Lightning defenseman Jassen Cullimore could not say when or if he might be able to play again this season. He said his injured right wrist that has kept him out of the lineup since Game 3 of the first-round series against the Islanders, has alternate good and bad days.
What is constant is his sense of frustration at being unable to play during his team's most dramatic and emotional moments.
"We play the game and we're competitors," he said. "We want to be out there and contributing. When you're not able to do that, it's tough."
Cullimore said he believes the injury is "gradually getting better" but did not rule out surgery if the process becomes protracted.
Grahame, Tortorella miss out on World Cup
Lightning goalie John Grahame and coach John Tortorella were left off the U.S. World Cup team announced Thursday.
Grahame has played sparingly this season and fell behind the Flyers' Robert Esche and the Islanders' Rick DiPietro in the pecking order. Edmonton's Ty Conklin pushed his way in by leading the United States to a bronze medal at the world championships and was third in the tournament with a 93.4 save percentage. He also was voted by the tournament's coaches as the United States' second best player.
Tortorella has no ties to USA Hockey or international coaching experience, something possessed by the assistants joining coach Ron Wilson: Carolina's Peter Laviolette, Washington's Tim Army and Detroit's Barry Smith.
Gagne responds to GM's critique
Flyers wing Simon Gagne had just one assist in the East Conference final before Game 6, prompting Philly general manager Bob Clarke to challenge the 24-year-old wing. Clarke told the Philadelphia Inquirer that Gagne never played badly, but rarely played great.
Is the winning goal in overtime great enough?
"Maybe it's a message or something he was trying to tell me," said Gagne, who scored his fourth and fifth goals of the playoffs, including the winner 18:18 into overtime.
"I think the chance was there the last couple of games, but not the way to find to put the puck in. Tonight was a great moment to do it, and that's something I have to do every game."
Flyers captain Keith Primeau, the center between wings Jeremy Roenick and Gagne, interrupted Gagne's postgame remarks to come to Gagne's defense.
"I play with Simon every night and I know that he's giving 100 percent every chance he gets," Primeau said. "I play with him every shift and the kid has got more courage than most people. I know he's not as big as most guys, but he's driving right through so I know I'll get a chance to get the puck."
Don't forget Vinny
Lost in the details after Philadelphia scored in the final 1:49 and overtime to win was the play of Lightning center Vinny Lecavalier. Playing what might have been his most physical game of the series, Lecavalier scored twice in the first two periods to keep Tampa Bay in the game.
And though he didn't put another puck behind Flyers goalie Robert Esche, Lecavalier's two shots in overtime led the Lightning.
"He's played well," Tortorella said. "He's played well both with the puck and without the puck, away from the puck. He's an important guy. He's played very well for us."
Picking up where they left off
It is not uncommon for players who clash on the ice to renew hostilities after exiting the penalty box. But Lightning defenseman Nolan Pratt and Flyers forward Tony Amonte came together for another reason.
After both were sent off for roughing in the first period, Amonte broke in alone on the left wing immediately after leaving the box. But just as he wound up to shoot, Pratt slid in front of him, causing Amonte's shot to go up over the net.
Changing places
The Flyers started the game with two new-look lines, pairing center Michal Handzus with wings Brashear and Branko Radivojevic and putting Keith Primeau between Jeremy Roenick and Simon Gagne.
Wanted: Surge protector
In every game, teams mount surges that can make the difference in the outcome. They generally last only a couple of minutes and seemingly come from nowhere.
"I am not smart enough to see when it's coming," Tortorella said of Philly surges such as one that occurred in the second period of Game 5, when the Flyers scored goals 38 seconds apart.
"The key is when it's there, how you get through it. You can sense when it's there, not when it's coming. ... That's what's great about this series: You just never know what's going to happen, not only from game to game but within the game itself."
Picking his spots
Despite his demanding style, Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock prefers his players to be relaxed between playoff games. During the lengthy postseason, too much intensity can be detrimental, he said.
"I don't think you can be intense 24 hours a day," Hitchcock said. "At this time of the year, the time to get ready, really, is from the pregame skate on. If you've constantly got a high sense of tension on your team or in your organization, it's very stressful."
Calming influence
Tortorella called timeout in overtime to calm his team.
Asked what Tortorella told his players, defenseman Dan Boyle said, "Kind of relax and play our game. We were just getting rid of it and not creating anything. We were just trying to get it out of our zone and you are not going to win like that. We had a couple of flurries there after the timeout, but the third period was the turning point. We were hanging on for dear life.'
Orange you glad Bolts wear black?
The Wachovia Center again was bathed in a sea of orange after a message on the overhead scoreboard urged Flyers fans to wear the "Crush Tampa" T-shirts they received upon entering the arena. While the shirts made the inside of the arena look like a pumpkin patch, on television they blended with the red seats, making it appear much of the building was empty.
Watch your step
After mocking professional wrestler and Lightning supporter Hulk Hogan before their last home game, the Flyers poked fun at Tampa Bay's sensitivity about people walking on the logo on its home locker room floor. A pregame video showed a fan in a Philadelphia sweater superimposed on top of the logo, spilling popcorn on it then dancing on top of it.
