Tortorella among three finalists for award

Lightning coach John Tortorella was named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award, given annually to the NHL coach of the year. Also named: Ottawa's Jacques Martin and Minnesota's Jacques Lemaire. NHL broadcasters vote for the award.

After the game, Tortorella wasn't in the mood to talk about it.

"No thank you," he said. "That is nothing."

Tampa Bay's 93 points were a franchise record, earned it its first division title and were 24 more than last season. The Lightning's 36 victories were nine better than last season and the most since the 1995-96 playoff team had 38. Tampa Bay was 36-25-16-5 this season and is 75-92-28-12 since Tortorella took over for the fired Steve Ludzik in January 2001.

"We're extremely happy and extremely proud, for him and for the organization," general manager Jay Feaster said. "It reflects upon our players, our assistant coaches and him."

Lightning captain Dave Andreychuk said it was his fault the Lightning was caught on a shift change on the play that led to Scott Gomez's first-period goal that gave New Jersey a 1-0 lead.

Andreychuk was stripped of the puck in the neutral zone by New Jersey's Brian Gionta, who fed Gomez, who was free, in great part, because the other Tampa Bay players were caught changing.

"I've got to get the puck (into the offensive zone) if they're going to make a change," Andreychuk said. "(Gionta) surprised me. He came up on me quickly. The team reads off me in that situation.

"I've got to get it in deep. When you don't, that's what happens."

Scott Stevens, who played one game after taking 15 stitches in his left ear, was on a postgame television interview.

"They tried to stick their earpiece in my left ear," he said, the stitches and some dried blood still visible. "I didn't think it was such a good idea. I held it up to my right (ear). I probably looked a little funny, but it felt okay."

First, it was a broken right orbital bone sustained March 24. Now, it is a displaced fracture of the right hand sustained during Monday's Game 3. Lightning defenseman Brad Lukowich shook his head when asked if he ever had such a run of bad luck.

"Never," he said. "Hopefully, I'm getting it all out of the way."

Lukowich will be out 5-6 weeks. Unless Tampa Bay goes deep into the playoffs, his season is over.

"We were looking to put on a good run here, and then this happens," he said. "Hopefully, I'll get through this fast enough to be able to hoist the Cup."

Three games, eight shots, an assist, an even plus-minus and, most important, no penalties. That is the line for Lightning left wing Andre Roy since coming out of Tortorella's doghouse.

"I put the situation behind me and showed people the real me," Roy said of Games 2 and 3. "I'm not the guy you read about always being suspended. I don't want to have this reputation that I am an animal going out there and I get put in my cage (the penalty box). It's not like that."

Still, Roy spent enough time in there for ill-advised penalties that Tortorella benched him in Game 2 against the Capitals. Roy was left in Tampa for Games 3 and 4 in Washington.

Since Roy's return, Tortorella has praised him, and Roy appears to have solidified a place in the lineup.

"There were a couple of games where I went a little too far, but I know I can play and be smart out there," Roy said. "But I have to be careful. The name tag on the back of my jersey doesn't help."

Feaster said the search for an AHL affiliate "has become a critical situation for us," and he is working on it "every day." Two possibilities appear to be the Rochester Americans and Utah Grizzlies.

Rochester, believed to be Feaster's first choice, is trying to negotiate an agreement with the Sabres, its longtime partner, but nothing is finalized. The Stars will leave Utah when their agreement runs out after next season. In that scenario, the Lightning would, for one season, be the secondary partner, as it was in Springfield, then take primary control.

Feaster would not comment on the possibilities. Speaking generally, he said he wants Tampa Bay to be, at least, a primary partner "where we're hiring the coach and we're running the situation."

Feaster said there is a chance of hooking up with an expansion franchise, "But there simply aren't a lot of independent owners out there that are looking to put franchises in new markets."

A final, though unappealing, scenario has the team farming out its players throughout the AHL.

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