Tamp Bay Lightning (0-2-2) vs. Minnesota Wild (3-0-0)
St. Pete Times Forum @ 6:30 CDT
Television: KSTC (45/12)
Listen live on WCCO.com, or locally at 830 AM
For the Lightning perspective, check out Bolts Blog or Boltsmag.
Tonight's lines:
Minnesota Wild | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| Brunette - Koivu - Miettinen Schultz - Burns Backstrom | Ryan Malone - Vincent Lecavalier - Martin St. Louis Andrej Meszaros - Mike Lundin Mike Smith |
Notes
Don't expect many people tonight, what with the goings-on over at Tropicana Field taking the attention away from the rough start Barry Melrose and Wes Walz are facing with the Lightning.
Injury Updates from Russo's Rants:
Center Krys Kolanos has been recalled from AHL Houston on an emergency recall because the Wild is short so many forwards (apparently that was Kolanos I spotted in the airport). This way, it can keep him here and it doesn’t affect his waiver timing. Pierre-Marc Bouchard (back) has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to before Tuesday’s game. He can come off at anytime.
Coach Jacques Lemaire was keeping the lineup a secret. He said he didn’t think Owen Nolan (leg) would play tonight: "It’s not good enough. So why? It’s not perfect."
So it sounds like the Wild won’t risk it with Nolan. If he doesn’t play tonight, he’ll be able to get lots of rest for a possible return Thursday against Buffalo.
Marian Gaborik is still not skating with his lower body injury, but he rode the bike this morning. Lemaire wouldn’t say if Krys Kolanos or Tomas Mojzis would play. One of them at least will.
From Wild.com
There isn’t too much news to report out of this morning’s pre-game skate. Owen Nolan did participate. Jacques Lemaire said he has some conferring with his assistant coaches before figuring out a lineup for tonight, particularly with Tomas Mojzis play again, and perhaps at forward like he did against the Panthers.
On the Lightning
New coach Barry Melrose is still seeking his first victory with Tampa Bay, but he was encouraged by the way his team battled back its last time out. On Thursday, Vincent Lecavalier, Vinny Prospal and Ryan Malone each scored third-period goals as Tampa Bay forced overtime against the New York Islanders, only to lose 4-3.
"That's the effort we got to have for 60 minutes," Melrose said. "Hopefully that can be something that can feed over. That was very encouraging in the third period they way they kept going."
Questions to Answer
- Will tonight be the night they give up a goal on the PK?
- Should the Wild go out and sign Teppo Numminen, Teemu Selanne, Janne Niienema and every other Finn in the NHL?
- Bigger rookie performance tonight, Colton Gillies or Steven Stamkos
- Can Benoit Pouliot get out of Lemaire's doghouse, or is he destined to be moved?
- Bigger attendance, Atlanta, Miami or Tampa?
Don't forget to set your lineups at Pick SPG.
Oh, and Go Rays!!!!!