Lightning gets in-season vacation

By TOM JONES
Published October 16, 2005

PITTSBURGH - Coach John Tortorella loves his family. All the Lightning players love their families. And they all like living in Tampa Bay.

But, with all due respect, they want to get away for a while. Away from their families. Away from the sunshine. Away from home.

So even though the Lightning plays tonight in Washington and not again until Thursday in Atlanta, it has decided to stay on the road.

Normally, the Lightning would charter a flight home after tonight's game and then head to Atlanta on Wednesday. Instead, it will take a bus to Atlantic City, where it will spend the next three days.

"We always look for a time in the schedule to just get out on the road together," Tortorella said. "No wives, no girlfriends, no kids."

The defending champions were supposed to go the White House and meet President Bush. "But in today's world," Tortorella said, "that is not going to happen."

But it is the only time the team can have a few days together.

"We always like to do it early just to bond," Tortorella said. "Have some team dinners and bond. It's a great opportunity for us. We've been home for so long, we need to stay out."

FINDING TIMO: After playing the first five games, rookie defenseman Timo Helbling was a healthy scratch Saturday. He was replaced by Paul Ranger, who was called up from minor-league Springfield on Friday and made his NHL debut. Helbling, who picked up his first NHL point with an assist Thursday, is a minus-2 on the season.

"He has been up and down," Jay Feaster said.

The general manger said the Lightning is aware Helbling, 24, is going to make mistakes.

"The most critical thing is how you recover from them," Feaster said. "He needs to understand that when the coaching staff talks to him about certain things, certain plays, how they want him to play, he has to make sure he translates that on the ice. He is in that area where he still is trying to find his way."

MOVING ON: Former Lightning tough guy Andre Roy isn't second-guessing his decision to sign with the Penguins in the offseason even though he has played in only four of six games, including Saturday. "I had some hard times (in Tampa Bay)," Roy told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I thought it was time for me to move on. I took advantage (of free agency) to see where I'd be a good fit." He says he has no grudge against the Lightning. "I'm really happy to be here," Roy said. "No hard feelings. I'm over that."

MISCELLANY: For the second straight game, the Lightning was penalized for having too many men on the ice while on the power play. ... The Pens came into Saturday's game with an 0-1-4 record, the first time they were winless in their first five games since 1978-79, six years before Mario Lemieux's rookie season.

[Last modified October 16, 2005, 01:33:15]