Patience with Prospal rewarded

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO
Published January 31, 2007

PHILADELPHIA - Vinny Prospal wasn't producing. There were rumors he might be traded. That is why, the Lightning wing said, he told coach John Tortorella to stick with him.

"I said I'm not a give-up person. I won't give up here," Prospal said. "I can't control what happens as far as a trade, but I want to be here and I want to go to the playoffs with this team."

"When I have an athlete come and tell me eyeball to eyeball and tell me he wants to be here, that's the kind of honesty you want," Tortorella said.

Prospal has four goals and seven assists in his past 11 games. He had four goals, 18 assists in 41 previous. He had a game-high seven shots against the Flyers.

"You find out the true value of people and their character during the tough times," Tortorella said. "It's when there's ups and downs and adversity and rumors you find out about people."

"I told him I believe we have a good team here," Prospal said. "I want to be here with my teammates. Even if it was a bad time, I don't want to go anywhere."

JONES RETURNS: Blair Jones is in his second Lightning tour after being called up Monday from AHL Springfield. He will be watched, not only because he played just his seventh NHL game, but to see if he has learned.

The center played poorly in Springfield when sent back after his November callup. Tortorella said he's back on track but added, "He's a young guy and doesn't understand how hard you have to practice, how hard you have to skate every day. That's part of the education process."

Jones, 20, said he had a letdown with the Falcons after getting two assists in his first six NHL games.

"It's the first time I had to deal with that, so it takes a little while to get back into the game," said Jones, who played 2:36 Tuesday. "You want to work hard all the time. To be a good pro you have to have that."

"Those are things young players have to learn," Tortorella said. "When you're told a few times, you better respond."

ODDS AND ENDS: Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis are tied for second in the league with 31 goals. ... Andreas Karlsson's assist was his first in 27 games. ... Captain Tim Taylor (flu) and defenseman Luke Richardson (healthy) were scratched. ... The Flyers scratched former Lightning Dmitry Afanasenkov.

Damian Cristodero can be reached at cristodero@sptimes.com.

[Last modified January 31, 2007, 00:48:09]