Do they believe?

By Damian Cristodero
Published April 12, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT Do they believe? Breaking down the opponent Kickin' Back with Jack Semler On the hot seat Story lines Lightning-Devils season series Like usual, playoff success depends on goalie's success [Getty Images] The Lightning is 3-1 against New Jersey this season and Vinny Lecavalier, above, Martin St. Louis and Dan Boyle are having career years.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The way John Tortorella sees it, the Lightning enters the playoffs in a position of strength.

The coach is not talking about personnel or systems or the league's best one-two punch of Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis. It is all about perceptions, his own and those of his players.

"It's more of a maturity with the core of our people with what to expect," Tortorella said, "and a flat line. It doesn't get too excited when it wins and doesn't get too down when it loses. In my gut, the team is more ready for the situations that are going to come at us here."

Can Tampa Bay, the East's goaltending-challenged No. 7 seed, really make noise in the postseason? Opinions are divided. 

Former NHL coach Pierre McGuire said, "If you disrespect this team, you're making a mistake."

But former NHL player Nick Kypreos, a television analyst for Rogers Sportsnet in Canada, said the Lightning, because it is counting on unproven goalie Johan Holmqvist, has the feel of "being on the outside looking in."

Mike Brophy, senior writer for The Hockey News, agreed and said, "I don't know if Tampa Bay has the personnel this year that can step up. I think they've got a lot of guys who are just glad to be there."

But as the Lightning prepares to open its best-of-seven conference quarterfinal against the second-seeded Devils tonight at Continental Airlines Arena, players said last season's unsuccessful defense of the 2004 Stanley Cup toughened them up - and smartened them up.

Tampa Bay barely sneaked into the playoffs in 2006, a process some players said rubbed emotions raw. There were questions about goaltender John Grahame, and waiting were the Senators, who had beaten Tampa Bay eight straight.

This season, Tampa Bay was never really out of the playoff picture. Holmqvist, while yet to play his first NHL playoff game, has ability and an upside. The Lightning is 3-1 against New Jersey, and Lecavalier, St. Louis and defenseman Dan Boyle are having career years.

"It's a totally different feeling than last year," captain Tim Taylor said. "This team is just a lot more confident. It's another year of maturity."

"We're older and more confident," Lecavalier said. "We're a better team."

And wiser, defenseman Nolan Pratt said, after being booted last season in five games by Ottawa.

"It's an old saying, but you have to lose to learn," Pratt said. "It's another year of experience, another year realizing what it takes in the playoffs. We're more ready than we were last year."

Does knowledge mean success?

McGuire, a television analyst for Canada's TSN, said yes because of the "quick-strike offense" of Lecavalier, St. Louis and center Brad Richards.

"Boyle has gone to another level, too," McGuire said. "He's moving the puck and accelerating the pace of the game so much he's making it easier for all the forwards."

But Brophy wasn't convinced. It all comes down to goaltending, he said. Holmqvist was 27-15-3 but had an .893 save percentage. With Marc Denis, the team's combined was a league-worst .884. And now Karri Ramo, with 70 minutes of NHL experience, is the backup.

"They're my favorite team to watch," Brophy said. "I like the people in the organization, but you don't go to bed at the end of the regular season with bad goaltending and wake up with good goaltending."

Tortorella countered: "It's a year removed from the Stanley Cup, at least the playing part of it. We've gone through expectations, and we're more experienced handling those types of situations.

"Our team," he added, "is ready to play."

Damian Cristodero can be reached at cristodero@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8622.

[Last modified April 11, 2007, 20:19:22]