Sports: Lightning still offers hope

Lightning still offers hope

By DARRELL FRY

TAMPA -- This is what you look for. A sign. A sliver of a reason to be optimistic that somehow, some way, things are going to be different, if only a little bit.

When you're talking about shedding the history of surrender of the Lightning, you look with modesty and sensibility, and you look long and hard. This isn't for the impatient.

You look for anything that makes you think the Lightning, by God, has had quite enough of this losing, thank you. You look for an attitude, a temperament, more than a desired result.

Six weeks into the NHL season, the Lightning has made a solid break from the gate and is off to an encouraging start with plenty of room to run, which is all anyone can reasonably ask.

You could ask for more, but you would only drive yourself crazy. This is the Lightning we're talking about, one of the worst franchises in the league the past few seasons. You don't turn the class clown into the prom queen overnight.

Given the history of the Bucs and the Rays, nobody should have to remind us of that.

With the Lightning, you have to measure with a ruler, not a yardstick. You assess its progress from day to day, not year to year. And these days, the Lightning is doing a lot of things good teams do.

Mind you, there will come a time we must take a critical look at this franchise and appraise it in terms of victories, playoff berths and championships.

But at this time, what we need is what we're getting now -- a reason, a darned good one, to hope. An inducement to plunk down our hard-earned money to drive to the Ice Palace or turn on the tube to watch this team play.

The Lightning is in a four-way scramble for (dramatic pause) first place.

The Lightning (6-9-2-1), believe it or not, is actually battling for first place in its division despite losing Monday night to Dallas 6-2.

Granted, it's the Southeast Division, the worst in pro sports. Going into Monday's games, the expansion Columbus Blue Jackets had more wins than every team in the Lightning's division. And if the Lightning was in a division with all the last-place teams, it would have been tied for third.

But you know what? Who cares? If the Lightning is anywhere except in last place, that's reason to throw a party.

Before playing the Stars on Monday night, the Lightning had lost once in its previous six games. During that stretch, the Lightning put the freeze on the Islanders, Caps and Canadiens twice.

Sure, those aren't exactly Stanley Cup contenders. But again, remember what team we're dealing with here, a 50-loss franchise the past two seasons with the league's lowest payroll and its youngest roster.

You have to temper everything when it comes to the Lightning and take notice of a run like it's on now. You have to cling to the competitiveness you see in its eyes, the fortitude you see in the way it plays defense, rather than the losing record pinned to its back.

You have to feel good about players who talk like veteran Stan Drulia, even if what he says seems overly optimistic. "We don't think we're hot," he said. "We think we can bring this to the table day in and day out."

You have to be encouraged by the composure the Lightning showed against an imposing Toronto squad Friday on the road, rallying in the third period to force overtime and tie 2-2.

"Tampa has played as well as I've seen them play," Dallas coach Ken Hitchcock said.

It starts in goal, where Kevin Weekes has looked more polished than many people expected. If Dan Cloutier can play nearly as well when he comes back from injury (left biceps tendinitis), Tampa Bay's past goaltending problems could be solved.

And then what strides can this team make?

The immediate schedule certainly holds plenty of promise. Tampa Bay's next six games, two at home and four on the road, are against teams with losing records. "Our team is very different than last year. This is a fresh start," right wing Mike Johnson said. "There's definitely a feeling we can keep this up with our work ethic. You're not going to win four of six every time, but you can be competitive in every game."

Chances are, the Lightning won't even do that. You've got to figure there still will be nights when it gets its hat handed to it, when a Colorado or a St. Louis comes in here and knocks the Lightning four ways from Sunday.

And you know what? It'll be okay. Remember, this isn't about any individual game. It's about a conversion, an evolvement. And that's something that sometimes can be detected only in the smallest of advancements.

You just have to know what you're looking for.