Lightning's Lecavalier blasts Penguins' Cooke

Normally non-controversial with his comments, Lightning captain Vinny Lecavalier did not hold back when it came to discussing Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke.

Cooke gave Lecavalier a blind-side hit at the end of the 2007-08 season, forcing Lecavalier to have reconstructive surgery on his right shoulder. When Lecavalier found out Cooke was not suspended for a blind-side, shoulder-to-head hit on Boston's Marc Savard - which was a focal point at this week's general managers' meetings - Lecavalier was surprised.

"I can't believe it. This guy's been doing that his whole career to a lot of guys. He's been hurting a lot of guys," Lecavalier said. "Take Marc Savard. He's going to be out for the rest of the season. I can't believe they're doing nothing about it. They're protecting the wrong guy, that's for sure.

"I saw the hit three or four times, and he knew exactly what he was doing when he came with the shoulder. He knew he was going to hit his head and that's how guys get hurt. He's got no respect for players."

Cooke will be in Tampa with the Penguins on Sunday, and he likely won't get a warm reception.

"There are certain players in this league that you tend to see on the highlights with hits like that," Lightning RW Marty St. Louis said. "He's a hard-working player; I don't want to take anything away from the way he plays the game. But I think that there are times when guys are vulnerable and he still follows through. If that hit is not a suspension, I don't know what is."

On tour

New Lightning owner Jeff Vinik, at Air Canada Centre on Thursday to watch the game, took advantage of his visit to meet with Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke during the first intermission.

Vinik, who closed on the deal to purchase the team March 3, is expected to be in Washington for tonight's game and hopes to meet Capitals owner Ted Leonsis.

Wanting to educate himself as much as possible, Vinik is taking advantage of the opportunity to watch the team while touring some of the buildings around the league.

Malone returns

After missing Tuesday's game in Montreal with an undisclosed upper-body injury, LW Ryan Malone returned to the ice Thursday on the third line with C Nate Thompson and RW Mark Parrish.

"It's crunch time for us and we need to try to have everybody on board. It's time to give everything we got," Malone said. "It could be worse, I guess, but everybody plays with bumps and bruises this time of the year. It's not that big of a deal. I think everybody is trying to do what they can to help the team. Right now we have to make sure we win these games."

Malone had no goals in 14 games entering Thursday, and only two goals in his previous 26 games.

"When you are not helping the team it's frustrating, especially since we've been struggling lately and you want to help out as much as you can," said Malone, who had three goals in six games during the Olympics. "When you start losing (you) start putting it on yourself a little more to help out and chip in."