Tampa Bay Lightning Nuts and Bolts

Quote to note

"I don't have any regrets. The world was a tough place in 2009, and now it's getting better. … The most important thing is the team."

— Len Barrie, Lightning co-owner, on whether he regretted buying into the team

Honoring that masked man

Today is the 50th anniversary of the game in which Montreal's Jacques Plante became the first NHL goalie to wear a mask.

Sounds like a long time ago, but as Lightning goalie Antero Niittymaki said, "I kind of always wondered why they didn't figure it out before that."

"Even catchers in baseball had masks on," fellow Tampa Bay goalie Mike Smith said. "How much longer did it take goalies to figure out they could have masks, too?" Smith even said he would feel a bit exposed without a throat guard.

"It's like a seat belt in a car."

As for the brave souls who played without masks — Pittsburgh's Andy Brown was the last in the NHL, on April 7, 1974, though he played until 1977 in the WHA without one — "They relied on the glove in front of the face and tried to catch everything," Smith said. "It was more survival than actual goaltending. The game has changed, but saying that, guys could still fire the puck pretty good, and sticks are flying in your face all night. There's no wonder there weren't more injuries than there were."

Oh, brother

Why, we wondered, did Lightning coach Rick Tocchet not use wing Drew Miller on Oct. 24 during a six-round shootout with the Sabres, whose goaltender was Drew's bother Ryan, left? Who better to know Ryan's weaknesses?

"Honestly, I didn't even think about the brother thing during the moment," Tocchet said. "Maybe I should have."

Drew Miller said he did not lobby — "The game is bigger than that" — and did not offer advice to teammates about how to beat his brother, who stopped all six Tampa Bay tries in a 1-0 shootout victory. "You start doing that and he makes a save, just let them do their thing," Drew said.

5 questions | D Matt Smaby

When did you become such a foodie? After my first year as a pro on a vacation in New York City. I had never eaten like that before. It kind of intrigued me.

Do you plan your restaurant visits? In the big cities that are known for food, there are places I have in mind.

What's the best food city? New York is the best in the world.

Best restaurant? I went to an Indian place in New York. I don't even remember the name. It was outstanding.

What's the best thing you can cook? Sweet potatoes, and I have my own barbecue sauce for chicken.