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“We needed Ben Bishop to stand tall if we had any chance of coming back, and he did. ... We snuck out with a win. We were looking for the police when we walked out of the locker room because I thought we might get arrested for stealing, because we stole two points.’’

Kane and Brandon Saad scored second-period goals to lead the Blackhawks, who captured a second Stanley Cup championship in four years in June. Chicago defeated Boston, Tampa Bay’s opponent in Thursday’s season opener, to win the title.

Tampa Bay improved to 1-1, and it did so by hanging around and getting some saves from Bishop in his season debut.

“You just try to make some saves to keep the team in the game,’’ Bishop said. “A comeback win in this building says a lot about this team. We know we have a lot to work on. We can always play better than that, but it’s always good to get two points on the road.’’

The shot clock showed a lopsided affair, and Chicago’s stifling defense snuffed any Lightning attack with effective poke checks to disrupt any chance at a transition game.

And when Tampa Bay was able to get the puck in deep, the Blackhawks were able to quickly exit the zone and push the puck up ice.

Despite the lack of an offensive attack, Tampa Bay escaped the first period in a scoreless affair despite an 11-0 shot disparity.

“They blocked a lot of shots well and we missed some nets, so I don’t think it looked as bad as the stat looked, but obviously we need to put pucks to the net more,’’ Filppula said of the first period. “They were skating better than us and we didn’t get to pucks and always a little bit behind.’’

In the second, the Blackhawks got on the board in the opening minute as both Bryan Bickell and Kane were alone at the right post where Kane was able to lift a loose puck off a rebound over Bishop 59 seconds into the game for a 1-0 lead.

A fortunate home bounce helped Chicago grab a two-goal lead when Nick Leddy threw a puck into the far corner boards that caromed back to the front of the net as Bishop went back to play the puck. Saad was able to get to the free puck first for a power-play goal and a 2-0 lead at 9:14.

Tampa Bay, which only had six shots through two periods, woke up somewhat in the third and found a way back into the game.

Off an icing call on Chicago, Nate Thompson won a faceoff back to the point, where Matt Carle fired a puck on goal before St. Louis backhanded a rebound over Corey Crawford at 10:08 to cut the deficit to one.

Purcell then found the tying goal with Tampa Bay on its first power play of the game as Toews was off for high sticking. Purcell was at the right circle where he took a pass and wristed a shot to the top far corner at 11:51, the Lightning’s 11th shot of the game.

“It was a good third period,’’ St. Louis said. “Bishop was huge. It’s a very important position in this league and he played it at a high level tonight.’’

The penalty kill was then put to the test when Filppula was whistled for high sticking at 12:26 for Chicago’s fourth power play. But Bishop held down the fort to keep the game tied.

Tampa Tribune LOADED: 10.06.2013

719839 Tampa Bay Lightning

Bolts Beat: Not keeping Drouin was right move

By Erik Erlendsson | Tribune Staff

Published: October 5, 2013

CHICAGO — The Lightning have a problem.

No, I’m not talking about the goaltending — this time.

In fact, the problem Tampa Bay has on its hands is of the good variety. There’s an abundance of young, up-and-coming talent in the organization.

In Thursday’s season opener against Boston, the Lightning put six rookies on the ice: forwards Tyler Johnson, Richard Panik and Ondrej Palat, and defensemen Radko Gudas, Andrej Sustr and Mark Barberio. That group doesn’t include Alex Killorn, who appeared in too many games last season to be classified as a rookie but had only 38 games of experience heading into this season.

Because of that, the likes of Brett Connolly and J.T. Brown were sent to Syracuse of the American Hockey League to continue developing.

That brings us to Jonathan Drouin, the No. 3 overall pick who was sent back to Halifax in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, where he will play for the rest of this season.

Many outside of the Lightning were surprised, some were even shocked, that the talented 18-year-old did not make the team.

That kind of thinking might stem from years of futility in the Lightning farm system. Drafting and developing has not exactly been a strength of this organization through the years, particularly in the 10-year span between the 1998 draft that produced Vinny Lecavalier, Brad Richards and Dmitry Afanasenkov and the 2008 draft that landed Steven Stamkos.

During a good portion of those years, the third overall pick in the draft would have been a virtual lock to make the roster out of training camp, whether that was because of the lack of talent at the NHL level or for the purpose of trying to sell tickets.

But since Steve Yzerman took control of the organization and implemented the draft-and-develop philosophy, the Lightning thought process is different.

Drouin is going to be one of the top players in a Tampa Bay uniform when he gets to this level. He’s just not there yet.

In his short career, Drouin has shown the ability to adapt quickly to whatever level he is playing. Less than two years ago, he was still playing midget level in Quebec before getting the call up to Halifax, where he quickly adapted to the better competition. He was considered a long shot to make Team Canada for the World Junior Championships as an under-aged player but he wound up in a top-six role.

The jump to the NHL level this year would have been much greater than any he had been able to adapt to up to this point.

With the more experienced young talent ready to make the jump to the NHL, the decision was made to send Drouin back for another year of play at the junior level. While there, he will be the key player for the Mooseheads, and he should log heavy minutes for Team Canada at the World Junior Championships.

So if all goes according to plan, by the time training camp comes around next season, Drouin will be ready to make the jump to the NHL.

It’s similar to the path the Florida Panthers took with Jonathan Huberdeau, the third overall pick in 2011. Huberdeau was sent back to juniors for another year of development, came back a year later and won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year.

So it might seem like the Lightning are doing the 18-year-old Drouin wrong, when if fact they are going about it right.

Tampa Tribune LOADED: 10.06.2013

719840 Tampa Bay Lightning

Bolts Notes: Kostka looks back on Norfolk’s record run

By ERIC ERLENDSSON

Tribune staff

Published: October 5, 2013

CHICAGO — Mike Kostka never played a game with the Lightning, but he is part of the team’s lore.

The 28-year-old defenseman, who will make his debut for Chicago on Saturday, was part of Tampa Bay’s minor league team record run in 2011-12 while with Norfolk in the American Hockey League. Acquired from Florida in a trade midway through the season, Kostka was a mainstay on the blue line as the Admirals won a North American team record 28 consecutive wins on the way to a Calder Cup championship.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be a part of something like that, it was that incredible in terms of the record, the way that that was going it was something that we didn’t even know how it happened,’’ Kostka said. “When the season ending it was like “Holy (cow)”. You have different levels of goals and achievements and my goal was to make it to the NHL and play here, which I’m very proud of, but at the same time you never forget about an experience like that which really did help propel me forward.’’

Kostka played last season with Toronto following the end of the lockout and landed a spot with Chicago this season. Many of the players which Kostka played with in Norfolk - Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, Richard Panik, Keith Aulie, Mark Barberio, Alex Killorn - are now on the Lightning roster while the head coach of that team, Jon Cooper is now behind the Tampa Bay bench.

“I was really fortunate to be traded in that organization a few years ago and be a part of that special team in Norfolk,’’ Kostka said. Cooper “is a really knowledgeable guy, he knows the game. He can be pretty strict at times but he also knows how to have fun with the guys so he has a really good balance with that, especially with the group that we had there, a lot of young guys.

“I can’t say a bad word about them as much as I would like to.’’

Good to go

Lightning D Sami Salo will return to the lineup after missing the season opening game in Boston on Thursday with an undisclosed upper-body injury.

Salo was a late scratch on Thursday after he took part in the morning skate. The veteran defenseman also missed practice on Friday to undergo some testing, which all came back negative.

“It’s just something that came up in the last couple of days, we don’t know where, so for precautionary reasons we stayed off,’’ Salo said. “Everything got checked out so it’s all good.’’

Nuts and Bolts

C Nate Thompson celebrated his 29th birthday on Saturday. A message on the team’s white board in the Lightning locker room stated “Happy Birthday Nate’’... C Tom Pyatt, Barberio and Aulie are scheduled to be scratched on Saturday. ... G Ben Bishop will make his first start in net after Anders Lindback started Thursday in Boston.

Tampa Tribune LOADED: 10.06.2013

719841 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning beats Blackhawks in shootout

Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer

Saturday, October 5, 2013 11:24pm

CHICAGO — Lightning coach Jon Cooper never misses a chance at a one-liner.

After Saturday night's improbable 3-2 shootout victory over the Blackhawks, he looked back and forth as if he was being watched and almost whispered, "I was looking for the police when we left the locker room, because I thought we'd get arrested for stealing."

Indeed, Tampa Bay stole two points at the United Center.

Down 2-0 in the third period, the Lightning got goals in 103 seconds by Marty St. Louis and Teddy Purcell to tie the score with 8:09 left.

Goaltender Ben Bishop, stellar with 37 saves as Tampa Bay was outshot 39-16, made three more stops in the shootout. Valtteri Filppula scored and Tampa Bay (1-1-0) stunned last season's Stanley Cup champions despite not getting a shot in the first period, the third time in its history the team failed to get a shot in a period.

"These are the wins you build on," center Nate Thompson said. "To come out with two points here is huge."

None of it would have been possible without Bishop, who, as Thompson said, "saved our bacon."

"Unbelievable," Filppula said. "The reason we won was him."

Bishop allowed Tampa Bay to hang around, even as it was being outshot 12-0 in the first period, even as it fell behind 2-0 after the second period, when the shots were 25-6.

One of those goals was a gift. Brendan Saad scored after Nick Reddy's dump-in to the corner deflected off the glass to the front of an empty net as Bishop was out to play the puck.

"You just try to make some saves to keep your team in the game," Bishop said.

The message going into the third period was, he said, "We're only two shots away."

St. Louis got the first when he backhanded a rebound of Matt Carle's shot. Purcell, during Tampa Bay's only power play, tied it with a zippy wrist shot from the right faceoff circle.

Still, there were those first two periods.

St. Louis said he believes Chicago "overwhelmed us with their speed and puck possession."

Even so, Cooper said, "I don't think we gave up a ton of scoring chances. They had some time of possession and were zipping around, but the chances were not that drastic. They just had the puck more than we did."

Which makes it kind of tough to win. But Tampa Bay did.

"A comeback win in this building says a lot about this team," Bishop said. "We know we have a lot to work on. We know we can play better than that."

But they'll take the victory, literally.

Lightning 0 0 2 0 3

Blackhawks 0 2 0 0 2

Lightning wins shootout 1-0

Lightning 0 0 2 0 3

Blackhawks 0 2 0 0 2

Lightning wins shootout 1-0

First Period—None. Penalties—Hedman, TB (holding), 16:15.

Second Period—1, Chicago, Kane 2 (Bickell, Hjalmarsson), :59. 2, Chicago, Saad 2 (Leddy, Crawford), 9:14 (pp). Penalties—Malone, TB (hooking), 3:05; Killorn, TB (hooking), 7:25; Brewer, TB (cross-checking), 20:00.

Third Period—3, Tampa Bay, St. Louis 1 (Stamkos, Carle), 10:08. 4, Tampa Bay, Purcell 1 (St. Louis, Stamkos), 11:51 (pp). Penalties—Toews, Chi (high-sticking), 11:20; Filppula, TB (high-sticking), 12:26.

Overtime—None. Penalties—None.

Shootout—Tampa Bay 1 (Filppula G, Hedman NG), Chicago 0 (Toews NG, Kane NG, Hossa NG). Shots on Goal—Tampa Bay 0-6-8-2—16. Chicago 12-13-12-2—39. Power-play opportunities—Tampa Bay 1 of 1; Chicago 1 of 5. Goalies—Tampa Bay, Bishop 1-0-0 (39 shots-37 saves). Chicago, Crawford 1-0-1 (16-14). A—21,563 (19,717). T—2:42. Referees—Frederick L'Ecuyer, Wes McCauley. Linesmen—Mark Shewchyk, Don Henderson.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 10.06.2013

719842 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning Nuts and Bolts

Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer

Saturday, October 5, 2013 9:58pm

30 seconds with … Wing Alex Killorn

Someone you'd like to interview:

(Patriots quarterback) Tom Brady

TV show you are embarrassed you like:

Sometimes when I'm at home I watch Keeping up with the Kardashians with my sister, but I don't really enjoy it. I have to watch it because they watch it.

Late night snack:

Trail mix, nuts

A skill you wish you had:

To be a really good public speaker

Celebrity crush:

Jennifer Aniston

Driven to distraction

The running gag on Tuesday, while coach Jon Cooper introduced his players at an event at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg, was that RW Richard Panik is a bad driver.

But is he? Or did some of his teammates pull a prank?

Here's the story: Before the introductions, Cooper got from each player something "no one else would know about you" that he could say. Four players — defensemen Andrej Sustr, Radko Gudas and Mark Barberio, and left wing Ondrej Palat — submitted some variation of "I am terrified when Richard Panik drives."

Sustr was introduced right before Panik, so when Panik walked onstage, Cooper said, "Speak of the devil."

But Sustr admitted later the players colluded to punk their friend. Not that they believe Panik is a good driver.

"Kind of crazy; gas, break all the time, all over the place," Sustr said. "You definitely want to sit in the back when he's driving."

Panik laughed but defended his skills behind the wheel.

"No, no, I'm a really good driver," he said.

Palat, next to Panik in the locker room Thursday at TD Garden in Boston, shook his head and mouthed "no."

Fight club

There has been a lot of talk lately about banning fighting in the NHL. Left wing P.C. Labrie is not on board.

"I like it," he said. "I don't like to get punched — nobody would like that — but it's such a high. It's not even comparable to a goal.

"When you're fighting, the adrenaline, you're in there for a minute just battling to survive. When you're done, you're shaking. It's an amazing feeling. When the game is done, I'm going to miss fighting, for sure."

"We're the little team everybody is going to try to come in and kick around. We've got other ideas."

Coach Jon Cooper

Number of the day

16 Overtime or shootout games the Lightning has played against the Bruins without a victory (0-7-9)

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 10.06.2013

719843 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning focuses on power-play faceoffs

Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer

Saturday, October 5, 2013 8:30pm

CHICAGO — Amid all the hand-wringing about how the Lightning didn't shoot enough against the Bruins on the power play and didn't react well when primary plays were taken away, there is this:

Tampa Bay won only 4 of 13 (31 percent) power-play faceoffs, meaning 69 percent of the time it had to waste time gaining possession of the puck.

"You've got to go back and get it; no guarantee you're getting right back in (the offensive zone)," coach Jon Cooper said. "All of a sudden you look up, 30 seconds is gone on the power play and you're not even in synch. Your players are a little bit tired. It has a huge effect."

The lack of initial puck possession helped Tampa Bay go 0-for-5 against the Bruins on the power play, including two five-on-threes.

It was something the Lightning addressed for Saturday's game with the Blackhawks, and not just with the centers. Faceoff wins are also about wings controlling loose pucks.

As C Steven Stamkos, who lost 16 of 25 draws against Boston, said, "If you're not winning them clean, your job is to at least create a battle to give your wingers a chance to get in there.

"They know I'm going to try my best to win it clean every time. If not, it's a group thing."

Not that it did much immediate good. In a first period against Chicago in which the Lightning was outshot 12-0, it lost 12 of 18 faceoffs.

SALO RETURNS: D Sami Salo played after missing the Bruins game and Friday's practice with what the team said was an upper-body injury.

The issue is not serious, Salo said, and he was held out only as a precaution.

"These guys are conditioned athletes, but sometimes things pop up," Cooper said.

KEEP THE FAITH: Blackhawks D Mike Kostka couldn't say enough about how Cooper helped his career while both were with AHL Norfolk — then the Lightning's affiliate — during the 2011-12 season.

"He knows the game," Kostka said. "He can be strict at times, but he also knows how to have fun with the guys. He was a good balance for us."

Kostka, 27, had seven goals, 32 points and was plus-28 in 52 games for the Admirals, who won 28 straight to end the regular season and then won the Calder Cup.

He signed that summer with Toronto as a free agent and Saturday made his Chicago debut.

"My goal was to make it to the NHL," Kostka said. "At the same time, you never forget the things that got you there, and an experience like that helped propel me forward."

THUMBS UP: Marty St. Louis was the right choice for Lightning captain, said Blackhawks backup G Nik Khabibulin, St. Louis' teammate during Tampa Bay's 2004 Stanley Cup run.

"He's always been the motor, the engine of that team," Khabibulin said. "He's also got so much respect from his teammates for what he's done over his career and how he started and had to battle through and what he has become. It's a logical choice."

ODDS AND ENDS: C Nate Thompson turned 29 on Saturday. Asked what he got for his birthday, he said, "A shaving cream (pie) in the face." … Defensemen Keith Aulie and Mark Barberio, and F Tom Pyatt were scratched.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 10.06.2013

719844 Tampa Bay Lightning

Yzerman: Eject fighting players from games

Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer

Saturday, October 5, 2013 2:59pm

The debate about whether to abolish fighting in the NHL has heated up again thanks to the concussion sustained Tuesday by Montreal's George Parros during a fight with Toronto's Colton Orr.

Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman contributed to it by saying it is time the league considered game misconduct penalties for players who brawl.

"We are at a stage now where we should consider ejecting players from the game much like every other sport does," Yzerman told the Tampa Bay Times.

But Yzerman's objection to fighting goes beyond his belief it is an unnecessary part of the game. Yzerman also believes that to allow fighting contradicts the much-publicized steps taken by the league and players association to reduce head injuries.

As he told the Times: "It's my understanding everyone wants to reduce head injuries in hockey. We've taken steps by changing rules to make them more penalizing for any player making contact with a player's head on body checking. Yet, we allow fighting, which is obviously a direct blow to the head and which is directly contradictory to what the league is trying to do."

That's tough to argue against, except many players still believe fighting has its place, and Tampa Bay right wing B.J. Crombeen, who led the league last season with 14 fights, is one of them.

There are plenty of reasons to fight, Crombeen said, whether it is to stick up for a teammate or "to make a point or set a tone."

Crombeen agrees that what he called "staged, unnecessary fights" should be eliminated. "But most guys who have played the game understand the role fighting plays," he said. "I don't ever think it will be out of the game."

Said Lightning coach Jon Cooper: "I believe intimidation, if you will, is still part of the game. Intimidation comes in so many different forms. It can come in fighting. It can come in being physical. It can come in a team's ability to score. It can come in a team's ability to hit. There's just different variables in it, and fighting is one of them. … It's within the rules, and I don't see anything wrong with it."

Fighting advocates also point out that Parros was hurt when his chin smashed into the ice after Orr slipped and pulled him down. Crombeen called it "a fluke play."

Yzerman called it a byproduct of a hole in the league's program to reduce head injuries.

"We're stuck in the middle and need to decide what kind of sport we want to be," Yzerman told Canada's TSN TV network. "Either anything goes and we except the consequences or (we) take the next step and eliminate fighting."

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 10.06.2013

719845 Tampa Bay Lightning

Chicago's Mike Kostka says Lightning coach Cooper put him on right path when both were with AHL Norfolk

Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer

Saturday, October 5, 2013 3:36pm

Blackhawks defenseman Michael Kostka knows a lot about Lightning coach Jon Cooper. Both were with AHL Norfolk during the 2011-12 season, when the Admirals went on their remarkable run to the Calder Cup title.

Kostka, who makes his Blackhawks debut tonight, not only gives Cooper credit with helping mold his game, he gives him as much credit for molding Norfolk’s players into the cohesive unit that won 28 straight to end the regular season.

“He was awesome,” said Kostka, who signed with the Maple Leafs as a free agent after playing with Norfolk. “He’s a knowledgeable guy and knows the game. He can be strict at times but he also knows how to have fun with the guys. He was a really good balance for us. I can’t say a bad word about him as much as I’d like to.”

Tonight’s game between the Lightning and Blackhawks will be quite a reunion for Kostka as he not only faces Cooper but five players with whom he was teammates at Norfolk – Tyler Johnson, Richard Panik, Ondrej Palat, Mark Barberio and Radko Gudas -- though Barberio is a healthy scratch.

Kostka, 27, who had seven goals, 32 points and was plus-28 in 52 regular season games after he was traded to Norfolk in December, said that championship season is something he never will forget.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be a part of something that was that incredible in terms of the record,” he said. “The way that was going, it was something that we didn’t even know how it happened. The season ended and we were like, ‘Oh, crap.’”

“You have different levels of goals and achievements,” added Kostka, who said he still keeps in touch with about 10 of his former teammates. “My goal was to make it to the NHL and play here, which I’m very proud of. But at the same time, you never forget the things that got you there, and an experience like that really did help propel me forward.”