Bolts want to head into break on high

Remember how you felt on the last day of school, or on that last day of work before you left for your last big vacation? That is sort of where the Lightning are this weekend.

The 14-day Olympic break starts Monday, so everyone on the team, whether he will spend it playing in the Olympics or kicking back with family and friends, is starting to think more about the break ahead.

That's natural, but for a team that is trying to regain its footing in the volatile Eastern Conference playoff race, there is a danger inherent in that feeling that Lightning coach Rick Tocchet has worried about for a while now.

Tocchet knows that any slipup could prove fatal to the Lightning's playoff chances, so a couple of weeks ago he started drilling home the importance of staying focused.

"I really started that about three or four games ago," Tocchet said of keeping his players focused, "and what I said to them is, 'For these next seven games you've got to leave it all on the ice every night.'

"I mean, it's not like you usually get 14 or 15 days off, so leave it all on the ice. We only have (two) games left now. That's (120) minutes of hockey, so I don't think that's asking too much of them."

No one in the Lightning dressing room believes it is too much to ask either, and the actions of some key players in that room are a good indication that Tocchet's message has gotten through.

Goalie Antero Niittymaki, for example, said that it wasn't until after Tuesday's game that he gave the first thought to what he needs to pack for his trip to Vancouver, where he will represent Finland in the Winter Games.

And while sophomore scoring sensation Steven Stamkos has his plans for the break all set, he seems far more concerned with what happens just before the break than during it.

"We've got a good streak going, and we want to keep that going," Stamkos said of the Lightning, who have won seven of their last 10. "We're all focused on the games we have left."

It's a good thing, because the last two games the Lightning will play before taking off for the Olympics became a lot more important after they lost to the Bruins at the Forum on Thursday night.

That loss moved the ninth-place Lightning out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, but their game today against the Islanders and their game Sunday against the Rangers offer them a chance to work their way back into it.

Not only that, but with both games coming against teams that are behind them in the race, the Lightning have a chance to put some distance between themselves and two of the contenders that are biting at their heels.

"That's the thing," Tocchet said. "You can really build some momentum here these last (couple) games. I mean, we've worked really hard to get into the position we're in. We don't want to give that up."