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Craig returns from minors

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 6, 2009

OTTAWA - After a one-month stint playing in the minors, LW Ryan Craig returned to the Lightning after he cleared re-entry waivers Thursday.

After playing in 181 games with Tampa Bay since being called up during the 2005-06 season and registering 32 goals and 63 points, Craig was sent to the American Hockey League to start the season after not earning a roster spot out of training camp. But after scoring seven goals and nine points through eight games with Norfolk, Craig earned a call back up to the NHL.

The 27-year-old former eighth-round pick in 2002 made his season debut against Ottawa in place of Drew Miller, who played four minutes Tuesday in Toronto.

"I just want to play hockey," Craig said. "I can control at least that much and what I can do there, and that's the approach I've taken since this all went down. I'm just excited. I'm excited to be back here."

Craig was inserted into the fourth line with C Zenon Konopka and RW Todd Fedoruk.

"He's been playing pretty good down there," Lightning coach Rick Tocchet said of Craig. "And sometimes it's good to have that extra forward around every once in a while."

Making room

With Tampa Bay already at the maximum roster limit of 23 players, the team had to make a move in order to accommodate Craig's recall.

With D Paul Ranger missing his second week due to personal reasons, the team was given clearance by the league for a non-roster exemption, similar to a player being on injured reserve. Ranger will continue to earn a paycheck and count against the team's salary camp while he is out.

"The Club may request 'non-roster' status for a player for personal reasons (death of a family member, birth of a child, etc.), and it may be granted - within the sole discretion of the League Office," NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said in an e-mail.

Ranger has been out since Oct. 24 and there is no timetable for his return to the team.

Power-play tweak

Having entered Thursday's game on a 3-for-31 slump with the man advantage in the past eight games, Tampa Bay has incorporated a few minor changes in the way the power play is being run.

Tuesday in Toronto, D Mattias Ohlund took the spot at the left point in place of rookie Victor Hedman on the top unit while C Steven Stamkos, who was playing primarily in the slot near the right circle, rotated around the zone taking up residence on the left side of the ice for good portions of the power play.

"We've made a few changes," captain Vinny Lecavalier said. "Sometimes if it gets a little stale you switch it around, switch sides or do something a little different to try to make the opponent look for what you are going to do. I think we are going to change a little bit. It's not that we weren't moving the puck well, it's just when things aren't happening sometimes you have to switch it up."

One for the books

With his overtime winner Tuesday in Toronto, LW Ryan Malone became the eighth player in NHL history to score the game-winning goal in four of a team's first five victories of the season.

Nuts and Bolts

Konopka will be appearing at the McDonald's on 3480 East Lake Road in Palm Harbor on Tuesday, along with radio voice Dave Mishkin, for the Ice Hot radio show broadcast on 620 AM from 7-8 p.m. Konopka will sign autographs for fans after the show. ... In addition to Miller, the Lightning scratched D Kurtis Foster and Matt Smaby.

Erik Erlendsson

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