It doesn't get much ice time, or air time for that matter, but the Lightning's fourth line does its job and more.
By DAMIAN CRISTODERO
Published May 10, 2004
[Times photo: Dirk Shadd]
The Lightning's fourth line did more than flex its muscle in Game 1 against the Flyers. Chris Dingman (11) scored and Andre Roy and Eric Perrin registered assists on it.
BRANDON - The more Eric Perrin hangs around linemates Chris Dingman and Andre Roy, the more he likes them.
The Lightning center enjoys when Dingman jabs him and Roy for speaking French, which Dingman doesn't. And he likes how when the line does something good on the ice, it is attributed to its - ahem - speed.
In fact, Perrin said that after Dingman finished the scoring in Saturday's 3-1 victory over the Flyers in Game 1 of the East final, a goal on which Perrin and Roy assisted, "They were saying that it was all speed.
"It's a lot of fun being on that line."
It always is fun when you are contributing, and more and more, the fourth line of Perrin, Dingman and Roy is doing just that. And when a line counted on for its defensive awareness chips in a goal, and a big one at that, well, things get even better.
"Happy as heck," Dingman said after Sunday's practice at the Ice Sports Forum.
"It's a great feeling," Perrin said, "not only for us but for the entire team."
The fourth line is a strange place.
It plays the least, about five minutes in Game 1, and its mission is to preserve the status quo. It is expected to bring energy and a forecheck, nothing fancy, to keep the opposition off the scoreboard and give the top lines a breather.
It is a thankless, behind-the-scenes job that when done well pretty much goes unnoticed. That is why Dingman's goal, and Roy's in Game 1 of the quarterfinals against the Islanders, were big deals.
"For a line that plays only three or four minutes, that's a huge lift for a hockey team," Flyers right wing Mark Recchi said. "It's a huge boost for your hockey team, especially to make it a two-goal lead."
Said Lightning coach John Tortorella: "In the playoffs, you need your offensive people contributing defensively. You need your defensive people, your grinders, your fourth-line people, contributing offensively. We've got two goals from our fourth line. Last night's goal was huge, so that's good news."
Lines have been known to come and go quickly with the Lightning. Nothing is sacred to Tortorella, not even his top two lines which are tweaked and shuffled at the first signs of going stale.
So there is no guarantee the Perrin-Dingman-Roy grouping will be together past tonight's Game 2 at the St. Pete Times Forum. But there is no denying the rapport that has grown since it was put together when Perrin was called up from AHL Hershey with two games left in the regular season.
It is an eclectic mix.
Dingman, at 6 feet 4, 240 pounds, is a big, strong body on the puck. Roy, 6-3, 225, adds muscle, a willingness to hit and a huge shot. Perrin, 5-8, 176, pesters defensively and, as one of the AHL's top scorers, brings playmaking skills.
It all came together in the third period of Game 1.
Perrin, along the side boards in the Lightning zone, dove at a puck skidding through the slot. He poked it to Dingman, who gathered the puck in stride and was joined by Roy on a two-on-two rush.
With no direct passing lane clear, Dingman shot the puck off the corner boards in the Flyers zone and angled it to Roy crashing the net on left wing.
Goalie Robert Esche stopped Roy's shot, but Dingman popped in the rebound. It was Dingman's first goal of the playoffs and Perrin's first NHL point.
The Speed Line?
Tortorella rolled his eyes when asked if the nickname fit. It wasn't that a nickname is such a bad idea, he just couldn't believe he was being asked something so trivial.
His players take their jobs as seriously, too.
"We're feeling more comfortable with one another," Roy said. "Any time we're out there the main thing is we don't want to try to do to much. If we keep things simple we're doing a good job."
"Our first priority is not to make any mistakes," Dingman said. "Every time you're out there you try to do something positive. My first thought is not to turn the puck over. Anything we can do on the offensive side of the puck is a bonus."
