Richards finally feeling at home

After nearly two years and two broken wrists, former Lightning C Brad Richards finally feels comfortable in his new surroundings.

It's not that Richards didn't feel welcomed by the Stars' organization following the February 2008 trade that sent the former Conn Smythe Trophy winner to Dallas in exchange for G Mike Smith, C Jeff Halpern and LW Jussi Jokinen. Richards said it has just taken him some time, and perhaps a coaching change from Dave Tippett to Marc Crawford, for him to feel like he completely fits in.

Judging from his start, entering Saturday tied for the second in the league with 23 assists and tied for fifth with 30 points for a traditionally slow starter, Richards appears to be right at home.

"This is the best start I've obviously had personally," Richards said. "It's been good to get some confidence going right from Day One. I don't think when I first got here that they really understood me nor did I clearly understand what they wanted, and that's normal. They had a really good team when I got traded here, they were used to playing and doing things a certain way. It took awhile for me to fit in."

He said heading into Saturday wasn't quite as strange facing his former team in Dallas as was his first return to Tampa back in January.

"It will always be different going into that building, and (Saturday) will be fun," Richards said, "but this doesn't have the same feeling as going into the Forum and playing in front of your old fans and playing on the ice surface you won a Stanley Cup on."

Fitting tribute

The often stoic John Tortorella put in a call to Lightning general manager Brian Lawton on Saturday morning thanking him and the team for the video tribute shown on the overhead scoreboard during the first minute of Friday's game.

During the presentation, Tortorella, now coaching the New York Rangers, never looked up at the scoreboard or acknowledged the standing ovation he received from the crowd. Lawton said Tortorella expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the organization for the tribute.

Stuffed nose

As Paul Szczechura wheeled around the net to fire a shot on goal early in the second period Friday, the stick of New York's P.A. Parenteau whacked the Lightning forward square on his nose, dropping Szczechura to the ice as drops of blood trickled from his nose.

Szczechura quickly went to the medical room for treatment but returned minutes later with cotton sticking out of his right nostril in order to stop the bleeding. His third shift back on the ice, the second-year center swatted a loose puck past Henrik Lundqvist for his first goal of the season.

Having to play with the cotton up his nose, he said, was not an ideal situation.

"It's a little tough to breath, and it's annoying, but you have to do it to stop the bleeding," Szczechura said. "I hear it didn't look too good on TV either."

Ohlund still out

D Mattias Ohlund missed his seventh consecutive game with an ankle injury Saturday, but Lightning coach Rick Tocchet indicated the veteran defenseman could be ready to return by next week.

"We'll give him a day off (today) and then he should be very, very close after that," Tocchet said. "Like I've said, I'm going to err on the side of caution with him because I really don't want this to be a lingering thing."

Nuts and bolts

LW Todd Fedoruk was a scratch for the fourth consecutive game. ... Lightning associate coach Rick Wilson was given a tribute on the overhead scoreboard for his 15 years of service to the Stars organization. Wilson started with the Stars as an associate coach in 1992.

Erik Erlendsson