By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, March 12, 2011
5 questions | C Blair Jones
What's your favorite TV show? A tie between White Collar and Modern Family.
Favorite video game? I don't really play video games.
Where do the players hang out when they're with AHL Norfolk? The mall is right there by the rink.
Guilty pleasure at the mall? I'm just a browser; kill time, I guess, just go to a lot of movies.
Seen anything recently? The Liam Neeson movie The Unknown. I like his movies. The last few he's been in have been awesome. I try and see whatever he's in.
The fixer
Whenever Lightning assistant coach Wayne Fleming runs into someone who is associated with the Brynas team from the Swedish elite league, "They come to me and tell me, 'Thanks for saving us.' "
It was during the 2004-05 NHL lockout that Fleming signed with Brynas to help it avoid relegation to a lesser league. Backed up by NHLers Marc-Andre Bergeron, now with Tampa Bay, and Chris Phillips, of the Senators, Fleming said, he instituted a more intense attitude among the easy-going Swedes.
"The coaches are not as driven as the North American coaches," Fleming said. "That kind of carries over to their style of play. They've all got great skills. The ones who have great competitiveness make it over here."
"He was a breath of fresh air," Bergeron said.
In the end, Brynas avoided the embarrassment, and monetary consequences, of relegation. "They had good players," Fleming said. "It was just a matter of bringing it together with stronger focus."
Home cookin'
As Lightning D Mattias Ohlund listened to teammate and fellow Swede Victor Hedman describe his meal from a New York Scandinavian restaurant, he added to each description the word "big": a plate of lingonberries and mashed potatoes, a steak sandwich and a hamburger.
"I didn't have breakfast, and we had the day off," Hedman said. "I figured I'd eat some Swedish food, and eat a lot. For the record, I didn't finish the burger."
Quote to note
“Two and a Half Men without Charlie Sheen is as bad as a Lightning powerplay without Steven Stamkos. Right Barry Melrose?"
Two and a Half Men executive producer and former Lightning owner Oren Koules, on Twitter
Number of the day
22 Lightning home wins as of Saturday. Tampa Bay reached the playoffs every time it previously hit that mark.