Diskussionen » Barry Trotz to pull Greiss in favor of Lehner

TAMPA www.officialredwings.com , Fla. — As the rest of the NHL opened play earlier this week, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers practiced. And practiced. And practiced some more.But finally the last two teams yet to begin their season — at least in North America (Edmonton and New Jersey open in Sweden) — drop the puck Saturday at Amalie Arena.“You get a little jealous of watching the games,” Florida coach Bob Boughner told the team website. “You wish you could not only play one early but play the next one right after. But we’ve had some time here that has allowed us to fine-tune some things here, have some good meetings and have some good practices.”Article continues below ...Both Tampa Bay and Florida enter the season with high expectations, though for completely different reasons.The Lightning are coming off a loss in the Eastern Conference finals to the Washington Capitals, blowing a 3-2 series lead. It marked the second time in three years that Tampa Bay fell in seven games to the eventual Stanley Cup champion in the conference finals.Tampa Bay no longer wants to be seen as a bridesmaid catching the bouquet at the reception. The Lightning want to be holding the prize at the center of the dance floor when the music stops.“It’s a process on how we are going to get there,” Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. “But it’s a hard thing (to get there) and this group has done it year after year. Call it unfinished business.“You don’t know how long that is going to last, but you just have to keep trusting the process in getting there. Look no further than the Washington Capitals, where it was setback after setback after setback and now a lot of those guys that went through a lot of those years got to realize their dreams.“We’re no different Detroit Red Wings T-Shirts Authentic , it’s just our setback happened a little later in the playoffs. But there is a reason we keep getting that far and it’s because we have a great group in there and you can see the look in their eyes. Guys are looking forward to getting going.”The Panthers, on the other hand, are looking to get into the playoffs for the second time in four seasons after coming up just short last season. A late-season charge fell just a point short as Florida finished with 96 points — tied for the most points for a team that missed the postseason.After coming so close, the Panthers feel primed to be inside the playoff picture rather than on the outside.“Hopefully, the guys use that bad taste in their mouth from last year, being so close,” Boughner said. “We played with pride, but that can be a powerful motivator for this season.”Tampa Bay will start the season without veteran forward Ryan Callahan, who remains out after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery but is on track to return “in the coming weeks Detroit Red Wings Hoodies Authentic ,” according to Cooper. Center Tyler Johnson is considered questionable after missing the final two weeks of training camp with an undisclosed upper-body injury.Both Callahan and Johnson have been practicing with the team. NEW YORK (AP) — Urged to shoot more, Esa Lindell came through with his first career multi-goal game to help the Dallas Stars get a big road win.Lindell scored twice during Dallas’ four-goal second period and the Stars beat the New York Islanders 6-2 Sunday.“(Assistant coach Rick Bowness) came to say in the morning skate on Friday that I want you to shoot more,” Lindell said. “It worked today.”The 24-year-old defensemen, who had one goal in his first 19 games this season, had six shots on goal in the Stars’ overtime win against Boston on Friday night after totaling one in his previous four games.“Just tried to keep up the shooting,” said Lindell, who came in with 14 goals in 176 games. “I thought sometime it’s going to go in. Just trying to shoot a lot and play the game I used to play the whole season.”Alexander Radulov had two goals and an assist, Tyler Seguin had a goal and two assists, and Roope Hintz also scored for the Stars Detroit Red Wings Hats Authentic , who have won two straight. Jamie Benn had three assists, Jason Spezza had two to top 900 points in his career, and Ben Bishop stopped 37 shots.Dallas improved to 4-4-1 on the road in the opener of a stretch of seven of eight away from home.“We’re in a tough stretch in the schedule,” Spezza said. “When you have games like this, have contributions from up and down the lineup everybody feels a part of that and it’s a good springboard going into some tough games coming up.”Anthony Beauvillier and Scott Mayfield scored for the Islanders, who lost in regulation for the third time in 12 games (7-3-2). Thomas Greiss had 16 saves, but was pulled after giving up three goals on six shots in the first 7:08 of the second period. Robin Lehner came on and finished with 11 saves.“We didn’t play 60 minutes,” Mayfield said. “We lost a lot of battles. It just wasn’t there. We’ll look at video, keep it in-house. … Guys know we threw away two points. We’ve got to be better.”Mayfield pulled the Islanders to 4-2 just 24 seconds into the third as his centering pass from the left side of the goal went off Bishop’s stick and in.Radulov then scored twice in less than two minutes to help the Stars pull away.First Custom Detroit Red Wings Jerseys , he restored Dallas’ three-goal lead as he scored with a backhand on a breakaway at 7:35. Radulov then tapped in a puck lying in the crease with Lehner out of position for his eighth of the season and 100th of his career to make it 6-2 at 9:16.Trailing 1-0 after one period, the Stars went ahead with four goals in the second.Lindell tied it as he got a pass from Seguin in the center above the circles and beat Greiss at 2:09.Hintz put the Stars ahead with his first career goal as he got a pass from Spezza in the left circle and fired a shot through Greiss’ five-hole at 4:40.“It’s nice to get the goal today and get the win, too,” Hintz said.Spezza got his 900th point on the play.“I love being a part of guys’ first goal, they always remember you,” the 35-year-old said. “I had high expectations of myself a lot of years and I guess that leads to good production.”Lindell gave Dallas a two-goal lead as he got his second of the game and third of the season with a one-timer from the right faceoff dot that also went through Greiss’ legs at 7:08.That prompted Islanders coach Barry Trotz to pull Greiss in favor of Lehner.Seguin made it 4-1 as he knocked in the rebound of a shot by Radulov for his sixth with 5:53 left in the middle period.Beauvillier, who had his first career hat trick and four-point game Thursday night against the Rangers, got the Islanders on the scoreboard 3:36 into the game off a pass from Leo Komarov.NOTES: Benn has six assists and nine points in his past 10 games. … Seguin has seven goals and 12 assists in 18 games against the Islanders. … Dallas has won three straight meetings with the Islanders, and four of the past five. … The Stars improved to 10-0-1 when leading after two periods. … Mathew Barzal had an assist on Mayfield’s goal www.officialoilers.com , giving him a point in five straight games (goal, five assists). … Islanders F Michael Dal Colle made his season debut, appearing in his fifth career game. … Mayfield played in his 100th career game. … Islanders F Cal Clutterbuck celebrated his 31st birthday.UP NEXTStars: At the New York Rangers on Monday night in the second of three road games in four nights.Islanders: At the New York Rangers on Wednesday night to start a stretch of four games in six days.