Times wires
Thursday, May 12, 2011

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Patrick Marleau's first point of the series came on a goal with 7:47 left, helping the Sharks beat the Red Wings 3-2 in Thursday's Game 7 of the West semifinals.

San Jose avoided becoming the fourth team to lose a series after leading 3-0. Instead, it heads to Vancouver on Sunday for Game 1 of the West final.

"It was a great story for them," said San Jose defenseman Dan Boyle, who had two assists. "We just had to stay focused.

"It was a hard-fought series all the way."

Indeed, the series is the first with six one-goal games. The only game that wasn't, Game 6, ended with a Detroit empty-net goal.

The Red Wings fell behind 2-0 in the first before outshooting the Sharks 17-6 in the second. But they lost two more forwards. Johan Franzen sat with an ankle injury. Todd Bertuzzi sustained an upper-body injury in the first, and Dan Cleary appeared to hit his head on the ice after colliding with teammate Jiri Hudler.

Henrik Zetterberg cut it to 2-1 on three-on-two rush with 6:50 left in the second. But Marleau, who was called "gutless" by former teammate and current Versus analyst Jeremy Roenick after Game 5, gave the Sharks breathing room when he poked in a rebound of Devin Setoguchi's shot.

First Period—1, San Jose, Setoguchi 6 (Thornton, Boyle), 12:20 (pp). 2, San Jose, Couture 6, 19:01. Penalties—Ericsson, Det (holding), 11:08; Clowe, SJ (roughing), 12:30; Vlasic, SJ (tripping), 15:17.

Second Period—3, Detroit, Zetterberg 3 (V.Filppula), 13:10. Penalties—Datsyuk, Det (interference), 10:45.

Third Period—4, San Jose, Marleau 3 (Setoguchi, Boyle), 12:13. 5, Detroit, Datsyuk 4 (Stuart, Ericsson), 13:59. Penalties—San Jose bench, served by Clowe (too many men), 7:33; Kronwall, Det (slashing), 8:47; Mitchell, SJ (slashing), 14:57. Shots on Goal—Detroit 11-17-12—40. San Jose 17-6-7—30. Power-play opportunities—Detroit 0 of 4; San Jose 1 of 3. Goalies—Detroit, Howard 7-4-0 (30 shots-27 saves). San Jose, Niemi 7-5-0 (40-38). A—17,562 (17,562).

Flyers: Defenseman Chris Pronger, who missed most of the postseason, had surgery for a herniated disc on his spinal cord. The team said the surgery "went very well," and Pronger should be ready for next season.

Broadcaster fired: Damian Goddard, a host for Canada's Rogers Sportsnet, was fired after tweeting about the debate surrounding Rangers wing Sean Avery's support of same-sex marriage. Avery stated his support as part of the New Yorkers for Marriage Equality campaign. Tuesday, Goddard tweeted his support for hockey agent Todd Reynolds, who had tweeted his opposition to Avery, saying: "I completely and whole-heartedly support Todd Reynolds and his support for the traditional and TRUE meaning of marriage." Sportsnet spokesman Dave Rashford said, "Mr. Goddard was a freelance contractor, and in recent weeks, it had become clear that he is not the right fit for our organization."

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, May 12, 2011

TAMPA — As Will Muschamp approached the stage in the West Club at Raymond James Stadium on Thursday night, he looked out on a large crowd of Florida fans standing, applauding — and waving fans with Muschamp's face plastered all over the front.

Call it one of one of the more unique welcomes on Muschamp's 10-city booster tour.

The first-year Florida football coach is wrapping up his annual Gator Gatherings. Since he officially took over in January, he has dismissed star cornerback Janoris Jenkins for disciplinary reasons and three players decided to play elsewhere.

Here are some of his thoughts on his first four months:

When you dismissed Janoris Jenkins (after his second marijuana-related arrest in four months), the perception right or wrong became that you're a coach that's going to put the hammer down on players who get into trouble. You've said that every individual situation is different. But, overall, are people reading correctly that you're going to be no-nonsense?

I don't worry about perception, I deal in reality. I'm going to demand that they do things the right way, and if they don't do things the right way, they won't be at the University of Florida. I told our kids from the get-go this thing's going to be based on three things: respect, trust and communication. And as long as we're on the same level there, we're going to be fine.

When there's a coaching transition, you're going to lose players. You've lost three, does that seem reasonable? A little high?

I don't know. I want guys that want to be at the University of Florida and want to represent our institution in a first-class manner, on and off the field. And if guys don't want to be Gators, I don't want them. That's a privilege to play at Florida, it's not a right. I want guys that want to be a part of what we're trying to do, want to be on board with what we're trying to do. Because you know what? It's a little bit tough in the summer program workout, but it gets real tough in September. It gets real tough in October and November. So I'd like to find out now if a guy is not ready to be a Gator.

You said following the spring game that you needed leaders to emerge during the offseason to help lead the team in the fall. What have you heard about how the offseason program is going?

I saw a couple of our older players and they feel like things are going very well. We just started our Summer A on Monday, so we've got a three-week term, then we'll have an eight-week term starting in June. But again, it's early, but I feel like we're moving in the right direction.

How would you characterize the Gator Gatherings in your first year?

It's been great. Everybody has been very positive. That's why it's special to coach at a place like Florida. To have such a great following, passionate, great expectations. And I embrace that.

What is Matt Patchan's status (offensive lineman from Armwood who missed all of last season with injuries)?

Matt's been cleared to lift. He's got full range of motion. He's building his strength back. I'm really excited to get him back on the football field.

Times wires
Thursday, May 12, 2011

Tennis

Federer falls at Italian open

ROME — Roger Federer's preparation for this month's French Open hit a roadblock Thursday with a 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-4) loss to Richard Gasquet in the third round of the Italian Open.

Gasquet, who is ranked 16th in the world and faces Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals, rallied from a 4-2 deficit in the second and took advantage of Federer's 30 unforced errors.

"I definitely feel I should never have lost this match," said Federer, ranked No. 3. "I just couldn't come up with the shots."

Meanwhile, No. 2 Novak Djokovic extended his winning streak to 36 (34 this year) 6-4, 6-1 over Stanislas Wawrinka. Djokovic, who is nine wins from breaking John McEnroe's record for best start, faces No. 5 Robin Soderling. Djokovic can become No. 1 in the world if he wins this tournament and No. 1 Rafael Nadal fails to reach the semifinals.

Nadal advanced to the quarters 6-4, 6-2 over Feliciano Lopez and faces Marin Cilic. The start of the match was delayed by about 20 minutes because Nadal, battling the flu, considered withdrawing.

Women: Francesca Schiavone rallied past Daniela Hantuchova 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 to reach the quarterfinals in Rome. Schiavone, No. 5 in the world, seeks to become the first Italian to win the tournament since Raffaella Reggi in 1985. She faces No. 7 Samantha Stosur, whom she beat in last year's French Open final.

Safina out: Saying, "I don't want to torture myself any longer," Dinara Safina will take an indefinite break because of chronic back pain. Safina, 25, was ranked No. 1 in the world in April 2009 but has fallen to 68th.

Soccer

FIFA official denies taking bribe

Jacques Anouma, a FIFA executive committee member, called allegations he took money to vote for Qatar's successful bid to host the 2022 World Cup "false and malicious." Britain's Sunday Times newspaper accused Anouma and Issa Hayatou of taking $1.5 million from Qatar. The Confederation of African Football released the statement, adding Anouma, Ivory Coast's federation president, "is welcoming an inquiry" from FIFA and reserves the right to take legal action. Hayatou, the CAF president, denied the allegation Wednesday.

Women: The South Florida franchise of Women's Professional Soccer was docked a point in the standings and a third-round pick for not meeting league standards. Three weeks ago, the team, which is 3-0, was fined for failing to provide game footage to other teams, not maintaining a website and its stadium (at Florida Atlantic) not having a regulation-sized field or sufficient capacity. When the issues weren't remedied two weeks ago, it was fined and docked a fourth-round pick. The latest penalties come because the team, called magicJack because its owner founded the company, still hasn't remedied them.

Et cetera

Hockey: The Devils' Ilya Kovalchuk scored with 7:41 left to lift Russia past Canada 2-1 at the world championships in Slovakia. It's the second straight year Canada lost in the quarterfinals. Today, Russia plays Finland, which beat Norway 4-1, and the Czech Republic meets Sweden.

Basketball: U.S. star Diana Taurasi signed with Galatasaray of the Turkish league. Taurasi, who also plays for Phoenix of the WNBA, spent last season with Fenerbahce of the Turkish league, but her contract was terminated after testing positive for a banned stimulant. She was provisionally suspended but cleared after the lab that did the test retracted its report.

Times wires

Times wires
Thursday, May 12, 2011

ATLANTA — Derrick Rose simply had to run the show.

He had plenty of help Thursday, and the Bulls are off to the East final for the first time since Michael Jordan played for them.

Carlos Boozer scored 23, and Rose had 12 assists, pushing Chicago to a big lead in the first half that carried it past Atlanta 93-73 in Game 6 of the East semifinals.

Chicago reached its first conference final since 1998, when Jordan and Scottie Pippen were on their way to a second three-peat. The Bulls fell on hard times after that, including three consecutive 60-loss seasons. But this regular season, they won more games than anyone.

Even more than the ballyhooed Heat, which Chicago meets starting Sunday.

"It's not surprising me at all where we're at right now," Rose said. "We know that we have something special in front of us."

Rose, the league MVP, was in the middle of things all night. He scored 19 and set up several of Chicago's baskets. But this was a textbook team victory.

The Bulls had assists on all but seven of their 31 baskets while holding the Hawks to 37 percent shooting (27-of-74).

Meanwhile, Boozer went 10-of-16 from the field and added 10 rebounds and five assists.

"Booze had everything going," Rose said.

Atlanta had hoped to extend the series to a Game 7, believing the pressure would be squarely on the Bulls if it came down to a winner-take-all. But Chicago squashed those hopes right from the opening tip. The Bulls never trailed, and the lead was 10 by the end of the first quarter.

With the loss, the Hawks still have never advanced past the second round since moving from St. Louis in 1968.

Joe Johnson led them with 19 points. Josh Smith was the only other player in double figures with 18. Al Horford, named to the All-NBA third team earlier in the day, went 2-of-10 from the field. So did Jamal Crawford, the victim of persistent double-teaming since he had a big game in Atlanta's Game 1 win.

And Atlanta went 1-of-11 on 3-pointers.

"What goes underrated about them is the depth of their team," Horford said. "They just wear on you. They just kept coming, kept coming every game.

"It seemed like their starters were fresh."

Bulls 93, Hawks 73

CHICAGO (93): Deng 6-14 1-2 13, Boozer 10-16 3-3 23, Noah 5-7 1-1 11, Rose 8-14 2-3 19, Bogans 1-3 0-0 3, Asik 2-3 1-1 5, Brewer 1-3 0-0 2, Korver 3-7 0-0 7, Watson 0-3 0-0 0, Gibson 5-7 0-0 10. Totals 41-77 8-10 93.

ATLANTA (73): Smith 7-15 4-7 18, Horford 2-10 3-4 7, Collins 2-2 0-0 4, Teague 2-6 0-0 4, Johnson 7-18 4-4 19, Crawford 2-10 4-4 8, Pachulia 0-2 1-2 1, Williams 0-3 0-0 0, Armstrong 1-1 1-2 3, Sy 2-3 1-2 5, Powell 1-1 0-0 2, Wilkins 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 27-74 18-25 73.

Chicago 27 18 25 23— 93

Atlanta 17 18 18 20— 73

3-Point Goals—Chicago 3-13 (Bogans 1-3, Korver 1-3, Rose 1-4, Deng 0-3), Atlanta 1-11 (Johnson 1-4, Wilkins 0-1, Smith 0-3, Crawford 0-3). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Chicago 42 (Boozer 10), Atlanta 50 (Pachulia 13). Assists—Chicago 34 (Rose 12), Atlanta 14 (Johnson 4). Total Fouls—Chicago 22, Atlanta 12. A—19,378 (18,729).

Memphis finds itself in unfamiliar position

MEMPHIS — The Grizzlies couldn't be more upset — at themselves.

All of their anger is pointed at their missed shots and lackluster play that has them playing from behind for the first time this postseason. And coach Lionel Hollins is curious to see how they react after Wednesday's 99-72 loss put the Thunder up 3-2 in the West semifinals.

"(Hollins) says this is where we find out who we are," guard Mike Conley said of tonight's Game 6. "Find out the kind of people we are. The kind of players we are. You don't know until your back is against the wall and everything is up for grabs."

The Thunder is a win away from its first West final since 1996, when it played in Seattle.

"The close-out game … is the hardest game to play because they're going to give everything they have and their crowd is going to get behind them," Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said. "And we just have to really be able to maintain our composure."

Celtics coach: The Celtics said they are working on a multiyear deal with Doc Rivers, whose contract expires after this season. "Nothing is imminent," team spokesman Jeff Twiss said. "But there has been progress made."

Lakers coach: The Lakers are interested in making Rick Adelman Phil Jackson's replacement, ESPN.com reported. Adelman was fired as Rockets coach last month and also has coached the Blazers and Kings. Lakers assistant Brian Shaw has been publicly endorsed by star Kobe Bryant.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

The Florida Prospects, an AAU team based in Pinellas County, capped a successful season by winning the state championship April 29-May 1 in Orlando. The team defeated Lynn Haven 47-44 in the final. This was the first state championship for the team, which has played together for four years.

Team members are TJ Frounfelter (Seminole Middle), Sam Weller (Seminole Middle), Cory Hart (Morgan Fitzgerald Middle), Zachary Trador (Indian Rocks Christian), Terrell Burney (Tyrone Middle), Jordan Leston (Oak Grove Middle), James Hudson (Pinellas Park Middle), Daniel Davis Bay Pointe Middle), Dionne O'Riggens (Bay Pointe Middle) and Jacquez Conyers, (Bay Pointe Middle). The team is coached by Cary Frounfelter.

Tennis

Chase Rutan of St. Petersburg won the boys 12 singles title at the May Fair Local in Orlando on May 7-8. Rutan won the final match in the second set when opponent Thoai Vu had to withdraw due to injury.

• Ricky Symanski of Clearwater Beach and Miles Holvoet of St. Petersburg teamed to win the Saddlebrook Junior Super Series boys 18 doubles championship. It is the duo's ninth doubles championship on the junior circuit this year.

• A QuickStart tournament for boys and girls ages 8-10 was held at Innisbrook on April 30. The boys 10 winner was Noah Clark and the 8 winner was Leo Alexeyev. The girls 10 bracket was round robin, with each player winning a match. They are Caitlin Katz, Anastasiya Katsionova, Michelle Nassar and Alanna Meyers. The girls 8 winner was Kara Franks.

• Dan Stefan of Pasadena won the boys 16 singles championship at the Saddlebrook Junior Super Series in Wesley Chapel on May 7-8. Stefan also teamed with Alec Josepher to win the 16 doubles title.

Golf

Ashley Zagers of Oldsmar won the girls 10-13 division at the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour event at the University of Florida on May 8. Zager shot 85-86-171 in the two-day event to win by six over Megan Carter of Georgia. Zagers had 13 pars in the tournament, the most of any golfers in the age group.

• The County Golf Association's individual tournament was held May 5 at Innisbrook's North Course. The regular division gross winner was Tom Parsley, who shot 73. The regular division net winners were Bill Criqui and Scott Lincoln, who shot 68s. The senior gross winner was Mark Wheaton, who shot 70. The senior net winner was Tom Twitty, who shot 64. The ladies net winner was Diane Springer, who shot 75.

• The CGA better ball tournament was held May 9 at Pasadena Country Club. Regular division gross winners were Juice Ahern and Mark Wheaton, who shot 65. The senior division gross winners were Brian Hawke and Bobby Kilgore, who shot 68. The overall net winners were Stoney McLaughlin and Don Perry, who shot 63. The ladies net winners were Mary Winstead and Donna Daugherty, who shot 71.

• The Tides Women's Golf Association held a tournament May 10. The Flight A winner was Karen Galinowski, who shot 42. The Flight B winner was Nancy Briner, who shot 39, and the Flight C winner was Linda Bullerman, who shot 35.

Gymnastics

Apollo Gymnastics of Clearwater competed in the Level 2-5 girls AAU state meet in Tampa on May 7-8. Level 2 winners were Shannon Gomez (floor), Sydney Saccasyn (beam, floor), Delaney Wildermuth (vault), Katie Ritter (all-around), Lyna Alsaqaf (bars) and Anna Allen (vault). Level 3 winners were Diana Fernandez (bars, beam), Ali Fernandez (all-around, bars) and Veronique Beckers (beam). Level 4 winners were Cassidy Millhouse (bars), Catherine Johnson (all-around, bars, floor), Elly Johnson (vault) and Sherilyn Mansfield (all-around, bars, floor). Level 5 winners were Lexi Atherholt (bars) and Cailyn McCarthy (floor).

Bowling

Ever wonder which Pinellas County elementary school had the best staff of bowlers? There was such a competition held May 3 at Seminole Lanes. Of the 13 schools participating, New Heights Elementary won the tournament with a two-game total of 1,324. Bauder Elementary was second and Lynch Elementary was third. The members of the New Heights team were Jeff Lownsbury, Shannon Shakespeare, Joe Mason, Tracy Daniels and Charles Wood.

By Gary Shelton and John Romano, Times Sports Columnists




Friday, May 13, 2011

JR: So, Gary, are you concerned that the Bruins are a bigger, more physical team than Tampa Bay? Are you concerned the Lightning was outscored 10-2 in two games in Boston this season? Are you concerned about how many calories are in the chowder at Legal Sea Foods?

GS: John, at times like this, veterans know that it's all about focus and not worrying about distractions. That's the way I approach a vat of chowder. Also, it seems to be the way the Lightning players approach hockey. I don't think the regular season will matter at all. Boston's physical nature may matter some, especially if someone forgets to feed Chara. But the big concern here for the Lightning is Tim Thomas in front of Boston's net. He forgives a lot for the Bruins.

JR: At this point in the playoffs, you kind of expect to run into a beast of a goaltender. And Thomas certainly fits the bill. Guy doesn't even find a full-time job in the NHL until he's in his 30s and now is posting league-leading numbers at 37. Tell me again why the Lightning thought this guy was a stiff when they had him in camp 12 years ago?

GS: Maybe because the Lightning figured it was just fine in goal with Dan Cloutier and Zac Bierk. Don't forget, those two combined for 13 victories (out of the team's 19 total in 1999-2000) all by themselves. They could have put a cardboard cutout in goal and been more effective. That makes it even more tragic, doesn't it? But that's what those days were like for the Lightning. If Rick Dudley didn't make a trade before lunch, it was a lousy day for him.

JR: Okay, so we can agree the ghosts of goaltenders past may come back to haunt the Lightning in this series. But is Thomas enough? Is Tampa Bay a more well-rounded team than Boston? Three weeks ago I would have said no. But Victor Hedman has grown up in April. And Sean Bergenheim has come alive. And the Lightning is getting contributions from players we barely noticed in March.

GS: You could make that argument. Look, the Lightning and Bruins had the exact same record this year, and I'd say the Lightning is better now than it has been all year. That's something to consider. The smart guys always bet on the best goaltender, which is why they all live in bigger houses than I do. If the Lightning was to beat Boston, it wouldn't be as big a shock as coming back from 3-1 against Pittsburgh was or that sweeping the Caps was.

JR: So the Lightning has looked more impressive in the past two weeks than it has all season. Or several seasons, for that matter. Does that mean Tampa Bay has become a better team, or is it just a hot team? And is there a difference?

GS: I think Tampa Bay is both. I think Victor Hedman is a better player now than he was in March. I think Sean Bergenheim is a good player on a hot streak. A team in the final four needs as much of both as it can get.

JR: Are you telling me that instead of enjoying boat drinks, folks in Tampa Bay will be spending part of their summer vacation on ice?

GS: As near as I can remember, boat drinks are better with ice. Yeah, I think this town is about to get into the Lightning the way we saw seven years ago. That's what the NHL has over other playoffs. It builds a town's momentum. It is this amazing journey that sweeps even casual fans along with it. Over the last four years, Tampa Bay had forgotten how to cheer. Lately, it has remembered.

JR: I actually heard lots of cheers when the last ownership group departed.

GS: I don't remember. I was too busy selling pitchforks and torches for the farewell party.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Friday, May 13, 2011

Bruins myths and mysteries

Why is Boston called the 'Hub of Hockey'?

In 1924, the Bruins were the first American team to join the NHL, and they are one of the league's "Original Six" teams (the others are the Blackhawks, Canadiens, Maple Leafs, Rangers and Red Wings). The Bruins' website also references an Oliver Wendell Holmes quote from the mid 1800s in which he called the State House in Boston "the hub of the solar system." The Bruins are rich in tradition. They have had some of the best players of all time (including Hall of Famers Bobby Orr and Lightning founder Phil Esposito) and have won five Stanley Cups, second to Detroit (11) among American teams. But they haven't won a Cup since 1972.

The Gentle Giant?

Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, a 6-foot-9, 255-pound defenseman, is known for his tough, physical play. He came under fire in March for what some called a dirty hit on the Canadiens' Max Pacioretty. He checked Pacioretty into a stanchion, and Pacioretty sustained a concussion and fractured neck vertebra. The forward missed the rest of the season. But Mike Milbury, the Islanders' coach and general manager when the team drafted Chara in 1996, told the New York Times that the Slovakia native, a son of an Olympic wrestler, has a softer side. "It didn't come naturally to him," Milbury, now a television analyst, said of Chara's toughness. "He's a genuinely kind person who wants to play hard, but he doesn't want to hurt anyone."

House of Horrors

To say the city of Boston hasn't been kind to the Lightning would be a huge understatement. Tampa Bay has won just four of 35 games all time in Boston. It has lost 22 in regulation and three in overtime or shootouts. (There have been six ties). But Lightning coach Guy Boucher said the past is the past. "I think it's important we focus on our game, what we need to do, rather than going out there and thinking that there's going to be either ghosts in there or whatever," he said.

What is 'Nutty?'

The Bruins' old theme song, known as Nutty, is still sometimes played at the TD Garden during games. It originated in the late 1960s when Boston television station WSBK wanted proper music for introducing Bruins telecasts. With the Boston Ballet's Christmas performance of The Nutcracker being a big part of the city, the station used the Ventures' rock version of the ballet's overture, Nutty. The song has been identified with the team since then, though the regional sports network NESN, which broadcasts most of the Bruins' games these days, uses a different song. Nutty was also covered by Boston band the Dropkick Murphys, which also wrote a song about the team, Time to Go.

Joe Smith, Times staff writer

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Friday, May 13, 2011

They call Lightning center Nate Thompson "Nate Boucher" for how he exemplifies the relentless and textbook way coach Guy Boucher wants his team to play. Off the ice, Thompson, 26, is a product of where he grew up — Anchorage, Alaska — and in a conversation with St. Petersburg Times staff writer Joe Smith he discussed his love of fly-fishing, his "close calls" with grizzly bears and one thing on his bucket list.

What kind of outdoor activities did you do growing up in Anchorage?

Everything. Fishing, hunting. Obviously during the winter you go snowmobiling, do ice fishing, ski, snowboard, you name it. Play hockey outside on the ponds, everything. When you're from Alaska, you have to do all that stuff or you're not taking advantage of living up there. … I'm really, really into fly-fishing, been doing that for a long time, for rainbow trout and salmon, that's my go-to.

Lot of local spots to catch them?

That's the great thing about Alaska, being from Anchorage, even if it is a city, you can drive an hour and a half and you're fishing by yourself with a brown bear, grizzly bear around you. You catch salmon and trout. It's pretty awesome.

You said you can see bears all over the place outside of town. Any close calls?

I've had a few close calls, where I've been fishing and one is walking right by me and you kind of stand still, don't move, hold your ground. When we would go fishing when I was younger with my dad, we'd have all the fish on the bank that we caught. We had them there in the water, (and) a bear would come by and steal a fish and eat it. And there's not much you can do about it except back up and let them do their thing. (Smiles) You don't want to mess with those ones.

What's your favorite place in Anchorage?

There's a place USA Today voted one of the best pizzerias. They brew their own beer. It's called Moose's Tooth. There's two of them; there's Bear Tooth and Moose's Tooth. They probably got some of the best pizza, and I'm talking about every type of pizza, you name it. That's definitely one of the places. It's kind of a landmark in Anchorage. It's packed. I've never seen it not busy all summer, from lunchtime to 10 at night. It's jammed. That's a pretty cool spot to go.

What's been your biggest catch hunting and fishing?

When you're hunting a moose, that's pretty big. Got one of those. My biggest fish there was a 110-pound halibut, pretty big. And (a) salmon, like, 40 pounds. Rainbow trout, that's probably my favorite to catch. You usually catch and release, but it's more of the sport, it's fly-fishing. I caught a 28-inch rainbow trout, which was pretty awesome. I'm still looking for the 30-incher. Everyone talks about if you catch a rainbow trout at 30-inch range, you're in the 30-inch club and you're allowed to stuff it if you want to do that. That's my goal. Still waiting for that one. Usually look to catch that one every summer.

Favorite movie?

I have a couple. A River Runs Through It, with Brad Pitt. It was a fly-fishing movie, one of my favorites. Braveheart, too.

Favorite band

Pearl Jam, no question.

Ever seen them in concert?

I have not even had a chance. When I played in Seattle in juniors — obviously, they're big in Seattle; that's where they're all from — Mike McCready, the guitarist, played the national anthem on his guitar … at one of our games. It was unbelievable. I've always been a fan, just never had a chance to see them in concert. That's still a bucket-list thing for me.

How proud are you to be one of just 11 Alaskans to play in NHL?

It's pretty cool to be in that talk. I got a text from (Anchorage native and Canadiens center Scott Gomez) after they lost to Boston. He said, "Keep it going and good luck and bring the Cup home." It's pretty neat coming from a guy like him, who has won two Stanley Cups. He brought the Cup home; it was a pretty big buzz back in Alaska. There's a pretty big buzz right now. I also got a text from my best buddy (Anchorage native and Flyers and former Lightning defenseman) Matt Carle. He lost, so now he says, "You're the only Alaskan left (in the playoffs). Do us proud."

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Friday, May 13, 2011

St. Petersburg Times staff writer Tom Jones compares the goalies in the Eastern Conference final between the Lightning and Bruins.

Lightning

If you're looking for one reason and one reason only the Lightning is in the Eastern Conference final for the second time, look no further than Dwayne Roloson. Midway through the season the Lightning appeared to have a playoff team except for one area: goaltending. On New Year's Day, the Lightning acquired the 41-year-old veteran from the Islanders, and immediately Roloson made an impact, winning eight of his first 11 starts, including four shutouts and two shootouts. In 34 appearances with the Lightning, Roloson went 18-12-4 with a 2.56 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage. And if there were any concerns about how someone his age would hold up during the grind of the postseason, Roloson has ended such talk. He leads the playoffs in goals-against average (2.01) and save percentage (.941) despite facing more shots (389) than any goalie in the postseason. This isn't the first time Roloson has led a team on a playoff run. In 2006, he led the eighth-seeded Oilers to the Stanley Cup final. And Edmonton might have gone on to win the Cup had Roloson not been injured in Game 1 against the Hurricanes. If something were to happen to Roloson this year, the Lightning would turn to Mike Smith, who has never appeared in an NHL postseason game. He finished the regular season strong with three consecutive victories, allowing only a total of four goals. However, he hasn't appeared in a game since the Lightning's regular-season finale April 9.

Bruins

Tim Thomas is one of the NHL's feel-good stories. A teammate of the Lightning's Marty St. Louis at Vermont, Thomas bounced around the ECHL, AHL and IHL, Europe and even the 1999 Lightning training camp before becoming an NHL regular at age 31 in 2005. Since then, he has been one of the best. He is a three-time All-Star, won the Vezina Trophy (best goalie) in 2008-09 and this season set the NHL record for save percentage in a season (.938). After leading the league in save percentage and goals-against average (2.00) during the regular season, Thomas is once again a finalist for the Vezina. In the playoffs, he has been just as good. His 2.03 goals-against average and his .937 save percentage are second in the playoffs to the Lightning's Dwayne Roloson. Thomas faced the Lightning three times in the regular season, winning all three with a 1.67 GAA and a .950 save percentage. He is 18-11 all time in the playoffs. If Thomas can't play for some reason, the Bruins' backup is Tuukka Rask, who was 11-14-2 this season with a 2.71 GAA and .918 save percentage. He was Boston's goalie in last season's playoffs, going 7-6.

Statistical breakdown

Dwayne Tim Roloson Thomas

8-3 Playoff record8-3

23 Goals against24

2.01 GAA2.03

389 Shots against378

366 Saves 354

.941 Save percentage .937

1Shutouts 0

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Friday, May 13, 2011

Mike Lundin has received an advanced education in playoff hockey this season, and all he has had to do is watch and listen.

The Lightning defenseman's visual aid is wing Marty St. Louis, who Lundin said is "one of the most intense competitive guys, normally. And when playoffs come, it goes up a notch."

And there is defenseman Pavel Kubina, "who lights up when he talks about the playoffs."

"You see how important it is to them and how much they enjoy it," said Lundin, in his first postseason. "Once you get here, you realize how special it is."

This is the way it is in the NHL, older players showing the way for the young, sharing experiences and knowledge, cultivating confidence and passion.

That is just what happened before Game 5 of Tampa Bay's Eastern Conference quarterfinal with the Penguins, arguably the most important moment of Tampa Bay's season.

Down three games to one and facing elimination, players who had been through such circumstances and come through victoriously spoke in the locker room.

The speeches were passionate and introspective, and provided a blueprint the team embraced.

Seven straight wins later, the Lightning opens its first conference final since the 2004 Stanley Cup run tonight against the Bruins at TD Garden in Boston.

"To have those guys and their leadership was huge," center Nate Thompson said. "Believe in each other and put your nose to the grindstone. You knew it could be done if they had done it, too."

•••

Eleven Lightning players played their first NHL playoff games this season. Many, as coach Guy Boucher said, were, at first, "deer in the headlights."

So, when the Penguins took a 3-1 lead with Game 5 in Pittsburgh, "the first thing they're going to think of is it's over," left wing Simon Gagne said.

But Gagne was on a Flyers team last season that came back to beat the Bruins in the second round 4-3 after being down 3-0.

Goalie Dwayne Roloson was on a Wild team that in 2003 won two series after being down 3-1. And St. Louis, Kubina and Vinny Lecavalier were on a Lightning team that in 2004 was down 3-2 to the Flames and won the Cup in seven games.

"Having lived through it and done it, you can talk about it," Roloson said, "and guys can take some confidence from that."

"Most of the guys, the first thing they're going to think is it's over," Gagne said. "You have to make them understand that it's possible to (come back). Just focus on Game 5. That's the biggest game we had to play. If you win Game 5, anything is possible. That brought everybody aboard."

Especially after Tampa Bay won Game 5 8-2.

"What it taught us was that when there is no tomorrow not to worry about tomorrow," center Dominic Moore said.

"And from that point on," Gagne said, "you could tell that we were really thinking about winning this thing."

•••

St. Louis knows what senior leadership means because he saw it during the Cup run from players such as Dave Andreychuk, Tim Taylor and Darryl Sydor.

"It was amazing to have those guys there to get us through the ups and downs," St. Louis said. "You look up to those guys. You watched those guys on TV. You feel like they've been through it. When things don't go well, you can't wait for them to say something. When things go well, they're the ones who keep perspective and calm you down."

"And without that, you can't win," Boucher said. "Everything rises and falls on leadership. You can have all the skill in the world, even the best team in the league, if you don't have core leaders, you're not going to win, period."

That is why what happened before Game 5 in Pittsburgh was so important.

Not only did Tampa Bay's playoff newbies learn lessons that were applied against the Penguins and during a four-game sweep of the top-seeded Capitals in the East semifinals, the locker room embraced its responsibility.

"We've been doing that since the beginning of the playoffs, talking about our experiences and what we went through," Lecavalier said. "Everybody just brings a little piece of what they've been through in their careers. For guys in their first playoffs, it's nice to hear."

It's an education.

"Hopefully," Lundin said, "I get a lot of experience here in the next few years and someday I can do that, too."

Times staff
Friday, May 13, 2011

Get your Bolts Nation gear on.

The Tampa Bay Lightning announced Friday that it will host a watch party at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa for each of the team's first two road games of the 2011 Eastern Conference final against the Boston Bruins on Saturday and Tuesday.

The games are at 8 p.m., and fans are advised to arrive earlier to enjoy activities on the west plaza before the game. They'll have live music and entertainment, games and various fan activities.

Fans can bring blankets, lawn chairs and coolers packed with food and non-alcoholic drinks, but the team also will offer various food and alcoholic beverages for sale. The game will be shown outdoors on the plaza.

There will be giveaways, including free tickets to an upcoming Lightning home playoff game and up to 50 percent savings on select food and beverage items. Each fan in attendance for Game 1 will also receive a complimentary Lightning playoff coffee mug, and the first 500 fans who arrive at the arena for Game 2 on Tuesday night will receive a free Bolts Nation fan pack while supplies last.

Free parking will be available in both the Forum West Lot, as well as the VIP East Lot, on a first-come, first-served basis.

Visit tampabaylightning.com for information.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Friday, May 13, 2011

GAINESVILLE — Amanda O'Leary was traveling around the country in 2007 selling little more than dreams and promises.

She was more than two years away from coaching Florida's inaugural women's lacrosse season. There were no facilities, just a large portion of land and some blueprints of a proposed $14 million state-of-the art stadium and practice facility.

She told high school lacrosse players about her vision of building a championship program, then sold them on the program by focusing on what Florida already had.

"We sold all the other sports that are here," said O'Leary, whose team went 10-8 last year in its first season. "… Come here and win championships because that's what we do."

Four years ago, Ashley Bruns of Ellicott City, Md., didn't even realize Florida was adding lacrosse. But in the midst of her recruiting visit before her high school junior year, she found herself among other recruits sitting in a conference room with O'Leary and UF athletic director Jeremy Foley. And somehow she was sold.

"I was actually the second person to commit here," said Bruns, who was a first-team all-conference attacker this season. "Nothing was built yet. It was just dirt. For me, personally, just hearing the vision, they made some great promises. They told us they wanted to be the best. And I wanted to be the best."

Today, the No. 4 Florida lacrosse team (15-3) will host Stanford (16-2) in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Gators join Boston College and Albany as first-time participants in this year's NCAA field. The major difference? The latter two began their programs in 1992.

"I'm still in shock that we're doing so well," said sophomore Brittany Dashiell, from Bel Air, Md. (Only two Gators players are from Florida.) "We weren't expecting to get this far at all back in the fall. But then as soon as we saw in the fall games how well we were doing against the top teams we were playing, we were like, 'Hey, in the spring there's definitely a possibility to go far.' So we came together and worked hard every day to make sure we got here."

It has been a meteoric rise. At the insistence of Foley, Florida joined the highly competitive American Lacrosse Conference, which includes five-time NCAA champion Northwestern, Johns Hopkins, Ohio State and Penn State.

"I asked him, 'Are you sure?' because I was uncertain about that," O'Leary said, "and he said, 'To be the best, you have to beat the best; we want to be the best.' "

This season, Florida has been ranked as high as No. 2, and fell just short of winning its first conference tournament title (a 10-9 loss to Northwestern this past week).

The Gators have the 14th-ranked offense in the nation, averaging 13.72 goals per game, but will face a Stanford team that has been ranked in the top 10 all season and has the No. 2 scoring offense (16.21). Florida is 11-0 at home this season, but the Gators understand this won't be an easy task.

"They have the player of the year of their conference and the rookie of the year of their conference so this will be quite a matchup for us," said O'Leary, the ALC coach of the year.

The Gators are the No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament, and the tide has changed quickly. No longer can Florida sneak up on teams. How that factors into the tournament may determine how far the Gators can advance.

"It's a unique experience for us because we came into a lot of games early on in the season as the underdogs, but we're not those underdogs anymore," O'Leary said. "We're the team that has the target on their backs. If there's a maturity that needs to happen, it's that. We need to come out and recognize we're not the underdogs anymore. Teams are going to want to come out and want to beat us, and need to beat us. So that's something we're going to focus on. … We want to win, that's what we do. That's why these young ladies came to the University of Florida. They came to win championships. We want to go as far as we can."

Antonya English can be reached at english@sptimes.com. Follow her coverage at gators.tampabay.com.

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Friday, May 13, 2011

Former USF Bulls basketball player Mike Burwell, who came off the bench at both guard positions last season, is transferring to Towson, where he'll play his final two years of college basketball, his father Mike Sr. confirmed Friday morning.

Burwell, who averaged 1.7 points per game as a sophomore, will sit out the 2011-12 season, then have two years with the Tigers. New Towson head coach Pat Skerry had recruited Burwell out of high school when he was an assistant at Providence.

He's the second backup guard to transfer this offseason, following point guard Shedrick Haynes, who is headed to Division II Tarleton State in Texas. It continues a trend of USF reserves transferring to smaller conferences -- of the 12 scholarship players to transfer from USF since Stan Heath was hired four years ago, none have moved on to schools at other major conferences.

By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Friday, May 13, 2011

The first round is a hoot. The second round is a blast. • But the third round? • In the NHL playoffs, that's where the fun really begins. • This is where the elite teams meet, in the thin air of the conference finals. This is where shaggy men with scarred faces and broken teeth make a town fall in love with them. This is where they gather to fight for banners, trophies and memories. • "The further you go,'' Marty St. Louis says, "the more fun you have.'' • "It gets bigger and bigger,'' Vinny Lecavalier says, "and the emotions get higher and higher.'' • "Better and better,'' Simon Gagne says. • Lo and behold, the Lightning has reached the back half of the playoffs. Ninety-three games into its season, it is in the final four. From here, the stakes grow, and the drama mounts, and the intensity is turned up as if Lord Stanley has his fingers on the volume control knob. • And really, isn't it delicious? • And for that matter, familiar?

Nothing against the first round, which was a nice little slice of validation for the Lightning, a team that hadn't managed to make it in four years.

That's the thing about the first round, however. It feels big only when the results have been small. The longer a team has been away from the playoffs, and the smaller the expectations of its fans, the bigger the accomplishment seems.

For a new owner and a new general manager and a new coach, it suggests better days are ahead. It means the sorrowful days are over. It means you are no longer one of the teams that didn't make it to the payoffs.

All that said, no one has ever hung a banner for a first-round series, not even when a team overcomes a 3-1 deficit against Pittsburgh to win it.

And no one is trying to make light of the second round. After all, it had been seven years since Tampa Bay had stayed alive that long.

Survive a round in the postseason and it means you belong. It means all the critics were wrong about you. It means you had substance all along. It means the old players are not too old and the young players are not too young and, by golly, there is still fight in the franchise.

Still, no one gets a trophy for a second-round series win, not even when the team swept aside is Washington, the No. 1 seed in the conference.

Understand, then, as the passion grows around you. From here on, the stakes are huge. This is the portion of the playoffs the Lightning players — and fans — will remember, for that may happen and for all that should.

"People remember the conference finals and the Cup more that the first two rounds,'' St. Louis says. "You're closer to your goal, and everything is magnified.''

Think about the Lightning's 2004 Stanley Cup run. If you're like most of us, the most precious memories came as the journey continued. Oh, you probably remember how good St. Louis was in the first round, and you may remember Lecavalier and his between-the-legs shot in the sweep over his hometown Canadiens.

Ah, but it was the conference final against Philadelphia when the memories really jump-started.

Even now, you remember Brad Richards in overtime. You remember Keith Primeau being stopped cold on a breakaway by Nikolai Khabibulin. You remember then-coach John Tortorella telling then-Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock to "shut your yap.''

Me? I remember a video the Lightning played that started with highlights of the racehorse Smarty Jones, the '04 Kentucky Derby winner who was from the Philadelphia area. Quickly, the video shifted to a scene from Blazing Saddles, where Mongo (Alex Karras) punched a horse. Grand stuff, wasn't it?

Then came the Cup final against Calgary, and St. Louis ramming home the game winner in Game 6, and Ruslan Fedotenko scoring two goals in Game 7 while playing with a swollen face, and Dave Andreychuk hoisting the Cup, and Ray Bourque's inspirational call to Tim Taylor.

Me? I also remember Pavel Kubina after Game 7 dashing forward and sliding headfirst on the ice in celebration, time after time, at the St. Pete Times Forum. Most of his teammates had gone into the locker room, but Kubina, 10 again, did not want to leave the ice.

Here's something else I remember: I remember the crowds, and the way the passion surged through the area. I remember an area falling in love with a team.

Now you feel it happening again. Once again the Lightning enters Round 3 on a seven-game winning streak. Once again it is eight victories away from the Cup. Once again the unique grind that is the playoffs has reached the rev-it-up stage.

Even Gagne, a relative newcomer to the area, has noticed the difference. Suddenly, Lightning yard signs are filling his neighborhood. It wasn't that way during the season.

There are moments to come. Good moments. Bad ones. There will be sweat and blood and hope and dreams and desperation and bad calls.

Along the way, there will be a few grins, too.

Enjoy it, won't you?

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Friday, May 13, 2011

TAMPA — A year ago, Ryan Lockwood was wrapping up his junior season on USF's baseball team, but the outfielder's focus had already shifted to a different, even more demanding challenge.

As a freshman in 2008, Lockwood put together a 30-game hitting streak and had earned national freshman of the year honors. But during Lockwood's junior year, Bulls coach Lelo Prado had received calls from his parents, concerned because he seemed to be losing weight. Turns out that in addition to the juggling act of being a student and baseball player, Lockwood had begun the process of training himself, physically and mentally, to join the Navy SEAL program.

"I had played sports my entire life, really gotten into it. But I didn't feel I was going to continue with baseball," said Lockwood, 23, who started 142 games in three seasons. "I didn't think it was the path that was right for me. I wanted to be part of something else that was bigger than myself."

Lockwood worked out in the morning before classes, got in swimming at lunch time, all while continuing his baseball duties, hitting .314 that season. By the end of the spring, he had decided he was done with baseball, graduating with a degree in marketing and spending the past year preparing himself for next week. Wednesday, he reports to Great Lakes Naval Station, near Chicago, for basic training.

His baseball coach, once apprehensive, is impressed with the commitment Lockwood has shown to staying on his course.

"Here's a kid who went to Jesuit High School, had never been in a bad area in his life, and now he's going to jump out of a plane where people are shooting at you," Prado said. "I'd say, 'Are you sure you want to do this?' He was adamant about it."

Lockwood, along with former USF decathlete Grant Scelzi, a Largo graduate, has been training locally 3-4 times a week with a group of retired SEALs. Preparations included a 36-hour simulation of "Hell Week," the most grueling part of SEAL training, which included immersion in 51-degree water.

His training will continue over the next year, including six months of Basic Underwater Demolition Skills, or BUDS, then training in dive skills and land warfare, then field qualification training. It's what Lockwood calls "a very long process," but it would end with him earning his trident, which marks completion of his SEAL training. The true obstacles to overcome, he has found, are more mental than physical.

"Most of it is mental," Lockwood said. "Everyone has a physical breaking point, but once you decide that you're not going to quit, it doesn't matter."

The reputation of Navy SEALs was strong to begin with, but with recent news that a SEAL unit was responsible for the raid in Pakistan that found and killed Osama bin Laden, there is a new level of reverence and respect for the highly trained soldiers.

"It's like firemen and policemen after 9/11," Prado said. "People now are understanding what these guys do for a living. It's kind of crazy."

Lockwood is careful to distance himself from the heroic efforts of the SEALs in Pakistan, saying that he only aspires to become what they are, but he admits there has been a new spark of inspiration at his training sessions.

"It's definitely an extra motivation, but the honor of it is explicitly reserved for them," Lockwood said. "I've made the commitment, but that's all theirs. Just as an American, you're proud of them and what they did."

Prado, whose current season is entering its final weeks, is excited to see the day come that Lockwood reports for training. He said Lockwood is "ripped" in a way he never was in training for baseball, and he admires his former player for his dedication to his new goal.

"I tell my players, 'Whatever you want to do, make sure you do it right and go 100 percent,' " Prado said. "Well, he's going 100 percent. You can't be half in. I have a lot of respect for him for going through this thing like he is."

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Friday, May 13, 2011

St. Petersburg Times staff writer Tom Jones breaks down the Eastern Conference final between the Lightning and Bruins.

Offense

LIGHTNING: After finishing seventh in the NHL in scoring during the regular season, the Lightning leads the playoffs in goals with 38. Sure, its stars are scoring — Marty St. Louis has six goals, Vinny Lecavalier has five and Steven Stamkos has four — but the so-called role players have lit the lamp, too. Sean Bergenheim, who had 14 goals during the regular season, leads the Lightning with seven in the playoffs. He also leads the team with 36 shots on goal. Meantime, Steve Downie and Teddy Purcell are tied for the team lead in assists with 10. In all, 14 players have scored in the Lightning's 11 postseason games, and nine have at least two goals. That includes Simon Gagne, who is expected to return after suffering a head injury in Game 1 of the last series against the Capitals. Gagne, who has two goals and five assists in the playoffs, was playing some of his best hockey of the season when he went down. The Lightning also is encouraged by the play of Stamkos. After struggling to score for much of the second half of the season and the first four games of the playoffs, Stamkos has rebounded with four goals in the past seven games. Keep an eye on Lecavalier in this series. He has 46 points, including 19 goals, in 45 career games against Boston.

BRUINS: The Bruins, fifth in the NHL in scoring during the regular season, have scored just one fewer goal than the Lightning in the playoffs and, like the Lightning, are getting contributions from practically everyone. In 11 games, 15 players have combined for 37 goals. Then again, the Bruins just finished playing a Flyers team that had serious goalie problems. Brad Marchand, Nathan Horton and David Krejci lead the team with five goals each. Krejci and Milan Lucic tied for the team lead in points during the regular season with 62. Lucic had a team-high 30 goals, but he has only two goals and three assists in the playoffs. The Bruins will start the series without their top playoff scorer. Center Patrice Bergeron, who had 12 points in the first two rounds, suffered a concussion in the last series against Philadelphia. That means 19-year-old rookie Tyler Seguin, the second overall pick in last year's draft, will see his first playoff action after being a healthy scratch for all 11 of Boston's postseason games. He had 11 goals and 11 assists in 76 regular-season games. Look for Chris Kelly, who has four playoff goals, to take Bergeron's spot on a line with Marchand and former Lightning left wing Mark Recchi.

Defense

LIGHTNING: The Lightning's 1-3-1 defensive system has been the talk of the playoffs. The Lightning hasn't given up more than three goals in a playoff game. And if you go back to the regular season, the Lightning has allowed more than three goals in a game only once in the past 19 games. Oddly enough, the Lightning is giving up an average of 35.5 shots per game, third-worst in the playoffs. That indicates two things: Many of the shots are coming from the outside, and the Lightning is getting excellent goaltending from Dwayne Roloson. In addition, the Lightning's shot-blocking has been outstanding. The defense has been led by midseason acquisition Eric Brewer, who has established himself as the team's No. 1 defenseman by averaging more than 26 minutes per game in the playoffs. Second-year blue liner Victor Hedman appears to have taken his game to the next level. He is second on the team in minutes (21:59 per game). On the downside, it looks as if the Lightning will start the series without Pavel Kubina, who sustained an apparent head injury in Game 1 of the Washington series. The Lightning will miss Kubina's size (6 feet 4, 258 pounds), especially against the big, physical Bruins.

BRUINS: The Bruins allowed the second-fewest goals in the NHL this season, an average of 2.3 per game. The Lightning and Bruins have given up exactly 24 goals in 11 playoff games each. Boston's defense is led by Zdeno Chara, the 6-foot-9 monster whom many believe is the best all-around defenseman in the NHL. He hasn't contributed much offensively in the playoffs with only two goals and two assists. He missed a game in the first round against Montreal with dehydration but appears to be well on the road to full strength again. He leads the postseason in plus-minus at plus-11 while generally playing upward of 27 minutes a game. He also has 24 hits and 17 blocked shots in the playoffs. Because of Chara's oversized frame, the Bruins have one of the biggest defenses in the NHL; the average size is 6-3, 215 pounds. Chara, however, isn't the only key contributor on the blue line. Dennis Seidenberg is plus-8 in the playoffs, and veteran former Maple Leaf Tomas Kaberle is plus-5. Many hockey people rank the Bruins' defense the best in the NHL.

Special teams

LIGHTNING: The Lightning is in the Eastern Conference final because of its special teams. The power play is 12-for-45 with the man advantage, a 26.7 conversion percentage. The Lightning's 12 power-play goals are the most in the playoffs, and its conversion rate is the best of the teams still alive. Meantime, the Lightning's penalty-killing unit has been more impressive, killing off 51 of its opponents' 54 power plays. That would be the best in the playoffs if not for Montreal, which didn't allow a power-play goal in 21 short-handed situations while being eliminated in the first round. Montreal's first-round opponent was Boston.

BRUINS: As we just mentioned, the Bruins' power play was nonexistent against Montreal in the first round, failing to convert on all 21 of its chances. The second round against Philadelphia didn't get much better. The Bruins scored on just two of 16 chances. Their penalty killing has been no great shakes, either. Boston has allowed eight goals in 41 short-handed situations for a rather pedestrian 80.5 penalty-kill rate. None of this should come as a surprise. Boston's power play during the regular season was ranked 20th overall, and the penalty-killers were ranked 16th. Based on all this, the Lightning might have a major edge in special teams.

Coaching

LIGHTNING: If you didn't know Guy Boucher was a rookie head coach, you certainly wouldn't know it by watching the playoffs. His cool, calm demeanor and spot-on strategy might be the key reasons the Lightning is in the conference final for the second time. He stuck with his structure and kept his team full of confidence in the first round against the Penguins despite falling behind 3-1 in the series. Since then, the Lightning has reeled off seven consecutive victories and appears just as comfortable playing on the road as at home. Even on the road Boucher seems to get the matchups he is looking for while seemingly never taxing his players.

BRUINS: Claude Julien is one of the better and more experienced coaches in the game. He previously took the Canadiens and Devils to the playoffs. Then again, his teams have struggled in the postseason. In four previous trips to the playoffs, Julien failed to get out of the second round, including 2004, when his Canadiens were eliminated by the eventual-champion Lightning in the second round. He also coached last year's Bruins, who became the third team in NHL history to blow a 3-0 series lead when it lost to the Flyers in the second round. Then again, this is clearly the best team he has coached. Julien managed to keep the Bruins together during a tougher-than-expected seven-game series against Montreal and pulled all the right strings in Boston's four-game sweep of Philadelphia.

Intangibles

LIGHTNING: Though the Lightning is the fifth seed and the Bruins are third, the teams had identical 46-25-11 records during the regular season. Both teams also went to seven games in the first round and swept their opponents in the second round. The Lightning comes into the series with a seasonlong seven-game winning streak, and it has a little more Cup-winning experience, with Vinny Lecavalier, Marty St. Louis and Pavel Kubina having played major roles on the 2004 Cup-champion Lightning.

BRUINS: The Bruins have dominated the Lightning over the years, especially in Boston. The Bruins have 25 wins, four losses and six ties all time at home against the Lightning. They won the regular-season series this year, winning three of the four meetings, including both in Boston by a combined score of 10-2. But though the Bruins are an Original Six team and considered one of hockey's great organizations, you have to go back to the prime playing days of Phil Esposito and Bobby Orr to find the last time the Bruins won the Stanley Cup. That was 1972. They haven't even reached the Cup final since 1990 and are playing in their first conference final since 1992.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Friday, May 13, 2011

BOSTON — The Lightning's third line of C Dominic Moore, Sean Bergenheim and Steve Downie got lots of publicity for its performance in the Eastern Conference semifinal against the Capitals, in which it had 13 points and key goals.

But the players said that doesn't mean they must repeat that against the Bruins.

"We just have to play the same way because we bring momentum to our team," said Bergenheim, whose seven goals are tied for the playoff lead (with three players whose teams have been eliminated: Nashville's Joel Ward and Philadelphia's Danny Briere and James van Riemsdyk).

"When it comes to goal scoring, we don't feel any more pressure. We hope to chip in here and there, but the main focus is to the play the same way, because for a third line to bring momentum is very important."

How well are those three playing? Bergenheim said they have "that kind of on-ice connection that you don't have to think where you are."

"We realize that line has been very good for them, and that's part of playoff success," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "When you get contributions from different players and not always relying on the same guys, that's the key to success."

The challenge, Moore said, will be maintaining a level of play, not counting points.

"Whether we're producing points or not, we make contributions regardless," he said.

BEST YET?: The Lightning's practice Friday at TD Garden was its best of the week, C Steven Stamkos said. That's a good sign given the team hasn't played in 10 days. "Guys were crisp, passes were good," he said. "You could feel the anxiousness and excitement (Friday). Guys were looking good."

Said coach Guy Boucher: "We looked okay."

UNDER THE RADAR: It hasn't gotten much notice, but RW Teddy Purcell is tied for second in the playoffs with 10 assists (with Downie, Boston's injured Patrice Bergeron and Vancouver's Ryan Kesler), and his 11 points are fourth on the team while he averages a modest 12:58 of ice time.

"Everybody talks about Bergenheim and Moore, but he's one of the guys who has stepped up," Boucher said.

"I'm contributing, and we're winning," Purcell said. "I've been on teams in the past, in L.A., where we were winning but I wasn't playing. But now when you're contributing and helping the team create chances and playing solid defensively, it feels a lot better."

MEDICAL MATTERS: Julien said Bergeron (concussion) continues to improve. … Lightning F Dana Tyrell (foot) skated with the team but wore a red no-contact jersey. … D Pavel Kubina (concussionlike symptoms) did not make the trip.

PREDICTIONS: The Lightning might enjoy the underdog role, but it is getting much love from prognosticators. The Hockey News and Toronto's Star newspaper say Tampa Bay will win the series in seven games. ESPN.com says the Lightning in six (though ESPN analyst and former Lightning coach Barry Melrose picked the Bruins). Even the Boston Herald picks the Lightning in seven.

watch parties: The Lightning is hosting free watch parties for Games 1 and 2 at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa. The 8 p.m. games will be shown outdoors on the west plaza. Fans can bring blankets, lawn chairs and coolers with food and nonalcoholic drinks. Food and alcoholic beverages will be sold, and there will be activities on the plaza before the game. Free parking will be available in the west and east lots.

Times staff writer Joe Smith contributed to this report.

By Bill Hardman, Times Correspondent
Friday, May 13, 2011

Shallow water: The water visibility for spearfishing in depths less than 45 feet has been great. Usually it's better farther offshore, but this week it has been better in shallow water and starts to get hazy around 50 feet. If there isn't too much rain this weekend and the southwest winds don't stir the bottom up, this exceptional shallow-water visibility might stick around for a while. With gag groupers still legal to take, the good visibility is a welcome treat.

Warmer water: The offshore bottom temperature west of St. Petersburg is now the same as in the Florida Keys — around 81 degrees. The warmer water has grouper, snappers, hogfish and other benthic fish a little livelier than a month ago, and they are all searching for schools of bait.

Spearfishing tournament: The Florida Freeshafters dive club hosts the first Florida Freeshafters Open May 21. The weigh-in and awards celebration will be the following day at O'Brien's Irish Pub in Brandon. See www.floridafreeshafters.com for more information or to register.

Bill Hardman teaches scuba, spearfishing and free diving through Aquatic Obsessions Scuba in St. Petersburg and can be reached at CaptainBillHardman@gmail.com or (727) 344-3483.

By Bryan Burns, Times Staff Writer
Friday, May 13, 2011

Tonight: FC Tampa Bay at Fort Lauderdale Strikers

When/where: 7:30; Lockhart Stadium, Fort Lauderdale

Where to watch: Online at fctampabay.com

Records: Both are 1-2-3.

Last time out: Tampa Bay gave up a goal in stoppage time and tied 1-1 at home against Edmonton on Wednesday. … Fort Lauderdale fell 4-2 at Carolina on Wednesday, snapping a four-match unbeaten streak for the Strikers.

Skinny: Tampa Bay completed a seasonlong three-game homestand with two ties and a loss and must go on the road for three of its next four matches, starting tonight against its biggest rival. Before this season, the Strikers were known as Miami FC. Tampa Bay picked up the lone win in last year's four-game series, a 2-0 victory July 25 at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. The other three matches resulted in draws. Tampa Bay won last year's Coastal Cup, an annual competition between the sides in which the team with the most points after four regular-season matches claims the honor.

Up next: Tampa Bay will host the Montreal Impact at 7 p.m. May 21, the team's third meeting with Montreal in the first eight games of the season.

Bryan Burns, Times staff writer

Times wires
Friday, May 13, 2011

Cubs 11, Giants 4

CHICAGO — Ryan Dempster struck out a season-high 11 and snapped a six-game Wrigley Field losing streak to lead the Cubs. Reed Johnson went 3-for-5 and drove in four runs, three on a bases-loaded triple in the seventh. Cody Ross hit a two-run homer in the eighth for the Giants, who had a six-game winning streak snapped.