TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Refreshed and healthy, Lecavalier optimistic about Bolts' season

Associated Press file photo

Lecavalier admits last year was not fun but is encouraged by ''little changes'' made by the team during the offseason.

ADVERTISEMENT

By JOE HENDERSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 1, 2009

TAMPA - The regular season starts Saturday night in Atlanta for the Tampa Bay Lightning, and never has a franchise needed a fresh start more than this one. We'll take one more backward glance, though, because where the Lightning have been serves as motivation for where they want to go.

For that perspective, we turn to Vincent Lecavalier – face of the franchise and the Lightning's guide on the path out of purgatory.

"It was miserable. It was tough to come to the rink," Lecavalier said of the fiasco that was last season for the Bolts. "It's like anybody when things don't go well at work. It wasn't fun, and when it's not as much fun, nobody produces as much. It was just a tough environment.

"When you win, you get even better because everybody is happy, everybody is having fun, everybody is confident and doing the right things. That's how you win. That's how we won in '04."

While the memories of the 2003-04 Stanley Cup victory grow a little fuzzier with each passing day, it's not a stretch to say this season is the most intriguing the Lightning have embarked upon since that glory season. They will have undergone a makeover since last season that is as extreme as any time since, uh, last year.

That's where any resemblance stops, though.

For starters, this roster doesn't look like it was pulled out of a cap, and the coaching staff is solid and settled. The Bolts won't be the best team in the National Hockey League this season, but they have a foundation to be much more competitive.

A playoff team, perhaps?

"Of course [it's possible]. Last year we were not even close, but this year, of course. Once you get to those playoffs you never know what will happen. Our goal is to make the playoffs, and it's realistic," Lecavalier said.

"I think that, I truly do. Obviously, it's just training camp, but guys are excited. We need a good start to the year, and that's important – I'm sure every player in the league says that about their teams. I think the exhibition games were a good start for us. We played well, our power play was great, our special teams were great."

ESPN.com has the Lightning 10th overall in its initial power rankings for the season, noting they could be the surprise team in the East if goalie Mike Smith stays healthy.

They'll be stronger on defense, and not only because they couldn't possibly be worse. They'll have more punch up front. There is more depth. And Smith is healthy after missing the second half of last season with post-concussion problems. They'll have to prove all that on the ice, of course, but Lecavalier has bought in and that's a good start.

"It's the little changes we've made. They [management] really looked at what we needed to be a better team. Last year, we had a couple of injuries on defense, but Paul Ranger and [Andrej] Mazaros are back and boom! They filled these spots with Mattias Ohlund, one of the best defensemen in the league, and drafted a young defenseman [Victor Hedman]," Lecavalier said.

"That's pretty good, but then they went and got [Matt] Walker and [Kurtis] Foster. That's a pretty solid defense corps, and we didn't have that last year because we went through 20 guys. At forward, you add a guy like Alex Tanguay, and just by adding one guy your team is a lot better. I think we've gotten a lot more depth on our team for sure."

The biggest addition might be a healthy Lecavalier, though.

He is healthy after undergoing wrist and shoulder surgeries the past two years, and people have noticed.

"I just think he's mentally fresh and physically fresh. He's had three or four months to get away, get his body in shape and get himself healed up," Lightning coach Rick Tocchet said.

"I just think it was good for him to get away, wherever he went, he took a couple of good vacations to get away from hockey, and you can tell that he's excited about this year. So that's the most important talks we've had this summer is for him to get away, get his body and mind fresh, and come back and be the leader he can be. He's doing his job."

The physical problems no doubt contributed to his subpar production last year: 29 goals and 67 points – just two years ago he had 108 points. He'd like to get back in that neighborhood.

"I don't like to say numbers, but I have scored 50, 40 goals," he said. "It's certainly where I want to be. I want to be back in the point column. I want to get that corrected."

And then there's the contract. After listening to trade rumors for years – they were especially intense last season – he knows he won't have to do that now. On July 1, a "no trade-no movement" clause in his contract kicked in. Since his deal runs through the 2019-20 season, we can finally say with certainty: Vinny isn't going anywhere.

"Obviously, with all the rumors last year that I went through, it feels good. It feels more – what's the word I'm looking for – settled," he said. "Obviously, you think about [the trade rumors] because it wasn't just a couple of articles in the paper. It was everybody talking to me about it, calling and asking me about it.

"I've been through ups and downs, a lot of tough years – especially at the beginning. But we won the Cup here, and I want to spend the rest of my career here. I just like being here. I love playing for this team. We can be a good team. This team, the sweater I put on, it's special because I've been here a long time. This city has been great to me from the second I got here. Hockey has grown so much since I got here, and I wouldn't think of any other place to play but here."

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT