Reunion thrills Lightning goaltender

Doug MacLean, among the future owners, saw Marc Denis at his best.

By EDUARDO A. ENCINA
Published August 10, 2007

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Marc Denis has no hard feelings, and the Lightning goaltender said he's excited about being reunited with Doug MacLean, who is leading the group set to purchase the Lightning, despite the inherent oddity that he traded Denis to Tampa Bay.

Now, MacLean, formerly the coach and general manager in Columbus, will be his boss as Denis tries to rebound from a disappointing first season with the Lightning.

Despite his struggles 17-18-2 with a 3.19 goals-against average, Denis, 30, enters next month's preseason camp with the opportunity to retake his starting job.

"I guess you can call it weird," Denis said. "Doug MacLean becoming the owner doesn't change anything. I know I need to bounce back here. I understand what the situation is I'm in now, and I've come to accept the challenge."

MacLean was behind the bench for the second half of the 2002-03 season, when Denis started a career-high 77 games and emerged as a legitimate starting goaltender despite Columbus' lack of success (no playoff appearances in six seasons).

"I think looking back, we would probably tell you the same thing; that we both hoped to take Columbus to the promised land earlier," Denis said. "I guess our destinies were very closely linked there. He's a very passionate guy.

"Yes, he was a GM. Yes, he was a coach, but he basically built the franchise in Columbus from the ground up."

Eduardo A. Encina can be reached at eencina@sptimes.com.