Bolts notes: Malone to return tonight against Ottawa

After missing the past eight games with an undisclosed upper-body injury, LW Ryan Malone will return to the lineup Tuesday night when Tampa Bay opens a four-game homestand against the Ottawa Senators.

Malone sustained what was thought to be a minor injury at Phoenix on Jan. 21, but was not ready to return after a week off for the All-Star break. Malone resumed skating and practicing with the team last week and was cleared to return to the lineup on Saturday in Buffalo.

Not wanting to risk a quick setback, Lightning head coach Guy Boucher held Malone out as a precaution. With those few extra days behind him, Malone feels more than ready to get back onto the ice.

"I think we are going to give it a shot and I'll get back in the lineup,'' Malone said. "We feel confident, did some wrestling around with a couple of other guys off the ice, and it feels as good as it can feel right now. So, I'm ready to go.''

Boucher was not clear which forward would come out of the lineup – Brett Connolly, Ryan Shannon and JT Wyman were the last three forwards off the ice Tuesday morning – but said Malone will work with the top two lines. He skated with Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis during the morning skate. Malone will also resume a spot on the power play.

"He's probably our best guy down low (on the power play) so we'll have to make room for him and he'll be on one or the other,'' Boucher said. "But right now we are still working on our game plan.''

Gilroy, Bergeron updates

D Matt Gilroy, who took a puck off his hand on Thursday against the New York Rangers, skated Tuesday morning but is not ready to return as he continues to have problems griping the stick for extended periods of time.

"It didn't feel too well today, so hopefully another day off will be good and then we'll see how it goes,'' Gilroy said.

D Marc-Andre Bergeron, meanwhile, did not sound optimistic for a quick return as he battles a back issue brought about while lifting weights earlier this month. Bergeron returned to the lineup last week against Los Angeles but continued to feel discomfort after the game and will miss his fourth consecutive game since then.

While he feels good during practices, extra movements required during games causes the discomfort he's been feeling, he said.

Previous MRI tests showed nothing out of the ordinary. Bergeron recently underwent some electrical therapy in an attempt to stimulate the injured area.

"They wired me up to TECO, hopefully to recharge the battery,'' Bergeron said, jokingly.

Bergeron is frustrated by the process and did not rule out the prospect of surgery.

"I don't want to talk about anything like that right now, but it has to get better and it has already been a while,'' Bergeron said. "It's a frustrating situation and I just have to remain positive and patient and hopefully everything settles.''

Nuts and Bolts

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman will attend the game tonight after having dinner with Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn. Bettman will sit in Lightning owner Jeff Vinik's private suite and speak with reporters during the first intermission. …G Mathieu Garon will start for Tampa Bay while G Craig Anderson will start for Ottawa.