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Stamkos' Minutes Rising

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By ERIK ERLENDSSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 18, 2008

BRANDON - After playing a season-high 15 minutes, 10 seconds of ice time Sunday at Carolina, rookie Steven Stamkos figures to log a few more minutes tonight against the Panthers.

Stamkos dressed at left wing during practice on Monday on the top line with C Vinny Lecavalier and RW Marty St. Louis, although interim coach Rick Tocchet said the line combinations from practice are hardly set in stone heading into tonight.

"Stammer has to start getting some ice time," Tocchet said. "We have to see if he gets some ice time what he can do at this level. He's a young kid and we have to insulate him a little better, get some infrastructure with him. So I think practicing with Marty and Vinny gets his confidence going."

Stamkos said that he hasn't played much wing in his career, but did at the World Junior Championships in January and again on Thursday against the Red Wings. He wasn't sure how to take working with the pair of Lightning all-stars on Monday.

"It was a little intimidating at first being out there with those guys, they are such good players," Stamkos said.

Tocchet also moved Vinny Prospal to center to work with RW Radim Vrbata and LW Matt Pettinger while C Jussi Jokinen and RW Mark Recchi, who have shown some chemistry this season, were paired with LW Evgeny Artyukhin.

MALONE GETS TESTED: LW Ryan Malone missed his sixth consecutive practice Monday with what is believed to be a leg injury. Malone, who has missed the past three games and will miss his fourth tonight with what the team is calling a lower body injury, went to University Community Hospital for an MRI. The results are not expected to be known until today.

HALL MONITORED: RW Adam Hall missed practice after he took a shot off his foot in Sunday's game against Carolina, according to Tocchet. Hall, who appeared to have a bruise on his right big toe, is questionable for tonight. Tocchet said the situation is not serious as Hall is having difficulty getting on his skate boot with the swelling in the foot.

ARTY BENCHED: Artyukhin took one 14-second shift in the third period Sunday against Carolina and finished with 5:58 of playing time, but Tocchet said it won't affect his ice time heading into tonight's game.

"I had a good talk with Arty Monday and I'm going to get him on a good line tonight and he's got to be ready to play," Tocchet said. "I have to be able to trust Arty in his own end. ... Tonight is a clean slate and we'll see where he's at."

Artyukhin missed two games on the recent five-game road trip with a sore groin muscle, but Tocchet said that hasn't been an issue. And sometimes, other guys are just playing better.

"Sometimes a guy on a fourth line not playing doesn't mean I'm mad at him, I'm just going with the guys who are going and have some chemistry going," Tocchet said.

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