Lightning coach John Tortorella said it has been "fun" to see center Vinny Lecavalier "grow and understand the game.
"That's what coaches want to see. I enjoy seeing a player buying into a team concept, growing up, becoming a man and doing things not only with the puck but away from the puck and to make himself a better player. Vinny is at the top of that list."
Lecavalier, 24, has played the best hockey of his career during the postseason. His nine goals and 68 shots are second on the team, and his physical play, not to mention his fight with Calgary's Jarome Iginla, has taken his leadership level up a notch.
"From three years ago till now, we're seeing a totally different man," Tortorella said. "With Vinny, we know what's there, and there's more. That's the exciting part about it. He isn't finished yet."
Lecavalier said his lack of production in the East quarterfinal with the Islanders pushed him to increase the physical element of his game.
"I knew that if I'd be even more physical, then I would help the team in another way as much as I could, and then things started to turn around. I'm starting to produce a bit more, and I think that's important. It is important that everybody does a little bit more than their role."
All accounted for
Lecavalier, Ruslan Fedotenko and Pavel Kubina all practiced Wednesday.
Lecavalier, injured in Game 4 when his head was elbowed from behind into the glass, said he will play Game 5. He said he was dizzy for about a half-hour after Monday's Game 4, but has felt fine since then.
"No headaches, nothing," Lecavalier said. "I feel great."
Fedotenko, who did not play Game 4 after he suffered a deep facial gash and a possible concussion when knocked into the boards in Game 3, was on the ice for the first time since the hit and practiced with a full face shield. He appeared a bit sluggish and the guess is he won't play tonight.
Kubina is listed as having a lower-body injury, but there is speculation he suffered a concussion in Game 3 when elbowed in the head by MartinGelinas. He did not play Game 4 and is questionable for tonight.
No comment
The white board in the Lightning locker room used to notify the players of their schedules had a hastily written message Wednesday:
Meeting, 3:15. Before the media.
No one would say what the meeting was about, but it was obvious. The players were told to make no comments about the one-game suspension of Calgary's Ville Nieminen for his Game 4 hit against Lecavalier.
All followed the lead of Tortorella, who refused on several occasions to comment about the hit, the suspension or Lecavalier's availability.
Suspensions 101
How does the league handle a possible suspension of a player?
Well, here's how the Nieminen suspension went down. Colin Campbell, the league's executive vice president who handles disciplinary issues, called Calgary coach Darryl Sutter after Game 4 to alert him there would be a hearing by telephone on Tuesday.
Campbell then called Lightning GM Jay Feaster to ask for a medical report on Lecavalier. Feaster, though, had no input other than providing a medical report. Campbell discussed the matter via telephone with Nieminen on Tuesday and announced his ruling Wednesday.
Campbell said when considering a suspension, the league does consider the injury of the victim and whether or not the player in question is a repeat offender.
Not the same
Some, including most of Calgary, thought the Lightning's Cory Stillman should have been suspended for his elbow on Marcus Nilson in Game 1. The question Wednesday was why Nieminen was suspended when Stillman was not?
The big difference, Campbell said, was because Stillman's hit was from the side, not behind like Nieminen on Lecavalier. Campbell said Stillman's hit was more close to the hits Fedotenko and Kubina took. Neither of those hits resulted in suspensions.
Changing stripes
Before the series, Kerry Fraser was scheduled to be one of the two referees for Game 6, but that could change. In fact, all assignments for officials will be reviewed after each game.
Campbell said the league made up assignments well before the series for logistical purposes, but those are only temporary. Fraser was down for Game 6, but was heavily criticized by the Flames and fans after Game 4. In that game, the Lightning had the game's goal while on a five-on-three power play. Also, any chance for a Flames comeback was snuffed out when Fraser gave Nieminen a five-minute major penalty with less than five minutes left because of his hit on Lecavalier.
Plugging the leaks
Tortorella said the Lightning must cut down on turnovers, especially in the neutral zone.
"That's what Calgary and most teams feast on, if you are not clean getting the puck in or making plays through the neutral zone," Tortorella said. "Their quickness and their players, at times, created quite a few chances."
"I think we're going to look at the tape and see things that we did wrong, odd-man rushes . . . and say, "You know what? We can do a lot better,' and we can. If we correct these things, it's really going to help us in Game 5."
Nice day for a White Wave
Fans attending Game 5 will be given a white Lightning T-shirt to form what the team is calling the White Wave as part of the Bay of White at the St. Pete Times Forum. Flame fans form the Sea of Red at the Pengrowth Saddledome. All shirts will be extra large and fans are asked to wear them again if Game 7 is needed Monday at the St. Pete Times Forum.
While the arena will look good, remember that Winnipeg did the same thing for its playoff games, and that goalie Nikolai Khabibulin lost the only playoff series in which he was involved with the Jets.
A good/bad record
If the Lightning loses Game 5, it will tie the Devils playoff record of 12 consecutive alternate decisions set in 1988.
Gary Shelton: 
