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Bolts' Meszaros Coming On

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By ERIK ERLENDSSON

eerlendsson@tampatrib.com

Published: December 13, 2008

OTTAWA - For the first three seasons of his NHL career in Ottawa, Andrej Meszaros experienced his share of ups and downs.

As a rookie in 2005-06, Meszaros was a fan favorite, scoring 10 goals to go with 39 points and a plus-34 rating, third-best in the league. The next season, his plus/minus dropped to minus-15 - in large part because of the absence of defense partner Zdeno Chara - as his responsibilities increased in helping lead the Senators to the Stanley Cup finals.

Last year, the now 23-year-old became a target of fan and media ire despite a 36-point, plus-5 showing as Ottawa limped into the postseason before being swept in the first round by Pittsburgh.

During the summer, however, the Senators couldn't reach an agreement on a new contract. So the Lightning swooped in - first trying to sign Meszaros to an offer sheet before working out a trade that involved defensemen Filip Kuba and Alexandre Picard as well as a first-round draft pick - and signed Meszaros to a six-year contract worth $24 million.

While the trade has received its share of criticism - three assets for one - the Lightning have been pleased with Meszaros' play, especially of late.

"I think he had a really strong training camp, then his play suffered, and I think he knows that," interim coach Rick Tocchet said. "But in the past three or four games you can see his game is really starting to come. He's played a lot of minutes, and when we made the trade we expected a top-four guy who would play a lot of minutes and be aggressive with a good shot, and the last four games he's really started to display that."

In the past six games, Meszaros has logged at least 24 minutes of ice time and is plus-4. Wednesday in Buffalo, he played nearly 30 minutes and Thursday he was on the ice 26 minutes, picked up an assist and blocked seven shots.

It was a solid showing building up to facing his former teammates in Ottawa tonight.

"The last few games I've felt pretty good on the ice, playing a lot of minutes, and I like it. When you play a lot of minutes you feel into the game, more in the action and your legs are more fresh," Meszaros said.

Meszaros has also been putting his shot on display in the past few games as his power-play time has increased, concentrating on slightly toning down his 100-mph slap shot to ensure it gets on net more consistently.

His recent play has also started to display some of the lead-by-example traits needed as one of the team's alternate captains.

"I think the last few weeks Andrej is really learning to be a leader and a pro, and I think he got lost a little bit in that," Tocchet said. "We've been more proud of him the way he has bounced back. He's got that A on his chest, and that's not just for show. If he's going to be a part of that leadership group, nights like the last couple, he's got to be a leader out on the ice. And I think the last three or four games he's really starting to get his game back."

Reporter Erik Erlendsson can be reached at (813) 259-7835.

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