On the hot seat

By Times staff
Published April 12, 2007

If the Lightning is going to do anything in the playoffs, it needs these five players to come up big:

Filip Kuba

It's hard to get down on Kuba because he added an offensive dimension likely greater than what the Lightning expected when it signed him last summer. But coach John Tortorella has been hounding Kuba to increase his physical presence and even benched the defenseman for a game last month to get the point across. Kuba, signed to a three-year, $9-million deal, has been trying. He has engaged more in the corners and along the boards. That kind of activity will be crucial in the playoffs, in which, perhaps, whistles won't be blown as quickly and individual battles for the puck will be more intense. Good for Kuba, though, that his offense has not suffered, but thrived.

Brad Richards

After a 91-point season in 2005-06, the center signed a five-year contract that, at $7.8-million a year, makes him the league's second-highest paid player. But Richards ended with 70 points, minus-19 and 23 fewer assists. His 25 goals, one off his career high, were little consolation. Richards was hurt by last summer's trade of Fredrik Modin to the Blue Jackets for Marc Denis. That stole a huge puck-possession presence and consistent scorer from Richards' line, something coach John Tortorella has been trying to find for Richards without much success. But that doesn't dismiss Richards' final 17 games, in which he had two goals, seven assists, was minus-11 and seemed to be watching instead of creating.

Vinny Prospal

He was expected to pick up some of the slack from the trade of Fredrik Modin. But the left wing's 14 goals were 11 fewer than 2005-06, and his 55 points were down by 25. And despite playing with 50-goal scorer Vinny Lecavalier and 40-goal scorer Marty St. Louis, Prospal was minus-24, though he was plus-5 in his last five games. Part of the problem was an inability to finish scoring chances. But Prospal's defensive intensity was inconsistent. Prospal can be a dynamic presence. He is a terrific passer, and his shot has a laser-like quality. We just haven't seen enough of either.

Ruslan Fedotenko

Could be the most frustrating case on the roster. Like Vinny Prospal, he was expected to chip in more after the trade of Fredrik Modin. But the wing had a dreadful season with 12 goals and 32 points, down from 26 and 41 in 2005-06. Fedotenko swears his surgically repaired left hip is not a problem, and his 136 hits led the team. But he had just one goal in his final 29 games and one shot in his past six. Remember, this is the guy who scored the Cup clinching goal in 2004. The guy who that year had 12 goals in 24 playoff games. He doesn't have to repeat that kind of pace. But the way he is playing now, he might as well be a shadow.

Johan Holmqvist

He already has done more than the Lightning figured when it signed him in the offseason. He has supplanted Marc Denis as the team's No. 1 and during an 11-2 stretch in January and February helped turn around Tampa Bay's season. Now the Lightning needs consistency. In the tight-checking playoffs, the team also will need Holmqvist to steal a game or two, something neither he nor Denis did during the season. They went a combined 0-28-2 when given fewer than three goals of support.

[Last modified April 11, 2007, 20:31:35]