Lightning players focused on playoffs

The Lightning may be set to make a major change off the ice, but on the ice, the game must go on.

A day after a deal had been struck for the franchise to be sold to Boston-based financier Jeff Vinik, Tampa Bay returned to the ice to continue the playoff chase. While the change above might make for a good conversation starter, it won't disrupt anything in the locker room.

"You never know with a new owner, he could come in and say we are bringing Scott Stevens out of retirement and that would make the team smile, but you don't know what direction and it doesn't change how we prepare for games and what our process is in that manner," center Jeff Halpern said. "And until we hear something different we go about it the same way."

Captain Vinny Lecavalier, who will be on his fourth different owner since entering the league in 1998, said none of what has gone on recently was a distraction to what the team has been trying to accomplish, which is earn a playoff spot. That would go a long way to impressing the new boss.

"Any time there is ownership change you want to do well and the best way to do that is win," Lecavalier said. "And by winning, I guess that's showing him that this is a good team, we believe this is a good team and that's what we want to show and keep going the way we have the past few weeks."

While evaluations are always part of any change in the workplace, Lightning coach Rick Tocchet said the key is to not try too hard to make an impression.

"You don't want to step outside the box and be something you are not," he said. "Maybe ownership (change) is different with the players, but I'm sure there is an evaluation period and as individuals during any kind of an evaluation period, the most important thing is you have to be who you are."

But with the change has come a certain level of excitement as Vinik has stated he intends to put the necessary resources into the team in an attempt to bring the franchise back to the level of five years ago when the Lightning were a perennial playoff-caliber team.

"This ownership group gave me my chance, so I owe them a lot," Tocchet said. "But now you are getting a guy who is a very stable guy and excited about coming to the community and make this a first-class organization. So we haven't even met him yet and we are excited. Everybody has their own opinion, but I think guys are excited."

Full circle

"I was trying to think the other day when somebody asked me who my first game was against, and I thought it was Calgary but I wasn't 100 percent sure," said Langkow, who scored 27 goals in 173 games with Tampa Bay from 1995-99. "You look now, it's pretty weird my first game was playing against (Calgary) and now my 1,000th against Tampa, so it's kind of neat."

Given a boot

D David Hale, who was on a conditioning assignment at Norfolk of the American Hockey League since Jan. 26, returned to the team Saturday but won't be suiting up anytime soon.

Hale is expected to miss at least four weeks after suffering what is believed to be a broken bone in his right leg, just above the ankle. The injury occurred Wednesday while blocking a shot in a shootout loss to Hershey.

The team said they were awaiting X-ray results before determining the extent of the injury.

Nuts and bolts

A moment of silence was held before the game to honor Brendan Burke, the 21-year-old son of Toronto GM Brian Burke, who was killed in a car accident Friday. ... Former Lightning D Cory Sarich, a member of the 2004 Stanley Cup championship team, returned to Tampa for the first time since signing with the Flames in 2007.