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BRANT JAMESLightning can't hitch its hopes to wearing out the Blue Jackets, despite their place in standings.
TAMPA - There was a time, about a decade ago, when Dave Andreychuk could look at the schedule, see the Lightning or Panthers were coming to Marine Midland Arena and sleep well the night before, knowing that he and the Sabres could play well or even average and likely win.
Expansion teams meant victories, and even some of the old guard was devoid of enough talent to be taken for granted.
There are fewer free rides these days, and as Andreychuk and the Lightning host Columbus at 3 today at the St. Pete Times Forum, they face as much a trap game as a chance to salvage a mediocre homestand.
"There's no easy points anymore," Andreychuk said. "There were teams before that would come into your building and you were almost guaranteed points. The expansion teams get going a lot faster these days by drafting and signing guys early. Now no matter who you are, you think you can get points at home or on the road."
Columbus has the fewest points in the NHL (25), one road victory (against a poor Chicago club) and specialty teams in the bottom third of the NHL.
But Columbus has something many of the expansion teams of a decade ago lacked - young, high-level talent, including left wing Rick Nash, the NHL's leading goal-scorer with 23.
With the trouble the Lightning has had scoring recently - nine in six games - a flashy box score by Nash could be devastating.
Today, Nash and the Blue Jackets have the motivation of playing their first game for a new coach. Gerard Gallant, a former All-Star wing for Detroit who scored 13 points in 52 games with the Lightning, including its second season in 1993-94, takes over for Doug McLean, who resigned as coach Thursday.
The Lightning hardly is a cocky group lying in wait, however. Tampa Bay has scored more than two goals just six times in the past 24 games since a 9-0 rout of Pittsburgh. Two power-play goals against Florida on Wednesday ended an 0-for-23 streak. The Lightning has outchanced teams and lost, won once on lucky bounces but lost more the same way.
"It doesn't make sense," defenseman Dan Boyle said. "It's mind-boggling."
Coach John Tortorella has attempted to drag his team out of the funk with an emphasis on team concept and video lessons on how good it can be when it follows the plan.
"No matter how it's going, our mind-set should be, "This is how we do it,' " he said. "If we make mistakes, line up and do it again and try to force it to go our way."
That needs to happen soon. Tampa Bay has three points in a five-game homestand that concludes Saturday against Philadelphia, the No. 2 team in the Eastern Conference. Then comes a 20-day stretch in which the Lightning plays 12 games - 10 on the road - including a swing through western Canada.
"Anybody can beat anybody on a given night, but your home schedule is very important," Tortorella said, "because it is very difficult to win on the road. So you need to get focused and grind out as many points at home as you can. And when you're in the middle of a bit of a losing streak or an inconsistency, those home games are even more important."
Tampa Bay has improved in its past three games, (1-1-1) but recent hiccups would suggest today will be a challenge. After beating Boston 4-2, the Lightning lost 2-0 to an Anaheim team that was winless in 13 consecutive road games.
A strong third period and a 2-2 tie against Florida provided another chance to rebound.
"We can salvage this homestand," Tortorella said. "We have a team coming in here that has not won many games on the road. (But) this is going to be a hard-working hockey team. ... We are just not good enough not to be focused every night."
No more free rides.