Downie is back, eager to make impact

With the regular season winding down, RW Steve Downie is ready to get things cranked back up.

Downie has endured an injury-plagued campaign, sitting out three games in November with a back issue, missing nearly a month in December with a high ankle sprain that hampered his game when he returned, and lately with another lower-body issue, not to mention his ankle, that kept him out since March 3.

On Friday, however, Downie was back in the lineup and resumed his spot on the top line with Steven Stamkos and Marty St. Louis. With an agitating style of play at times, and his ability to win pucks along the walls and in the corners, Downie's presence has been missed.

"He plays on the power play, he brings energy, he brings drive, physicality," Lightning coach Guy Boucher said. "And he makes that Stamkos and St. Louis line click a lot more. And that's a lot."

Downie has eight goals and 28 points this season, well off his 22-goal season a year ago. But his plus-seven rating leads the team along with 146 penalty minutes. And while he didn't enjoy sitting out, Downie said he's feeling completely healthy and does not anticipate having any limitations on the ice this time around.

"I don't like sitting out and I think everyone knows that," Downie said. "It's probably the toughest thing in hockey for me to sit out and watch the team go play hard teams; it's painful. But hopefully it's the best for my ankle and come down the stretch, I'll be ready to go."

The hope is that not only will Downie help balance out the lines, but also bring some of the sandpaper element of his game to the lineup.

"He brings a lot of emotion to the game, a lot of energy, but he is also a pretty good player, so let's not forget that," St. Louis said. "He's had a tough year injury wise, but when Downs is on top of his game, he's pretty effective. And we need him."

Healthy scratch

D Marc-Andre Bergeron was a late scratch Friday, as Boucher opted to dress six defensemen and a full complement of 12 forwards.

Since registering six points in his first seven games, including an overtime goal against Carolina on Feb. 12, Bergeron has struggled without a point in his past 10 games and is a minus-7, including minus-3 on Tuesday against the New York Islanders.

Though he's been hampered somewhat with a back issue that forced him to sit out three games this month, he said it's not an issue right now.

"It's not perfect, but at this time of the year I guess nobody is playing under perfect condition. But at the same time, it's not anything to be worried about and it doesn't slow me down on the ice," Bergeron said.

Not finding the score sheet, however, is something that does nag at Bergeron ever so slightly.

"A little bit, but at the same time these things happen and points sometimes come and go in cycles, so I'm not too concerned about it," he said. "Hopefully I'll have some soon, but it's not something that drives me crazy and I'm not going to lose sleep over it."

Nuts and Bolts

LW Ryan Malone has been cleared to return to action, but Boucher said the veteran winger needs time to get into game shape. Thursday at home against Pittsburgh appears to be the target date. ... D Randy Jones, out since March 9 with a high ankle sprain, skated on his own briefly on Friday, about a week ahead of schedule. Though Jones was not expected back until after the end of the regular season, he could be back before the start of the playoffs. ... LW Adam Hall appeared in his 500th career game. ... RW Mattias Ritola (lower body) suffered a minor injury in practice Thursday and did not skate.

Erik Erlendsson