Wing Cory Stillman said he "for sure" will play Friday night in Game 1 of the East semifinals against the Canadiens at the St. Pete Times Forum. Stillman (injured left hip) has been out since the first shift of Game 4 of the quarterfinals with the Islanders.
"It was tough," Stillman said Wednesday. "I wanted to play. The good news is we've got another series to play."
"It's no secret Stiller is a big piece of our offense," wing Martin St. Louis said. "He wouldn't have 80 points if he wasn't."
Reunited (it seems)
Lighting coach John Tortorella said simply, "It's something we're looking at." But it was difficult not to notice that the line of center Vinny Lecavalier and wings St. Louis and Ruslan Fedotenko was reunited at Wednesday's practice.
That line, together since January, was broken up during the series with the Islanders when St. Louis was swapped with Stillman onto a line with center Brad Richards and Fredrik Modin.
But after Lecavalier had zero points against New York, it is not a stretch to believe Tortorella wants St. Louis to give Lecavalier a kick-start. That was one reason for the line's inception during the season.
"I know his game, and I look forward to it," St. Louis said. "Our line is going to have to be successful, and that means Vinny is going to have to be successful. We're going to need two lines, and I think that's the way Torts wants to approach it." Said Lecavalier: "Me, Marty and Feds play very well together, so there won't be a time of adjustment. I already know what he's going to do. We'll keep working, and we'll be fine."
No. 1 vs. No. 1
If Lecavalier's line starts the series, expect it to be challenged by Montreal's No. 1 line of center Saku Koivu and wings Alex Kovalev and Richard Zednik. That line did a number during the quarterfinals on Boston's top line centered by Joe Thornton, who had zero points and was minus-6.
"They've got speed, and they've got hands," Lecavalier said. "They're very solid on their skates. Overall, I think they're probably one of the best lines in the league. If we play against them, we'll be physical, and we'll go after them, no doubt about it."
The new wrinkle is Kovalev, whom Montreal acquired from the Rangers and had five goals and eight points against Boston.
"He doesn't change our thinking at all," Tortorella said. "We have to be aware of him. But we have to go about our business. We have to play our game."
Looking out for No. 1
How good was Koivu's line against Boston? It combined for 10 goals while the rest of the Canadiens had nine. Still, Tortorella said there is more to stopping Montreal than stopping that line.
"The Canadiens are a good team right on through," Tortorella said. "They have two good offensive lines. They have a checking line playing very well, and their D is good. It's not a fluke they beat Boston." Lecavalier said Koivu sets the tone.
"He's not the biggest guy (5 feet 10, 180 pounds), but I've always found him very aggressive, very intense," Lecavalier said. "He's definitely a guy we have to watch. He doesn't give up. He's always there."
Lecavalier, who grew up in the Montreal suburb of Ile Bizard, said Koivu was a favorite player.
"Definitely. It's Montreal. Saku Koivu. "Saku, Saku,"' Lecavalier said. "Everyone loves him, and everyone thinks good things about him because he works hard."
Happy Birthday, Vinny
Lecavalier turned 24 on Wednesday but kept the birthday celebration to a minimum. It's the playoffs, you know. The Montreal native is, however, looking forward to going home next week for Games 3 and 4. His parents, it seems, give great gifts.
"They were going to send it, but they kept it at home because they know I'm coming," Lecavalier said.
So, what sort of presents does a young, superstar millionaire like?
"They get me little, practical things," Lecavalier said. "I like wine, and they'll get me some machine to open it up just by pressing a button. Or a Louis Vuitton passport holder. They got me that two Christmases ago, and that was very nice. ... I don't think it's my dad. It's more my mom. She does a great job."
