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Hlavac Battles Frustration, Works Through Slow Start

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 20, 2007

ATLANTA - Jan Hlavac was brought to the Lightning to provide offense. In the early part of the season, it's been slow coming for the 31-year old Czech Republic native.

Hlavac has four goals and four assists through 20 games, including just four points in his past 12 games including Monday. He has three goals in the past six games, including his second-period goal Monday.

He said before the game he is trying to fight off feelings of frustration.

"I would have expected I would have scored more goals by now and had more points," Hlavac said. "I know nothing is guaranteed, I just know I have to keep working hard."

It's not that Hlavac hasn't had the chances, but plays like Monday when he had an open net on a rebound in the second period only to have the puck bounce over his stick appear to be happening regularly. He later made up for it when he scored his fourth goal.

"The thing with Janny is, he just has to believe that he can score goals again at this level," Lightning coach John Tortorella said. "He's been involved in a number of scoring chances, so it's not like he hasn't been involved in the play."

But that hasn't stopped Hlavac, who scored 47 goals his first two seasons in the league, from feeling some pressure for his lack of offensive production.

"I'm disappointed with myself," he said. "I know I'm still getting lots of chances. I just still have to believe that they will continue to be there and they will start going in."

A SECOND NO. 1: C Vinny Lecavalier took the league's No. 1 star of the week honors for the second consecutive week when the NHL released its three players of the week on Monday.

Lecavalier led all scorers for the week with eight points (four goals, four assists) despite playing in only two games. It's the second consecutive week in which Lecavalier has led the league in scoring. The last player to garner consecutive No. 1 star of the week honors was Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg in February 2007.

This is the third time Lecavalier has earned player of the week honors; he was also named player of the week for Feb. 9, 2004.

MINOR SWAP: Tampa Bay acquired D Mario Scalzo from the Dallas Stars on Monday for D Bryce Lampman. Scalzo was assigned to Tampa Bay's affiliate in the American Hockey League, the Norfolk Admirals.

Scalzo, 23, is in his third professional year after being signed as an undrafted free agent out of Rimouski of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. In 162 games with the Iowa Stars of the AHL, the 5-foot-10, 190-pounder has nine goals and 58 assists.

With Tampa Bay's abundance of veteran players in Norfolk, trading the 25-year old Lampman, who was acquired from the New York Rangers in July and appeared in 16 games with Norfolk, alleviates the problem.

NUTS AND BOLTS: LW Mathieu Darche, who spent the first six weeks of the season with Tampa Bay before being sent to Norfolk last week, was named the AHL player of the week after piling up 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in four games. ... Lecavalier extended his streak of multi-point games to eight, the longest in the league since Jaromir Jagr had a 10-game streak in 1996.

Erik Erlendsson

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