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Bolts Seeking Winning Combo

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 21, 2008

TAMPA - Lightning interim coach Rick Tocchet continues to juggle the line combinations heading into tonight's game against Nashville.

But with the pending return of LW Ryan Malone, who is expected back after missing the past four games with a leg injury, this latest round of line juggling was done out of necessity as much as experimentation.

"Ryan looks like he's ready to go," Tocchet said.

Malone made it through his second consecutive day of practice Thursday and since he was practicing on a line with C Jussi Jokinen and RW Mark Recchi, Malone is likely to get back in the lineup for the first time since getting injured Nov. 10 at Washington.

With Malone back, however, the status of LW Gary Roberts is unknown. Roberts did not practice Wednesday - per Tocchet's request - but did go through an off-ice workout. Thursday, though, Roberts did not practice and is now listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury and his status for tonight is unclear.

WELCOME BACK: The Lightning on Thursday claimed LW David Koci off waivers from the St. Louis Blues, who claimed Koci on waivers from Tampa Bay on Oct. 21.

The Lightning were not the only team to put a claim in on Koci, which means he will report directly to Tampa. If the Lightning wanted to assign Koci to AHL Norfolk, he would have to be put on waivers. Koci, who signed a one-year, two-way contract with Tampa Bay during the summer, is expected to arrive in town before tonight's game against Nashville.

In 32 NHL games, all but five with Chicago, the 6-foot-6, 240-pound native of Prague, Czech Republic, has yet to record a point but has 169 minutes in penalties.

HALPERN SKIPS THE ICE: C Jeff Halpern did not skate with the team Thursday, although it had nothing to do with any kind of a setback as he continues to recovery from reconstructive knee surgery during the summer. With all the skating Halpern has done since he began skating during practice Nov. 5, the training staff wanted him to take a day off from the ice.

Erik Erlendsson

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