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By KEVIN KELLY
© St. Petersburg Times, published October 11, 2000
TAMPA -- After spending five weeks in his first NHL training camp and impressing the Lightning's coaching staff, 19-year-old goalie Evgeny Konstantinov was reassigned to the team's IHL affiliate in Detroit on Tuesday.
"(Team officials) said he had a great training camp, played great every game, and they like him, but he's got to get some games," said defenseman Sergey Gusev, who was with Konstantinov when he learned of the decision.
Konstantinov, selected 67th in the 1999 draft, was 0-1-0 with a 3.57 goals-against average in the preseason.
"We know he is a good goalie," coach Steve Ludzik said, "but he has to start playing."
The move may signal that coaches and officials are convinced Kevin Weekes is healthy enough to back up starter Dan Cloutier.
Weekes, acquired before the season from the Islanders, strained his lower back in a preseason game against Washington on Sept. 19 and missed nearly two weeks of practice.
"I don't think this organization, at any one time in its short history, has ever had the goaltending that we have now available to us," Ludzik said.
UNDER REVIEW: Players began their first team practice since losing 5-4 to Vancouver on Sunday in near silence at the Ice Sports Forum.
"They were so quiet, like they thought they were going to get the leather strap," Ludzik said. "The last time I looked at the standings, this morning when I was having coffee, there's only about three teams that have got four points. We've got one, and we should've had three. If you don't deserve to win games, you're not going to get them."
For the first time as a coach, Ludzik made his team watch the videotape of a game.
"All I want them to look at, I said, "Don't watch what we're doing mechanically. Don't watch somebody else. Watch when you're on the ice. Just watch and tell me what you think,' " he said. "I know we're not hitting on all cylinders, and they know it, too."
TRAINING: The team attended a seminar by Frank Brown, NHL vice president of media relations, and communications consultant Zachary Minor, to teach players how to better deal with the media.
"We feel that players have coaches for their skating, they have coaches for their strength and conditioning," Brown said. "They are educated about the power play, about penalty killing, about breakouts, yet when it comes to an equally critical component of their professional function, too often they are left on their own to try and figure it out by themselves."
ODDS AND ENDS: In the team's two games, Ludzik has been particularly impressed with center Wayne Primeau and defenseman Bryan Muir. Primeau had a career-high three assists against Vancouver. ... Gusev, who has been out with an injured right knee since December, said his mobility is fine and he expects to be ready for Friday's game at Pittsburgh. Ludzik said Gusev could be activated off the injured reserve list.