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Wishart Latest To Get Call

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By ERIK ERLENDSSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 4, 2009

TAMPA - The Lightning have lauded the potential of their prospects on defense. On Saturday, three of those prospects were front and center.

With Paul Ranger and Lukas Krajicek still out and Jamie Heward (concussion) expected to miss significant time, the team recalled rookie Ty Wishart from AHL Norfolk on an emergency basis.

That left the Lightning's blue line with three players - Matt Smaby, Vladimir Mihalik and Wishart - who were in the minor leagues a week ago. The three now have combined for 24 NHL games of experience after Wishart's debut Saturday.

Lightning interim coach Rick Tocchet said he wanted to make sure the trio didn't go into Saturday's game feeling overwhelmed.

"When you have younger guys come in, the thing they want to do is they get nervous and try to retreat," Tocchet said. "We don't want them to retreat. We want them to have gap control, play the same way they do in the minors. We don't want them to change their games because they're up here. That's the message we gave them today."

Wishart, a former first-round pick acquired from San Jose in the Dan Boyle trade, said he got the call during his pregame nap Friday in Worcester, Mass., and had to drive an hour to Boston for his flight to Tampa.

"I just want to go out and try to do the best I can and play a good game," said Wishart, who played 7:53 and was a minus-1. "I feel like I've improved a lot this year. I think at the start of the season I was playing a little tentative, but I feel in the past eight or nine games I've stepped up, playing a little more physical and jumping into the play more often."

Tampa Bay might have to dig deeper into the depth chart after Andrej Meszaros took a puck just above his upper lip with 20 seconds left in the second period. He received 64 stitches and was expected to return to the game, but didn't get stitched up in time. His status for tonight's game is uncertain.

JUICE ZAPPED: LW/C Jussi Jokinen (lower-body injury, day-to-day) was scratched. Ryan Craig took his spot and opened the scoring 5:05 into the game with his first goal since Nov. 10, 2007. Craig had been a healthy scratch in the previous five games.

NUTS AND BOLTS: LW Gary Roberts (elbow) is expected to miss at least two more weeks. ... LW David Koci (broken hand) has returned to practice. ... LW Jason Ward suffered a right knee sprain in Norfolk and flew to Tampa for further evaluation.

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