Tampa Bay assistant coach Dan Lacroix will not serve in that role for the 2013-14 campaign.
Lacroix was brought in with former head coach Guy Boucher. Lacroix's contract will expire in June, but he might end up staying within the organization in some other capacity.

Nate Thompson was thrilled to win a bronze medal with Team USA at the IIHF World Championship.
He called it "a once in a lifetime experience I will never forget." It was his first medal and second time he has competed for the United States at the tournament. "It was awesome," he said. "With the group of guys we had an how young we were, I don't think anyone would have picked us to do that. We had a pretty resilient group." Thompson generated a goal, three points and a plus-1 rating in 10 games.

Vincent Lecavalier doesn't want to go anywhere.
"Yeah, I want to be here. I want to play here the rest of my career and I've always said that and will keep saying it," said the long-time Tampa Bay Lightning. "I've been here for 15 years now. I'm proud to be part of this organization." He's signed until 2020 and has a no-trade clause. Lecavalier was disappointed with how Tampa finished the 2013 campaign after a promising start, but he doesn't feel like the team is far away from returning to the playoffs.

Vincent Lecavalier talked about Tampa Bay's disappointing 2013 campaign with Damian Cristodero of the St. Petersburg Times.
"Yeah, I mean, it's definitely disappointing. The way we started the year, I think we were 6-1 at one point after the first seven games," Lecavalier said. "Yeah, after 15, 20 games if you're outside, with everybody playing each other, it's tough to get back in, and it just seemed like it snowballed and we couldn't get close to getting back to that eighth spot." He had four goals and 11 points in his first seven games, but was hit in the foot by a shot from teammate Sami Salo on Feb. 2 which hampered him until it became a fracture when he collided with Florida defenseman Erik Gudbranson on March 12. "I felt really good when I started the year," he said, "but with that shot the ankle was very weak. ... It didn't seem to get better." He has dealt with some injury concerns over the past few seasons, which have hurt his fantasy value.

Martin St. Louis has been nominated for the 2013 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.
The other two finalists are Patrick Kane and Matt Moulson. St. Louis is a two-time winner of the award, but this time capturing the trophy would carry with it some extra meaning. He would join Stan Mikita and Wayne Gretzky as the only players to win both this award and the Art Ross Trophy in a single season. St. Louis had 60 points and 14 penalty minutes in 48 games.

Martin St. Louis is upbeat about the Lightning's future.
St. Louis feels confident about the players currently on the roster and said there's "no way" the Bolts can't things around next year. "[General manager] Steve Yzerman is a smart guy," St. Louis said. "He's been in every situation. His experience, his knowledge, I have full confidence in what he's trying to do. I feel some of his pain because he wants to win and it hasn't gone the way he'd like to the last couple of years. It's a tough act to follow after the first year we go to the conference final (in 2011) and we're one game away from the Stanley Cup final. I always feel when you set the bar like that it becomes a pretty big responsibility."

Steven Stamkos has been Canada's best forward at the IIHF Championships.
This should not be a surprise. Stamkos has scored four goals and registered nine points in leading Canada to a 4-0-1 record.

Martin St. Louis has been named a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Awad, given annually by the NHL Players Association to the league's "most outstanding player."
The veteran winger will be in tough for the award against young stars Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington's Alex Ovechkin. St. Louis won the trophy back in 2004 when it was known as the Pearson Award and he led the NHL in scoring in 2013 with 60 points in 48 games. He also led the league with 43 assists.

Tampa Bay Lightning director of scouting Al Murray is hoping that prospect goalie Andrei Vasilevski plays in North America next season.
He has one year left on his contract with Ufa of the KHL but his deal has a buy-out clause, according to Murray. If he doesn't play overseas then he could skate for Mississauga in the OHL, since they own his junior rights, or with Syracuse in the AHL. Vasilevski was the 19th overall pick in the 2012 draft.

Steve Stamkos had a goal and three assists in Canada's 7-1 rout of Norway at the IIHF World Championships on Tuesday.
At this point, we have to imagine European clubs just wish Stamkos' Lightning would make the playoffs and leave them alone. Edmonton teammates Taylor Hall (two goals) and Devan Dubnyk (13 saves) also aided Canada's cause. With the win, Canada is second in its pool with seven points, trailing only Switzerland's eight points.

The Lightning are eager to add an impact player at No. 3 in the NHL draft.
The Lightning are excited to add a promising young player, but they're also more than willing to be creative with the pick. "We feel pretty good,'' director of scouting Al Murray said. "I think this year at three gives you lots of opportunity that you might get the No. 1 player on your list because everybody sees it a little differently. .There is a legitimate chance we could get the No. 1 guy on our overall list at three, which gives (general manager) Steve (Yzerman) the flexibility to look at moving back or moving it for a player. I think anybody in the top five has a prospect that is very close to playing in the NHL and playing at a high level, so that's a very valuable pick this year. And I think teams will look at it that way. So, I think it gives us a lot of opportunity this year because the asset is that good.''

Tampa Bay has inked Radko Gudas to a three-year, one-way contract.
Financial terms were not immediately made available. The hard-hitting defenseman appeared in 22 games with the Lightning this past season, while posting two goals, five points, 38 penalty minutes and a plus-3 rating. Gudas was also credited with 87 hits.

Cedric Paquette has agreed to a three-year, entry-level deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Paquette had 27 goals, 83 points, and 103 penalty minutes in 63 QMJHL games this season. He was taken in the fourth round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

There's been some speculation in Tampa that the Lightning may buy out the remainder of Ryan Malone's contract.
He has two years left on his current deal at a $4.5 million cap hit. However, GM Steve Yzerman wasn't willing to discuss his thought process just yet. "We'll spend the next month figuring out our plan," Yzerman said. "I'm not really concerned with where we are with the cap. It's not going to be an issue for us as far as what we want to do."

Tampa Bay Lightning sign Nikita Nesterov to three-year entry-level contract.
Nesterov spent the past three season playing in the KHL after the Lightning drafted him in the fifth round in 2011. Nesterov had one assist, 14 penalty minutes and a plus-6 rating in 35 regular-season games for Chelyabinsk Traktor this season.

Tampa Bay GM Steve Yzerman said there will be changes to the team's roster for next season.
"Our group will change, how dramatically I'm not prepared to say yet, but we'll explore options as far as improving the areas we feel need to be addressed," Yzerman said. "We have players coming up from Syracuse (of the American Hockey League) next year that will have an opportunity to make this team. So, things will be different; they need to be different." The Lightning had the two top scorers in the league, with Martin St. Louis winning the Art Ross Trophy and Steve Stamkos finishing just one point behind him, but they failed to make the playoffs. New coach Jon Cooper is expected to have a say in the personnel moves after assessing the team after he took over for Guy Boucher.

Steve Stamkos had an MRI on his knee Sunday, but GM Steve Yzerman said it showed "nothing of significance."
The Tampa sniper felt he hyperextended his knee slightly on a hit he put on Florida defenseman Filip Kuba late in the third period of Saturday's finale. He will fly to Sweden Tuesday to play for Canada at the world championship.

Steve Stamkos finished three goals shy of the Rocket Richard Trophy.
Stamkos ended up with 29 goals and 57 points in 48 games. He lost to Alex Ovechkin, who scored a surreal 24 goals in his final 29 games.

Martin St. Louis reflected on becoming the oldest player in the history of the NHL to win the Art Ross Trophy.
St. Louis finished the season with 17 goals and 60 points in 48 games. "When the hope of getting in (the playoffs) goes away, you try to finish strong and play the right way, then a couple of things happen along the way. Obviously, Sidney getting hurt. Then you find yourself in a situation that you can do something cool," St. Louis said. "It's something that nobody can take away from me. It's in the books." He broke the record established by Gordie Howe when he won the Art Ross Trophy at the age of 34 in 1962-63. St. Louis is obviously showing no signs of slowing down and could average about a point-per-game in 2013-14.

Anders Lindback lost his third straight game Saturday night, as the Lightning fell 5-3 to the Panthers.
Lindback has given up nine goals over that span, making 27 saves on 31 shots Saturday. There are some good pieces in Tampa Bay -- it really needs to shore up its defense, though.

Martin St. Louis locked up the Art Ross Trophy on Saturday night, getting a goal and an assist in the Lightning's 5-3 loss to the Panthers.
The 37-year-old concludes the season with 17 goals and 60 points, which is three better than his teammate Steven Stamkos. Ryan Malone and Matt Carle had the other goals. Vincent Lecavalier, Teddy Purcell, Victor Hedman and Stamkos had the helpers.

Steve Stamkos will play for Team Canada in the IIHF World Championship.
"I'm excited," Stamkos said. "You don't want to be in this tournament ever, but when you're not in the playoffs it's a little bit of a consolation." Stamkos skipped the tournament in 2012 because of a shoulder issue. He has 29 goals and 56 points in 47 games this season.

Look for Anders Lindback to get the start in Tampa's last game of the season Saturday night against state-rival Florida.
FYI

Ryan Malone has recovered from the flu and will be back in the Tampa lineup against the Panthers Saturday night.
If you need Malone, feel free to activate him.

Martin St. Louis and Steve Stamkos could finish 1-2 in the NHL scoring race.
It would be only the 11th time in the post-expansion era that two players from the same team would finish in the top two in scoring. "I want to see the guys do it," Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper said. "I hope it matters (to them). It's come to the (last) game in the season and they have the chance to look back in history to see their name in the history book, especially a guy like Marty, who has the chance to become the oldest player in the history of the game to win a scoring title. Then you have Stammer nipping at his heels In my perfect world, they would finish tied." Just something to watch in an otherwise meaningless game.

Richard Panik will report to AHL Syracuse.
Panik will help the minor-league squad in their first round series against the Portland Pirates. He has five goals and nine points in 25 NHL games this season.

Radko Gudas has been sent down to the AHL.
Gudas has five points and 38 penalty minutes in 22 games with Tampa Bay this season. He'll join Syracuse, which will begin its first round series against the Portland Pirates on Saturday.

Martin St. Louis went pointless in Thursday's loss.
We note this because he enters Saturday's season finale with 58 points, two ahead of teammate Steven Stamkos, Sidney Crosby and four ahead of Alex Ovechkin and Patrick Kane in the Art Ross Trophy race. The 37-year-old has been fantastic this season with 16 goals and 42 assists. "I'm just trying to play the game and finish the year strong and try not to think about it," said St. Louis. "You try to control the things you can and see where the chips fall when they're done."

Anders Lindback allowed two goals on 24 shots for the Lightning in a 2-0 shutout loss to Boston Thursday.
Lindback hasn't been the savior Tampa Bay expected when they acquired him from the Predators prior to the season and will have to battle Ben Bishop for playing time next year.

Martin St. Louis was held off the scoresheet Thursday in Tampa's 2-0 loss to Boston.
The league's leading scorer with 58 points was held pointless in this contest after having racked up five points in his two prior outings. He has one game remaining on the schedule to add to his point total.

Anders Lindback will get the call for Tampa Thursday night.
Ben Bishop played Wednesday and picked up a win against Toronto and Lindback will look to do the same versus Boston. It will mark his second appearance since he came back from a hip injury.

Coach Jon Cooper said Ryan Malone won't play Thursday because the Tampa winger is battling flu-like symptoms.
"I think he's even worse today; his fever is even higher," Cooper said. Malone was scratched Wednesday night partly due to some poor play and because his shoulder injury isn't believed to be completely healed.

Radko Gudas, who has been dealing with an ankle injury, recorded the game-winning goal for Tampa Bay Wednesday night.
The defenseman was credited with the winning score in a 5-2 victory over Toronto. The 22-year-old rookie has potted two goals this year and both of them have come against the Maple Leafs. Gudas has five points, 85 hits and a plus-3 rating in 21 games.

Steve Stamkos netted his 29th goal and added an assist in Wednesday's win over Toronto.
Stamkos is currently tied with Sidney Crosby for second in the NHL's scoring race and he trails teammate Martin St. Louis by two points for the overall lead. He is also two goals behind Washington's Alex Ovechkin for the NHL goal-scoring crown.

Ben Bishop made 26 saves in the Lightning's 5-2 win over the Leafs on Wednesday night.
It was Bishop's first win since April 9, snapping a personal span of four games without a victory. The netminder sports a 2.67 goals-against average and .920 save percentage, certainly numbers he'll look to improve on next season.

Martin St. Louis notched a hat trick to power the Lightning to a 5-2 win over the Leafs on Wednesday night.
Sidney Crosby, who hasn't played in 25 days, is no longer the points leader, with 56. St. Louis' goals upped his total to 16, and he now is tied for the NHL lead with 58 points. At 37, the winger is playing some of his best hockey and is just a joy to watch compete every night. A goal and an assist for Steven Stamkos helped him keep pace for the Art Ross Trophy, too. Radko Gudas potted the other goal, while Nate Thompson had two assists.

Ryan Malone will be listed as a healthy scratch Wednesday night against Toronto.
"I haven't played very well, Malone said. "That could be a good reason, too." There is some question as to whether or not he is fully recovered from his shoulder injury as well and coach Jon Cooper admitted that Malone probably came back too soon from the ailment.

Ben Bishop was the first goalie off the ice Wednesday morning, which means he's the team's probable starter against Toronto.
In eight outings with the Lightning since being acquired from Ottawa, Bishop has posted a 2-4-1 record with a .916 save percentage and a 3.12 goals-against average.

Tampa Bay Lightning sign Mathieu Roy for the remainder of the season.
Roy played 51 games with the Hamburg Freezers of the German Elite League this season. He was a part of the Lightning organization in 2010-11, playing 45 games with the Norfolk Admirals under current Lightning coach Jon Cooper.

Martin St. Louis isn't interested in playing for Team Canada at the world championships next month.
"My kids have a lot of stuff going on," he said. "I just want to be part of it." Steven Stamkos and Teddy Purcell have made it known that they want to play for Canada. Tampa Bay may have other representatives at the tournament with Anders Lindback and Victor Hedman interested in playing for Sweden, and Nate Thompson and Matt Carle hoping to play for the United States.

Radko Gudas has amassed 81 hits in just 20 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
He had a reputation for being a big-time hitter in the AHL and he has lived up to that in the NHL. "That's what makes him a ball player," coach Jon Cooper said. "I've seen it for three years. And as an organization we are extremely happy that he's on our team and not somebody else's." Gudas has averaged nearly 17 minutes of ice time with the Lightning since being brought up from the minors and he has chipped in four points as well.

Vincent Lecavalier turned 33 on Sunday.
He registered an assist on his birthday. He's drawn plenty of criticism over the years for not being able to live up to his monster $85 million contract, but he's been great this season with 10 goals and 30 points in 36 games.

Anders Lindback got some praise from Lightning coach Jon Cooper following Sunday's 3-2 loss.
It was Lindback's first start since he suffered an ankle sprain roughly a month ago. "He made some big saves . to avoid this game from getting out of hand and gave us a chance to come back," Cooper said. "And then when we really get rolling in the third, we give up one big-time chance on (Jeff Skinner). And I know we didn't come back to tie it, but if that goes in, we definitely don't have a chance to come back. So there were a lot of good things to look at what he did." Lindback allowed three goals on 15 shots in the first period, but was perfect through the final 40 minutes.

Steve Stamkos scored a goal on Sunday.
Stamkos has slowed down this month with three goals in 11 games. He still has an incredible 28 goals in 45 games, but it looks like he'll fall just shy of Alex Ovechkin in the Rocket Richard Trophy race. Ovechkin has 30 goals, including 12 in 10 April contests.

Tom Pyatt returned from an upper body injury on Sunday.
Pyatt missed two games due to the ailment. He had three shots on goal in 13:56 minutes of ice time in his return.

Tom Pyatt returned to action on Sunday April 21.

Martin St. Louis scored a goal and added an assist for the Lightning in a 3-2 loss to Carolina Sunday.
St. Louis climbed to within one point of Sidney Crosby for the lead in the NHL scoring race with this performance and is likely to surpass the Penguins captain before the season is over. His main competition will likely be Steve Stamkos, who is two points behind his teammate after scoring his 28th goal of the season in this contest.

Anders Lindback allowed three goals on 28 shots Sunday as the Lightning were beaten by Carolina by a score of 3-2.
This was Lindback's first appearance since he suffered a sprained ankle about a month ago so it's difficult to be critical of his performance. He is expected to battle with Ben Bishop for the starting job in training camp next season.

Anders Lindback will be between the pipes Sunday at hom against the Hurricanes.
Lindback has been sidelined since March 20th with a high ankle sprain but the Swedish netminder will be making his return to the lineup Sunday at home against the Hurricanes. Lindback, who has been very inconsistent in his first season as a starter, will now have to compete with Ben Bishop for the number one gig next season. Lindback is a risky fantasy play tonight.

Although time is running out, Anders Lindback (ankle) is still confident he will be able to play in a game before this season ends.
He will be re-evaluated in the next day to see if he managed the stress on his ankle during practises this week. That said, it looks like Ben Bishop will get starts in at least three of Tampa's remaining games inlcuding Sunday's game against Carolina.

Rookie Richard Panik has impressed the Tampa coaching staff with his play of late.
Since being recalled from the AHL on March 23rd, Panik has scored four goals and registered eight points in 13 games. He has also doled out 25 hits. "When he plays with confidence, he has above-average talent in every aspect of his game," said Lightning coach Jon Cooper. "He's got size. He can skate. He can shoot. So, when he's playing with confidence he can be . the ceiling is really high for him. It's just a matter of him staying consistent."The 22-year-old winger is yet another Tampa forward to keep an ey on next season.

Tyler Johnson has been selected as the AHL's MVP for the 2012-13 campaign.
Johnson had 33 goals and 60 points in 60 games. He also has three goals and six points in 14 contests with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Johnson was undrafted, but inked an entry-level contract with Tampa Bay towards the end of his monster 115-point WHL campaign in 2010-11. He also scored 31 goals and 68 points in 75 AHL contests last season.

Ben Bishop stopped 32 of 35 shots Thursday, but the Lightning dropped a 3-2 decision to Montreal.
Despite a 2-4-1 record with the club, Bishop has played reasonably well since he was acquired by Tampa Bay at the trade deadline. Unfortunately, Tampa has been a graveyard for goaltenders over the past few seasons and we're weary about Bishop's long-term outlook.

Victor Hedman assisted on both Lightning goals in a 3-2 loss to Montreal on Thursday.
Hedman has enjoyed a mini-breakout offensively this season with 19 points in 40 games, a vast improvement on his scoring pace over his first two NHL seasons. Richard Panik and Vincent Lecavalier were the goal scorers for Tampa Bay in the loss.

Tom Pyatt (upper body) is eying Sunday's game against Carolina for his return to the lineup.
He will miss his second game Thursday night after receiving a blow to the head in last Sunday's game versus Buffalo. Pyatt skated Thursday at practice in a no-contact capacity.

Alex Killorn looks like he could be a promising player in the future.
He has produced seven goals and 18 points in 33 games and coach Jon Cooper believes "he's a can't-miss" prospect. Killorn wants to be a "dependable two-way player and chip in offensively" and he has done that while averaging 17:05 of ice time per contest. He's worth watching next year to see if he can take his game to another level.

Anders Lindback (ankle) has been practicing with his teammates and he hopes to return before the end of the regular season.
"It's slowly getting better, but it's a tough (injury) because it feels good overall skating and everything, but getting into that specific butterfly positioning is something," Lindback said. "But I'm getting better every day that goes by. It's frustrating, obviously, but hopefully I'll be back really soon." He has been sidelined since March 20 with a high ankle sprain and the Lightning won't rush him back before he is ready.

Ben Bishop made 33 saves on Tuesday in a 4-3 shootout loss to Winnipeg.
He has two wins in seven appearances with the Lightning this season following the trade from Ottawa. Bishop may not be the safest of starts down the stretch due to Tampa Bay's loose defensive coverage.

Steve Stamkos sniped his 27th goal of the season in Tampa Bay's 4-3 shootout loss to Winnipeg Tuesday.
He is one goal behind Alex Ovechkin for the league lead. Martin St. Louis and Pierre-Cedric Labrie also scored for the Lightning in the defeat, but one one scored for them in the shootout.

Tom Pyatt (upper body) will not play Tuesday night against the Winnipeg Jets.
Pyatt suffered the injury during the first period of Sunday's game. He has eight goals and 16 points in 39 games this season.

Ben Bishop is expected to start in goal only one day after signing a two-year contract extension.
The Lightning acquired Bishop at the trade deadline and he's expected to compete with Anders Lindback going into next season. Bishop has a 3.21 GAA and .916 save percentage in six starts since joining the Lightning.

J.T. Wyman has been returned to AHL Syracuse.
The Lightning are expected to have Nate Thompson (cut over right eye) and Pierre-Cedric Labrie (upper body) back in the lineup Tuesday night, so Wyman will head back down after making his season debut on Sunday versus Buffalo.

Pierre-Cedric Labrie (upper body) is expected to be available for Tuesday night's game in Winnipeg.
He has missed the past two games with an upper-body injury. Labrie has picked up two points and 28 penalty minutes in 13 NHL games this campaign.

Nate Thompson is projected to be OK to play Tuesday night after he sustained a cut above his right eye on Saturday when he took a shot to the face.
The Mike Green slap shot shattered his visor and although he was able to return to the game, he left shortly after. Thompson also sat out Sunday's contest, but it sounds like he'll play Tuesday at Winnipeg.

Ben Bishop's two-year extension with the Tampa Bay Lightning is worth $4.6 million.
He'll get a chance to compete with Anders Lindback for playing time heading into next season and he's looking forward to the opportunity. "It's exciting, it's something you work your whole life for to get the chance," said Bishop. "This year with Craig [Anderson] getting hurt I had the opportunity to play a lot of games, and I tried to make the most of it." The Lightning intended to lock him up to a new deal the moment they acquired him from Ottawa.

Ben Bishop has inked a two-year extension with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Tampa Bay Lightning acquired Bishop from the Ottawa Senators on April 3 in exchange for Cory Conacher and a fourth round pick. Bishop has a 3.21 GAA and .916 save percentage in six starts since the trade. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Bishop was set to become a restricted free agent this summer.

James Wyman made his season debut with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday.
Wyman logged 13:31 minutes and finished with a minus-one rating. He has 12 goals and 35 points in 73 AHL games this season.

James Wyman was claimed off waivers by TB on Sunday April 14.

Vincent Lecavalier registered an assist in Tampa Bay's 3-1 loss Sunday.
Lecavalier has two goals and six points in his last six games. The Lightning don't have much left to play for, but Lecavalier should still continue his strong finish to the season.

Eric Brewer had an assist on Sunday.
Brewer has four goals and 12 points in 42 games this season. He's a well-rounded defenseman, but isn't worth owning in standard fantasy leagues. It's a different story in leagues that use hits and blocked shots as categories.

Tom Pyatt suffered an upper body injury on Sunday.
Pyatt logged just 5:39 minutes before sustaining the ailment in the first period. Consider him day-to-day for now.

Mathieu Garon allowed three goals on 22 shots Sunday as the Lightning dropped a 3-1 decision to Buffalo.
Garon entered Saturday's loss to the Capitals in relief of the newly-acquired Ben Bishop and drew the start today, but was unable to record a victory. His record falls to 5-9-2 on the campaign.

Nate Thompson took a puck to the face off a slap shot from Mike Green and had to leave Saturday's contest.
Thompson needed eight stitches above the right eye after taking a puck to the face in the first period. The Green shot shattered his shield and left him with a cut over his right eye. Thompson returned but only played three shifts early in the second period before leaving the contest.

Tom Pyatt returned to the lineup Saturday after missing the past two games as a healthy scratch.
With 16 points in 38 games in this 48-game shortened season, Pyatt isn't worth rostering in fantasy hockey.

Benoit Pouliot returned to the lineup Saturday against the Capitals after sitting out the previous two contests as a healthy scratch.
Pouliot will boost the Lightning's depth, but he doesn't have a ton of fantasy value. "At first I didn't really get it, and it's tough when a coach tells you that you are not going to play for a couple of games,'' he said. "I was a little confused, but after that you realize it's part of the game and part of the business and that's what I did. It (stinks) sitting out and at first I was mad, not at the coach or anybody like that, just a matter of not playing is terrible. It's happened to me in the past and I don't like it at all and it's something you don't like to go through.'' Pouliot has 18 points and a plus-nine rating in 28 games this season.

Victor Hedman returned to the lineup Saturday after missing four games with a lower-body injury.
''I'm 100 now. It's been healing very well,'' Hedman said. "I've been skating hard, I feel good on the ice and it's up to me to show that I'm ready to play and play the minutes I'm used to playing.'' Hedman is enjoying a good season with 17 points and a plus-7 rating in 37 games.

Tampa Bay forward Richard Panik scored two goals and added an assist in the Lightning's 6-5 overtime loss to the Capitals in Washington Saturday night.
The goals were Panik's third and fourth since being called up by Tampa Bay from the AHL in late March. Tom Pyatt also produced three points for the losing Lightning, all assists. Martin St. Louis netted two goals for the Lightning, his 10th and 11th of the season. Also scoring for TB was Teddy Purcell, his 11th.

Ben Bishop started in goal for the Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday night and allowed three goals on 20 shots before being pulled in a 6-5 overtime loss to the Capitals in Washington.
Bishop was replaced by Mathieu Garon, who let in three goals on 18 shots.

Although he wasn't expected to play again this season, Mathieu Garon will likely get the start Sunday against Buffalo.
Anders Lindback is still recovering from an ankle injury and Ben Bishop is playing Saturday. Start Garon at your own risk.

Pierre-Cedric Labrie will miss Saturday's game against the Capitals due to an upper-body injury.
Dana Tyrell will likely take his place. Consider Labrie day-to-day.

Tyler Johnson was re-assigned to Syracuse of the AHL.
As Tampa has no chance to make the playoffs and Syracuse will be in the post season, the Bolts felt Johnson would be better served getting key minutes in the AHL. He is a rising star and will be back in 2013-14 as a key contributor. Remember his name on draft day.

Brett Connolly was re-assigned to Syracuse of the AHL Friday.
The 20-year-old has made great strides in the AHL this season with 57 points in 67 games leading to an appointment on the second All-Star team. We expect him to be a fantasy factor in the NHL in 2013-14. For now he is needed in Syracuse for the club's push for the Calder Cup.

Viktor Hedman will be back in the Lightning lineup against Washington Saturday night.
He has missed the last week with a lower-body injury. If you need Hedman, activate him before Saturday night's contest.

Ben Bishop will be in goal Saturday against the Capitals.
It will be his sixth consecutive start. All but one, his last game against the Penguins, were solid.

Teddy Purcell scored two goals in Tampa Bay's 6-3 defeat Thursday night.
Brett Connolly scored his first goal of the season. Steven Stamkos, Sami Salo, Richard Panik, Alex Killorn, Martin St. Louis, and Matt Carle each recorded an assist in the losing effort.

Ben Bishop turned aside 35 of 41 shots in a 6-3 defeat Thursday night.
This was Bishop's first bad start as a member of the Lightning. That being said, if you're going to struggle, the Penguins are one of the most understandable teams to do it against. Even without Sidney Crosby and James Neal, the Penguins are a dangerous squad.

Victor Hedman (lower body) skated Thursday morning in a regular jersey, but he won't play against Pittsburgh.
He hopes to return this weekend. Hedman has been sidelined since April 4 with a lower-body injury.

Ben Bishop will be between the pipes for Tampa Bay against Pittsburgh Thursday night.
The decision shouldn't come as a surprise as he has started four straight games for the Lightning already since being acquired from Ottawa at the trade deadline.

Victor Hedman has not been on the ice since suffering a lower-body injury last Thursday in Carolina.
Coach Jon Cooper has already ruled Hedman out for Thursday's home game against Pittsburgh.

Ryan Malone made a bit of surprise return to Tampa's lineup Tuesday night.
A shoulder injury had kept him on the shelf since March 18 and he was only doing light skating without pads last week. "The process just seemed to pick up every day," Malone said. "There has been improvements, and it's all you can ask for. ... It's time to come back." He was activated from injured reserve and logged 15:43 of ice time against Ottawa. Malone had one shot, two penalty minutes and one hit in the contest.

Steve Stamkos potted his 26th goal of the season to give Tampa Bay a 3-2 victory over Ottawa on Tuesday night.
He hadn't found the back of the net in his previous four contests. Stamkos is currently tied with Washington's Alex Ovechkin, who has been coming on strong down the stretch, in the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy race.

Martin St. Louis collected two assists in Tuesday's win over Ottawa to surpass 900 career points.
He currently has 901 points, including 569 helpers, in 970 NHL appearances. The 37-year-old winger has racked up 40 assists in 39 games this season, which trails injured center Sidney Crosby by one for the league lead. Start St. Louis with confidence down the stretch.

Ryan Malone was activated from the IL on Tuesday April 9.

Pierre-Cedric Labrie was activated from the IL on Tuesday April 9.

Vincent Lecavalier picked up a goal and an assist in Tampa Bay's 3-2 win against Ottawa Tuesday.
Both of his points were scored on Lightning power plays, which went two for seven on the night. He has five points in four games since returning to the lineup from a foot injury. Martin St. Louis collected two helpers in the match, while Steve Stamkos sniped his 26th goal of the season to give Tampa the victory.

Ben Bishop made 31 saves en route to a 3-2 victory over his former Ottawa teammates on Tuesday night.
The victory must've felt good for the Lightning's new goaltender after he was shipped to Tampa at the trade deadline following the emergence of Robin Lehner. Bishop has two wins with a .944 save percentage and a 2.02 GAA in four outings with the Bolts since the deal.

Anders Lindback (ankle) says he's getting "close" to a return to game action.
Lindback was present at Tuesday's morning skate, which is an improvement based on what we've seen from his recovery so far. We're guessing the next step for him would be to participate fully in a practice on an off day for Tampa Bay. As long as there are no setbacks, he would likely return to active duty the next game. However, he'll have to earn whatever playing time he gets considering the addition of Ben Bishop in a deadline deal with Ottawa.

Ben Bishop is expected to get the start in goal against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday.
Bishop was traded to the Lightning at the deadline last week in exchange for Cory Conacher and a fourth-round draft pick. Bishop said he didn't want to make a big deal of the rematch but we imagine he'll have a bit of an extra pep in his step tonight.

Ryan Malone (shoulder) will be a game-time decision Tuesday night against the Ottawa Senators.
Malone says he's ready to play but coach Jon Cooper wants to be careful with his return. While the Lightning are calling him a game-time decision, we should know whether he'll play tonight based on whether he's activated from injured reserve this afternoon. We'll update you as soon as we know either way.

Ben Bishop may get the chance to play against his former Ottawa teammates Tuesday night.
Bishop was dealt to the Lightning at the NHL trade deadline last week in exchange for Cory Conacher and a fourth-round pick. He earned a shutout his Tampa debut, but has surrendered six goals 64 shots in a pair of losses in his past two outings. "I don't want to make it out to be a bigger deal than it is," he said should he get the nod. "It's a big game for our team, and that's the most important thing."