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Climb Up Standings Not Daunting For Lightning

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By ERIK ERLENDSSON, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 18, 2008

PITTSBURGH - The walls that line the hallway along the corridor toward the Lightning locker room are decorated with frames holding team pictures, starting with the inaugural team. Along the back wall is a painted logo, frames holding team phrases such as "Good is the Enemy of Great" along with inspirational stories and individual player photos.

But nowhere in sight is there a dry erase or magnetic board displaying the current league standings. Considering Tampa Bay's spot at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, and three points behind No. 14 seed Toronto heading into Thursday night's action, it might be a bit of a depressing reminder of how far south the Lightning's season has dipped.

Yet, Coach John Tortorella - not one to worry too much about keeping a steady eye on the standings - said he wouldn't mind the players taking a daily glance at the newspaper to see exactly where Tampa Bay sits.

"I would look at the standings right now, and I'm not a big believer in that, but I would look at the standings and look at our division," he said. "I want our players to see that."

That's because in what has clearly become a mediocre Eastern Conference, the Southeast Division is the worst of the lot. Division-leading Atlanta and Carolina entered Thursday atop the division with 48 points: the No. 8 seeded New York Rangers have 49 points. That means there is a real possibility that whichever team wins the division crown, and the No. 3 seed that would likely come with it, could finish with fewer points than the No. 9 seed.

It also means that as rough of a go as the Lightning have endured since the middle of December, the nine-point deficit in the division standings is not as daunting a task as it seems. While it might seem like it would take a New England Patriots-like winning streak to get there, charging up the division standings isn't exactly a climb up Mt. Everest at this point.

"I'm not a big guy to look at the standings and I've spent six years telling players not to look at them," Tortorella said. "But right now I tell them to look at it because there is light at the end of the tunnel, there is still some hope. We just need to take it one game at a time here and try to find our way."

At the current pace of Atlanta, Tampa Bay would need to get to 84 points to have a chance at the division. To get to that point, the Lightning need 45 points in their final 36 games, which means they need about 22 or more victories.

The way defenseman Paul Ranger looks at it, the standings today don't really matter.

"I know where we are right now and it's not where we want to be, but until we start winning some games it's not going to change," Ranger said. "In my mind, I know where we are, but I'm not real eager to look and see where we are everyday, especially after the game Tuesday against Colorado.

"Until we put some wins together, we are in the same spot we were three games ago."

Until the team faces near elimination, they will not publicly state they are out of contention. It doesn't mean, however, that a contingency plan isn't in place should they fall off the playoff map completely in the next few weeks. Until that time, Lightning general manager Jay Feaster said he is looking to improve the team, not dismantle it.

"We're still in it . . . there is no sense of quitting," Feaster said. "I think at some point you have to be a realist . . . and come the trade deadline toward the end of February, if we haven't made a dent in it and it's still an uphill climb, I think we have to say that we need to make sure we are not going to lose assets for nothing in return."

NOTES: Lightning C Vinny Lecavalier was named to serve as captain for the Eastern Conference All-Star team. ... RW Marty St. Louis, who will make his fourth All-Star appearance in Atlanta, rejoined the team Thursday after spending Wednesday at the hospital where he and wife Heather welcomed the couples' third son, Mason Normand, who checked in at seven pounds, six ounces, at 12:58 p.m. Mason joins brothers Ryan (4) and Lucas (2).

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

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