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The Lightning and Panthers get together for the first of their five bruisefests this season.
By KEVIN KELLY
© St. Petersburg Times, published November 24, 2000
TAMPA -- Ryan Johnson still remembers what it's like on the Southeast side.
It wasn't too long ago that the Lightning center viewed his team as the opposition.
"Regardless of the position of the teams in the standings, we always knew it was going to be a war coming over here," said Johnson, traded from Florida to Tampa Bay in March. "Everybody knew to be ready, regardless of score, regardless of standings. I expect that to continue."
The Lightning and Panthers, teams with a longstanding distaste for each other, play the first of five games this season before an expected sellout crowd tonight.
"Obviously, it's an intrastate rivalry that's just starting to get pretty intense," Lightning general manager Rick Dudley said. "We're two Florida teams, and we've developed a little bit of a history with one another. We play each other a lot. We've had a few moments.
"When you play each other, you get familiar. They're the type of team that plays a pretty intense game. It brings out the intensity in each team."
But more will be at stake tonight -- and again Saturday, when the teams play in Sunrise -- than statewide bragging rights.
"These are big games," Johnson said.
Tampa Bay, in the midst of a 10-day stretch in which it plays five division teams, is one point behind division leader Carolina after an 8-2 rout of Atlanta on Wednesday.
After winning one game in the first six weeks of the season -- in part because of persistent injuries to key players -- the star-laden Panthers are three points out of first place after winning three of their past four.
"We have no reason not to think that we don't belong in first place," Lightning forward Brian Holzinger said. "We're just trying to keep steady with the pack, and right now, early on, our division has struggled. But teams are going to get better. We know that. As long as we can keep pace with the other guys in our division, we're going to have a good opportunity come the end of the season."
Florida has dominated the series.
The Panthers are 9-0-1 against Tampa Bay the past two seasons and hold a 22-6-7 advantage in the seven-year series.
The Lightning's last win was in March 1998.
"We've been struggling against them the last couple of years," said Lightning defenseman Pavel Kubina, who had a goal and four assists and was plus-5 against Atlanta. "But I don't think it's going to happen this year. I don't."
One week after having the worst record in the league, Florida is on an upswing, though without seven regulars.
Among those out of the lineup have been left wing Ray Whitney (groin), center Igor Larionov (muscle pull) and center Viktor Kozlov (shoulder).
All three could play against the Lightning.
But the one player who makes the Panthers always dangerous is right wing Pavel Bure, who scored 58 goals last season and has seven goals in the past eight games. Against the Lightning last season, he scored six times in five games, including four goals in a 7-5 win Jan. 1.
"I remember that game," Lightning coach Steve Ludzik said. "He won that game for them. He won that game by himself. As a team, we played better than they did, but that guy just won the game for them."
Ludzik and his players expect nothing less than a physical -- and verbal -- game.
Why not? Through the years, there have been shouting matches, fights and accusations, among other things.
"Florida tries to beat you up a lot of nights," Ludzik said. "To win, every single guy has got to check. A team of all all-stars is going to get beat by a team of guys that know how to play. They will ... eventually."
The Lightning has tried to downplay tonight's game, focusing instead on the bigger picture.
"If you look at last year, we had almost the same record at this time," goalie Dan Cloutier said. "We lost these games against Atlanta and Carolina, Washington.
"Those were the games that killed us. This year, for us to stay in the hunt, we've got to beat the teams in our division."
WHEN/WHERE: 7:30; Ice Palace, Tampa.
TV/RADIO: Lightning Hockey Network; WDAE-AM 620.
THE LOWDOWN: This is the second of five Southeast Division games in 10 days for the Lightning, and the first against Florida this season. In his first start since Oct. 21, G Dan Cloutier stopped 25 of 27 shots in the 8-2 win against Atlanta on Wednesday. Kevin Weekes starts tonight. Defensemen Andrei Zyuzin (concussion), Craig Millar (bruised rib tissue) and Paul Mara (lower abdominal muscle bruise) are on injured reserve. C Steve Martins (groin) skated Thursday and could play. RW Alexander Kharitonov (mild concussion) is day to day. RW Stan Drulia (sore ribs) will play. D Pavel Kubina has two goals and four assists in two games. Tampa Bay is 5-2-1 in its past eight games. After being held pointless in four games, C Brad Richards has three goals and two assists in his past three. Florida leads the series 22-6-7 and is 9-0-1 the past two seasons. The teams complete a home-and-home series at Florida on Saturday. -- Compiled by KEVIN KELLY.
Tonight's Lightning game is one of 20 that will be shown this season on the Lightning Hockey Network. The games are produced by Sunshine Network and offered to area cable systems to be placed on a channel of their choice. Time Warner cable will show the game on Ch. 18 on its upgrade and digital systems in Citrus and Hernando counties and in the Black Diamond area of Citrus County. On the regular system in Citrus, the game will be Ch. 20, in Hillsborough Ch. 44, in Pinellas Ch. 7 and in Pasco County Ch. 62 on cable-ready televisions and Ch. 67 for those with a cable box. On Verizon Media Ventures in Clearwater and Pinellas Park, the game will be Ch. 525, and on Moffat Communications in Zephyrhills Ch. 2. Sunshine has set up an information line to assist viewers. Call (866) 835-3562.