, home Monday, then is at Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Jose in the next seven days.

"It's the life of the Tampa Bay Lightning, trying to fight for respect in this league," he said.

SICK DAY: Khabibulin, who since Feb. 15 was 9-0-2 and had missed just four games, sat out with what team officials described as stomach flu.

SCRATCHED: Defensemen Marc Bergevin, Janne Laukkanen and Darren Rumble; and forwards Chris Dingman and Jimmie Olvestad sat out.