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Slapshots

Shutting his yap

Lightning coach John Tortorella has heard and said enough. This series has had its share of trash talk, including Tortorella's rant against Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock and general manager Bob Clarke before Game 3, but Tortorella wants no more.

"I'm out," Tortorella said. "I just don't want us to lose sight of the integrity of the game. We have one hell of a series going on here."

Tortorella said his comments earlier in the series were to protect his team. The Lightning claims Hitchcock threatened defenseman Brad Lukowich in Game 2. Since the comments, the Flyers seemed to have fun lobbing comments back at Tortorella, and the media and fans have made light of the situation.

Tortorella, though, was bothered Sunday when his name and comments were brought up during the broadcast of the Calgary-San Jose game. He particularly was agitated that he was accused of saying Hitchcock talked too much.

"I never did," Tortorella said. "That's not fair to (Hitchcock). It's not fair to me."

So, for the record, Tortorella said he has no interest in running down the Flyers and will only speak up if he believes he has to protect his team again.

"I have never been one to get involved in a bunch of this stuff because it's about the players," Tortorella said. "Some of (this) stuff that's going on, to me, it's a bit childish."

While Tortorella said he was done talking, the Flyers were not quite through poking fun at him.

In saying the Flyers would not petition the league to review a hit by the Lightning's Tim Taylor on defenseman Jon Pitkanen in Game 4, in which Taylor appeared to leave his feet, Clarke took a jab at Tortorella.

"He thinks we call the league, but we don't," Clarke told the Philadelphia Daily News on Sunday. "The Great Tortellini. There are no mirrors in his house. It's always somebody else's fault." Hitchcock, reminded at the end of a lengthy interview Sunday that Tortorella suggested he was long-winded with the media, replied: "Is he back out of that gopher hole again? I'm going to have to do that whack-a-mole thing."

Hitchcock said Monday the banter is merely playful.

"I don't take it seriously," he said. "John is Italian, he's from Boston, he's probably a Red Sox fan, so he's got three strikes against him right there. For me, it's not a big deal. It's fun. He kind of picked the wrong horse going after Clarkey, though. Clarkey has got more of an angry side to him."

Asked if he wanted to hear Hitchcock's comments Monday, Tortorella laughed and said, "No. Sorry."

When Game 5 begins tonight, it will have been three days since Game 4. The prolonged time off, Flyers players said, has prevented either team from establishing control in the series, which is tied at 2.

"Everybody talks about momentum in a playoff series," Flyers captain Keith Primeau said. "I don't know if you can build on the kind of momentum that you've created in winning Game 4 with two days off in between. We have given this team (time) after our win two days ago to gather themselves and refocus, so the challenge becomes even greater."

Forward Jeremy Roenick, who suffered an upper-body injury in Game 4, practiced Monday and is expected to play, though he said he would make a final decision today. Hitchcock also expects Pitkanen to play, though the defenseman rode the bike and did not participate in practice. Dennis Seidenberg is ready if Pitkanen cannot play.

Left wing Fredrik Modin was the third Lightning player named to participate in this summer's World Cup tournament as Sweden announced its 26-player roster. Forwards Martin St. Louis and Brad Richards previously were named to play for Canada.

"It's exciting for me, absolutely," Modin said.

He entered Monday tied for the playoff lead with 14 points and nine assists. He was second at plus-11.

Defenseman Sascha Goc, who plays in Germany but whose rights are owned by Tampa Bay, was named to the German team.

Tortorella said defenseman Brad Lukowich, who missed Games 3 and 4 with an upper-body injury, would be ready for Game 5. Of defenseman Jassen Cullimore, out with a right wrist injury since Game 3 of the East quarterfinals with the Islanders, Tortorella gave no hint of optimism.

"He's out," the coach said.

Asked if he could play if the Lightning advanced to the Stanley Cup final, Cullimore said, "There's always a possibility. We're getting it checked every so often."

Roenick stuck up for teammates Primeau and Mark Recchi, who were not named to Canada's World Cup team, though many expect Primeau to be invited if Red Wings center Steve Yzerman (fractured orbital bone) is not ready to play.

"I can't see how (Canada GM Wayne) Gretzky kept them off the Canadian team," Roenick said. "I am shocked, utterly shocked."

That went over so well Roenick repeated it twice, to great comic effect, to deflect questions about his health after a hit by Modin put him out of Game 4.

"How are you feeling, Jeremy?"

"I am really shocked that Gretzky kept Primes off the Canadian team. That's insanity in my opinion."

"How are you feeling, Jeremy?"

"Gretzky is crazy ... "

"I would think it is, definitely. I think there have been some emotions there and especially now it's come down to the best of three. Been four hard-fought games. There's definitely some emotions there, you know? Some rivalry really brewing there, definitely." - Recchi on the start of a Flyers-Lightning rivalry.