Boucher gets Bolts out of comfort zone

Before his players drift off to sleep, the new coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning wants them to remember three little words.

Don't get comfortable.

Guy Boucher, 39, plans to use his background in sports psychology as a tool to motivate a hungry franchise that hasn't topped the 80-point barrier in the past three seasons.

Armed with new ownership and some key new players, Boucher now plans to shake up Tampa Bay's approach.

Tuesday's practice, with goaltender Mike Smith back on the ice a week after fracturing a finger, was long and grueling. Offending players were ordered to do push-ups to atone for mistakes.

"I hate that word (comfortable)," said Boucher, named Coach of the Year in the AHL last season with Hamilton. "You get in your comfort zone and you get in your lazy zone."

To assure his players don't take anything for granted, Boucher plans to mix up his lines extensively. Don't blink, because you might miss center Vinny Lecavalier on the flank or new left wing Simon Gagne centering for Marty St. Louis and Steve Downie.

Tampa Bay's No. 1 power-play unit won't be set in stone, either, for a coach who demands the flexibility to play different styles.

"He's smart, he brings lots of energy and he's always pushing guys," said veteran defenseman Pavel Kubina, who rejoined the Lightning as a free agent in July after a four-year absence. "The defense has to know what the forwards do. I might play right defense, but I have to know about all five guys on our forechecks and breakouts."

Former Lightning defenseman Enrico Ciccone played for seven different NHL teams and learned a half-dozen systems before retiring in 2001.

A few years ago, the Montreal native began hearing about a bright, young junior coach who was enjoying success an hour away in Drummondville.

"Guy keeps you off balance, he keeps you thinking all the time, he keeps you sharp," said Ciccone, in Tampa for Tuesday night's charity hockey game. "For me, being in the NHL for so long, I found myself talking to a junior coach and I'm listening to the guy instead of talking. You end a conversation with Guy Boucher and you realize you learned something."

Although Boucher craves innovation, he's not stubborn.

The Lightning power play will feature a lot of moving parts, but Boucher is well aware Steven Stamkos led the NHL last season with 24 power-play goals, many on one-timers from the left circle.

Will Stamkos be moved from his favorite spot ... his comfort zone?

"I'm not tied to it (set power-play lineup), but I'm not blind to that part (Stamkos), either," Boucher said with a laugh. "We've got a lot of guys who are good at different positions. I want to make sure every guy gets a piece of the cake."

Coming off a spectacular sophomore season, Stamkos already is feeding off Boucher's intensity.

"For all of us, it's going to be an adjustment," Stamkos said. "He's a smart guy with a major in sports psychology, so he knows what he's talking about. Sometimes you sit back and wonder, why hasn't anyone else done this stuff? It works. Coach is all about using our speed, and we have a lot of it. We're going to be in other teams' faces, taking away time and space.

"Put our speed and skill together with the new systems we have and it's going to be an exciting brand of hockey - something our fans want and deserve."