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MacDonald Earning Trust Of Coaches

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By ERIK ERLENDSSON, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 7, 2008

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Craig MacDonald sprawled out his body in an attempt to take up as much ice as his 6-foot-1 frame would allow. With seconds dwindling off the clock and St. Louis defenseman Eric Brewer winding up a shot from the left point, MacDonald knew he had to put himself between Brewer's stick and the net.

It didn't matter that MacDonald still wears a full face shield - the direct result of taking a puck to the face Dec. 20 that resulted in the loss of nine teeth and required multiple root canal surgeries to repair. Helping Tampa Bay preserve its late lead Tuesday was paramount to anything else at that time, no matter what happened six weeks ago.

"I'm sure I'll always remember getting hit; it's never something you want. ... I try not to think about it, you can't think about it. It's our job, as far as blocking shots," he said.

"If we block a shot and take it where we don't want to take it, well ..."

MacDonald hopes to have the face shield removed by next week, after he visits the team dentist for clearance. In the meantime, the 30-year-old has established himself as a vital member of the third line heading into tonight's game against Nashville. The fact he was on the ice in the final minute Tuesday indicates how much trust MacDonald has earned from the coaching staff.

"He's on the puck, his puck pressure, a lot of battles won, blocking shots ... look who I have on the ice in the final 22 seconds," Lightning coach John Tortorella said. "So he's done a real good job."

Tortorella said it has been MacDonald's ability to win battles that has earned him his ice time lately. After struggling to stay in the lineup early in the season - he was sent to the minors in November - and receiving little ice time when he was playing, MacDonald has played 13 or more minutes in each of the past three games, including a season-high 16:20 Tuesday in St. Louis.

In the past six games, MacDonald has points in five of them, including assists in three consecutive, and is a plus-six. After years of trying to find the right fit with an NHL club and now with his sixth organization, perhaps MacDonald has found the right fit and may have done enough to earn another contract after this season is done.

"I've bounced around for so much, that it might be nice to have some stability," he said. "But that's out of my hands right now. I just have to keep doing what I do."

MacDonald already has appeared in a career-high 37 games with a career-best seven assists and nine points. And not even taking a puck to the face was enough to keep him out of the lineup. MacDonald only missed one game due to the injury. He hasn't looked back since.

"You can't help but be impressed with MacDonald's willingness to play," Tortorella said. "I saw him the next day after getting hit, and he's looking to get in the lineup. He didn't say boo about it, he just went about his business getting work done on it, and is still getting work done on it.

"It's funny because I think that's when his level of play started growing after that, and it's interesting how that happens. But, yeah, I'm pretty impressed with how he has handled himself with that."

Reporter Erik Erlendsson can be reached at (813) 259-7835 or eerlendsson@tampatrib.com.

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