GM says he's not interested in keeping up with Joneses
By DAMIAN CRISTODERO
Published March 6, 2004
TAMPA - Lightning general manager Jay Feaster said he will not make a trade before Tuesday's deadline simply because some of the East's other playoff-bound teams are loading up.
In fact, Feaster said, "It's an insult to say to this team - the group of guys that have us 21 games above .500 for the first time, first in the East and 23 points ahead in the Southeast Division - "You're not good enough now because there are some rent-a-players on the market and that's the way we ought to go.' I'm not going to do it."
The Bruins acquired defenseman Sergei Gonchar and forward Michael Nylander. The Maple Leafs got defenseman Brian Leetch. The Devils got Viktor Kozlov, the Canadiens Alex Kovalev.
"I don't care what other teams do," Feaster said. "I only care about this hockey club. We built this hockey club as a team. We didn't try to assemble the Eastern Conference All-Star team. We decided we're going to put together a hockey team; T-E-A-M. That's the perspective we came from."
Players agreed.
"Everybody wonders," defenseman Cory Sarich said about making a trade. "But if you keep winning, maybe that answers the question. Maybe the room is good as it is."
"We know we have a good team here," captain Dave Andreychuk said. "You can second-guess, but making a move just because another team is making moves is not the right thing."
PUSHING BUTTONS: Coach John Tortorella reiterated he wants goaltenders Nikolai Khabibulin and John Grahame to raise their games in preparation for the playoffs.
Tortorella said Tampa Bay has "the best goaltending tandem in the league," but added, "Both goalies are trying to find themselves. I make no bones about that. Both goalies need to play better."
Khabibulin has a seven-game win streak but a .911 save percentage in that stretch. Grahame has won 11 of his past 14 but has an .890 save percentage in his past three.
Soft goals have recently hurt both.
"We're trying to get them into a more consistent mode," Tortorella said. "This is going to be a very important thing as we look to get into the playoffs."
JERSEY SCHMERZY: The Devils hadn't played in Tampa since Game 4 of the East semifinals. After 10 months and two regular-season games in East Rutherford, N.J., wing Ruslan Fedotenko said it was no big deal.
"It doesn't matter who we play right now," he said. "Every team wants to beat us."
ODDS AND ENDS: New Jersey's Brian Gionta left 2:54 into the second when he was hit in the face by teammate Paul Martin's shot. Gionta left a pool of blood on the ice before skating off. He did not return. ... Defensemen Darren Rumble and Nolan Pratt and wing Andre Roy were scratched.
