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Vrbata, Craig Out In Favor Of Call-Ups

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By ERIK ERLENDSSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 3, 2008

PHILADELPHIA - After Saturday's loss in Denver, interim coach Rick Tocchet fired a warning shot to players he thought were not giving enough.

Before Tuesday's game against the Flyers, Tocchet followed through with his statements by scratching RW Radim Vrbata and LW Ryan Craig and replacing them with rookie call-ups RW Radek Smolenak and LW Paul Szczechura, both of whom joined the team from AHL Norfolk earlier in the day.

For Vrbata, it is the second time this season the high-priced free-agent acquisition has been a healthy scratch. Vrbata, who signed a three-year, $9 million contract July 1, struggled under former coach Barry Melrose and didn't have a goal at the time of the coaching change. Under Tocchet, who coached Vrbata in Phoenix, the 27-year-old had been showing positive signs with three goals in six games.

"I think Vrbata is caught in a situation right now where he's caught in between everywhere," Tocchet said. "He's just not getting to loose pucks, and we need production out of him. The way I look at it, if you're not coming up with loose pucks right now, then you're not going to play."

Vrbata found himself being skated hard Tuesday morning, and he was the last one off the ice, about 30 minutes behind the other scratched players.

"I know I can play better, and the coaches feel the same," Vrbata said.

CALL-UP HIGH-JINKS

Norfolk general manager Mike Butters had the privilege of informing Smolenak and Szczechura, who is leading the Admirals in scoring and plus/minus, that they were being summoned to the big club on Monday afternoon. So Butters brought the pair in for a chat.

"They tried to play a little prank on us," said Szczechura, who was acquired by Norfolk in January and signed by the Lightning to an entry-level contract in April.

After the two sat down, Butters asked each what they knew about Augusta, Ga., where Tampa Bay's East Coast affiliate played in a league one level below the AHL. That didn't take away from the excitement.

"This is a great opportunity for me and Paul," said Smolenak, a third-round pick in the 2005 draft, who had a hit and a shot on goal during his first shift before getting into a fight with Flyers RW Aaron Asham at 11:53 of the first period.

Smolenak also picked up his first career point with an assist on Steve Downie's third-period goal.

NUTS AND BOLTS

LW Gary Roberts was placed on injured reserve Tuesday after suffering a pulled groin during practice the previous day. ... D Marek Malik returned to the lineup after missing two games with a lower-body injury. ... ... The Lightning's ECHL affiliate in Augusta suspended operations because of financial difficulties. The rest of the team's games were canceled, and the the Lightning's two prospects there will be reassigned.

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