On the road, Lightning has been an unwanted guest, but Tampa visitors get refreshment on ice.
By DAMIAN CRISTODERO
Published January 15, 2004
TAMPA - There were mostly shrugs around the locker room when the Lightning was asked why it has struggled recently at home.
There were a few theories.
Defenseman Brad Lukowich said there might be a belief at home that results "are just going to happen. You're going to play and get two points."
Coach John Tortorella said perhaps sleeping in one's own bed can make players "too comfortable."
"Maybe they forget about the little intangible things as far as preparation because maybe their regular lives are more involved at home," he said.
But left wing Fredrik Modin spoke for the majority when he responded to the question, in all seriousness, by saying, "I really don't know."
It is worth pondering.
After a rejuvenating five-game trip in which Tampa Bay went 4-1-0 with four victories in a row to improve its road record to 10-8-3, the team faces the Hurricanes tonight at the St. Pete Times Forum, where it is 2-6-2 in its past 10.
While the Lightning's home record is 10-7-3-1, it was 12-5-2-2 at this time last season. And in those past 10 games, Tampa Bay was outscored 24-18, killed penalties at 79.3 percent efficiency (23-for-29) and ran the power play at 10.4 percent (5-for-48).
Not exactly what the Lightning expects of itself at home, where it was 22-9-7-3 last season.
"Once you get that home-ice advantage of being a tough team, that helps you build a reputation," Lukowich said. "Teams know this is going to be a rough one. If they're only feeling 50 percent, there is a good chance they're not going to show up if you bang them a couple of times early."
Maybe this is nitpicking.
The Lightning has done itself proud since Jan.3. It won four consecutive games on one road trip for the first time. It has won four in a row and five of its past six and has three points on the second-place Thrashers in the Southeast with one game in hand. Even more grand: Tampa Bay's 20 victories and 47 points are the most in franchise history after 42 games. Then again ...
"It's very important, very important," Modin said of establishing a presence at home.
Said Tortorella: "You have to be a good home team to be where you want to be at the end of the year."
It's not as though the Lightning doesn't have the formula. In fact, it is the same one that has worked on the road: a ferocious forecheck, creating back pressure while the defense stands up in the neutral zone, and a north-south attack instead of a cutesy east-west.
"It's not a new style of playing. It's just the way we need to be playing," Lukowich said. "The efforts, the second efforts, it's just basically throwing everything at teams now. It's not holding back."
Still, there is that sleeping-in-your-own-bed thing.
"When you're on the road, you're more with the players, you're together as a group," Tortorella said. "The wives and kids aren't there. The focus comes more into play. We need to respect that they do have a life to live, but you need to balance that through the season to keep yourself prepared and stay within the simplicity of preparation and doing the things we need to do as a hockey team."
Said defenseman Cory Sarich: "Sometimes it's easier (to play on the road) because you don't have to worry about paying the bills and stuff like that, the few little headaches that come from owning a house."
Aside from taking an aspirin or two ...
"We just have to have that work ethic every night," Sarich said. "It's been here the last few games. That's the biggest thing to roll over to the rink in Tampa."
