Maintaining an uneven keel
Vinny Prospal remains upbeat despite his current scoring slump.
By DAMIAN CRISTODERO, Times Staff Writer
Published December 8, 2007
TAMPA - Vinny Prospal is on his game when he hears a negative and turns it into a positive.
Reminded he has just one goal in his past 10 games and the slump is delaying his 14th goal that will equal last season's total, the Lightning left wing, smile at the ready, didn't miss a beat.
"I'm counting the one from the shootout," he said of his winner in Tuesday's 4-3 victory over the Senators.
That is Prospal: happy, quick-witted, someone who gets as much of a charge out of the goals he scores in practice as the ones in games.
Not even being poked about that elusive 14th goal brought him down.
"It's understood I wasn't going to continue that pace," Prospal said of a roaring start in which he scored 12 goals in his first 18 games.
"I'm not worrying. I'm going game by game."
In the process, he has rekindled the player who in 2005-06 had career highs of 25 goals and 80 points and is further pushing into oblivion the player whose 14 goals last season were his lowest output since 2000-01.
"He's played very hard," coach John Tortorella said. "He's always been a trier. He always puts that effort in on both sides of the puck. I'm glad he's getting the results this year."
The results actually began during the second half of last season as Prospal had 10 goals in his final 41 regular-season games, finally cashing in on the chances he created all season. He added another goal and four assists in six playoff games.
"I wanted to start this season the way I finished last season. That's what I was thinking the whole summer," Prospal said. "Maybe it's just wanting it more."
Maybe Prospal just has a bit more perspective. He admitted that was difficult to come by through the worst of his slump.
"There were times I just kept to myself," Prospal said. "At home, we have the kids Vaclav, 7, and Veronika, 4 but even my wife was telling me I was different."
Prospal credits Monika, his wife of nine years, with keeping him grounded with conversations that lasted deep into the night.
"She went through it with me," Prospal said. "She saw me every night when I got home. 'Maybe I could play harder. Maybe I should want it more. Another year like this one and maybe I wouldn't be here.' It really helped when I sat down and started talking to her about this stuff. That way, I could let go."
"We would just talk about life," Monika said. "We are healthy. The kids are healthy and happy, and for him to believe that all his good work and all his practice, and with his big heart, everything would show."
With bowls of Oreo Cookie ice cream on hand, they spoke so intently on New Year's Eve, they said they missed toasting the start of 2007. On Jan.5 in Colorado, in Game 42, Prospal began his resurgence with his fifth goal.
"Everything was about family," Monika said, "about feelings, about hockey, positive thinking and to believe."
"We were just talking about how it was all going to turn around," Prospal said. "For some reason, it actually did."
And then the smile. Right on his game.
Damian Cristodero can be reached at cristodero@sptimes.com.