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DAMIAN CRISTODEROA cliche? Yes. The answer, however, will determine who advances to the Stanley Cup final after tonight's Game 7.
TAMPA - Dave Andreychuk wasn't telling his Lightning teammates anything they didn't know.
But there was something about the talk the captain gave during Friday's team meeting that, as center Tim Taylor said, "hit the nail on the head."
"I talked about trying to make a difference," Andreychuk said. "I'm going to do the same. I want to be the difference that's going to take this team to the Stanley Cup finals, same as those other guys."
The best-of-seven East final between the Lightning and Flyers is tied at three games apiece, and Game 7 is tonight at the sold-out St. Pete Times Forum.
It is win or go home, exultation or despair. And it likely will come down to which team wants it more.
Go ahead, laugh at the cliche. But when two teams are so evenly matched, it is effort and desperation that tip the scales.
Surprises? There are none at this stage. Teams know each other's every move thanks to television and video. The edge is gained by the team that executes with more gusto and determination.
See that puck in the corner? Who will get it?
The opposition is applying pressure. Who is going to make the simple play and chip the puck out of the defensive zone?
A team fires the puck into the offensive zone. How fierce will be the forecheck? Who will hit? Who will skate? Who will dive to block a shot?
"It's not the goals. Everybody wants goals," center Brad Richards said. "There are little battles, little things at the blue line, finishing your checks, stuff like that. Both teams know about the desperation and severity of everything, so you throw that out the window. It's the little things that are going to win the game. Who wants it more."
"You just have to play the game," Flyers captain Keith Primeau said. "Once the puck drops, any nerves are out the window. You just have to compete as hard as you can to win the game."
Tampa Bay could take a lesson from Philadelphia, which is trying to advance to its eighth Cup final and first since 1997.
The Flyers played lights-out in the third period and overtime of Thursday's Game 6 to earn a 5-4 victory. But as hard as Philadelphia pressed forward, that is how easily the Lightning, tight as a drum while playing not to lose, gave ground.
Tampa Bay, which rode a puck pursuit and control system to its best season, was stymied by the Flyers' forecheck and speedy transition. The Lightning barely got through the neutral zone in the final 37 minutes and, in that stretch, was outshot 27-10.
Andreychuk said players discussed the excruciating loss, in which the Lightning lost a 4-3 lead with 1:49 left in the third period, on the plane ride back to Tampa. Lightning coach John Tortorella said he chewed on it overnight. Richards said it was the first thing on his mind when he woke up on Friday.
But by the time the team arrived at the Times Forum for a light skate, Tortorella said the team was off the mat.
"The past is past," Richards said. "The best time in my life will be (today). This is the only thing that matters all year. It can wipe out what anybody has ever done up until this point. This is it. There's nothing else to worry about except this game. Just go out and play like you were when you were 5 years old on the farm."
"If you can't get motivated to play in a Game 7 to go to the Stanley Cup final, you are not human," defenseman Darryl Sydor said. "You've got to be excited. Nobody needs to motivate you. You've got something you're going after, the Holy Grail."
How will we know which team wants it more?
"It's showing a little more willingness at certain times of the game, to put your team in a situation to make a big play," Tortorella said. "It may be a big defensive play. It may be a big offensive play. Big saves are going to be very important. Big plays at big times. It's a mental toughness and a willingness to be that guy."
"The one thing about out our group of guys is ... they will empty the tank," Primeau said. "We'll dig deeper than you could ever possibly imagine. There's never any guarantees. If this thing was easy we'd all have rings and championships. You have to continue to persevere and battle."
Which brings us back to Andreychuk, who will play in his 10th Game 7.
"He said things happen for a reason," Taylor said. "Maybe (Game 6) happened to give ourselves the opportunity, the luxury, of playing in Game 7. The thing we stressed was going after it, not sitting back. We want to look at it in the face and grab hold of it."
"I talked to them about seizing this opportunity and realizing these are games you are going to remember," Andreychuk said. "To have fun with it, to play relaxed and play our game. I know it's hard, but as a kid you dreamed about playing in a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup playoffs. This is it.
"It comes down to desperation. If you want it more than the other team, you're going to get it."