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DAMIAN CRISTODEROThe Lightning's rugged, unheralded left wing seems to do everything but score goals.
TAMPA - Hey, did you see Chris Dingman?
The Lightning left wing hobbled for a step or two after blocking a shot with his foot during the third period of Sunday's game with the Rangers. The puck went back to the shooter, but Dingman was able to spin around and tip the next shot over the glass.
Did you see all that? Chances are, you didn't.
In a game dominated by fancy passing, booming shots and flashy goaltending, Dingman toils in hockey's underworld of defense, forechecking and puck control where the only time the spotlight shines is when things go wrong.
"It's one of those positions if you're doing your job, no one really notices you," Dingman said. "It's when you make a mistake and you get scored on that people notice. So it's one of those things. If you don't get noticed, you're kind of doing a good job."
Here is the kind of job Dingman has done:
The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Edmonton native averages 9:42 of ice time playing on lines many times charged with facing top scorers. In that context, and considering he has zero goals, his minus-7 isn't too shabby. And he is even in his past 12 games.
Against the Rangers Dingman played a season-high 14:26 and, with linemates Tim Taylor and Dmitry Afanasenkov, was on the ice for the final 57.9 seconds to help preserve a 3-2 victory.
Add that Dingman is tenacious on the puck, rarely loses battles along the boards and is willing to fight, and you have a player as honest as they come.
The only thing Dingman hasn't been able to do is score. He has zero goals and one assist this season, and in 91 games since being acquired from the Hurricanes in March 2002, Dingman has two goals and eight points. His last goal was Oct. 26, 2002 against the Devils.
"Sometimes you hear, "Well, what's he doing? Look at him. He doesn't have any goals and one point,"' Lightning general manager Jay Feaster said. "If that's how you think, you don't understand the game. He is a huge contributor."
"Everyone wants to score goals but not everyone can do that," Dingman said. "You have to find your role and I just have to look at the positive and the strong points of my game: playing good defensively, blocking shots, cycling the puck down low and trying to keep them off the score sheets."
Interesting is that Dingman was a scorer in juniors, and in 1994-95 had 40 goals and 83 points for WHL Brandon. Things changed when he joined the Flames and then the Avalanche with which he won a Stanley Cup in 2001.
"The teams I was on, especially Colorado, had a lot of skill," Dingman said. "So in order to stay there I had to play physical and had to fight. Just seems like I kept myself in the league that way."
Of course, Dingman wants to score. Who knows? Maybe he gets one tonight against the Canadiens at the St. Pete Times Forum. But he also said he gets as much satisfaction bageling an opponent as he does putting the puck in the net.
And he counts his contribution last season in helping to shut down Washington's Jaromir Jagr during the East quarterfinals as "a great achievement and fun to be part of."
Still, "When I go out there, I'm trying to score goals," Dingman said. "I'd like to. But the team is doing well and I've got my role within the team and I'm happy. As long as we're winning it doesn't really bother me. But if I can chip in a couple here and there, that would be great too."
And something to see.