Tampa Bay Lightning Nuts & Bolts

No summer vacation

RW Steve Downie, above, said he will join teammate and good friend Steven Stamkos in Uxbridge, Ontario, for a summer of grueling workouts with fitness guru and former Lightning Gary Roberts. Stamkos credits Roberts for getting him in shape for this season. Downie, who last summer worked out in Minneapolis with Tampa Bay trainer Chuck Lobe, said he was looking for something closer to his Ontario home. "They did a great job in Minny, and if it was closer to my home, my family, my friends, I'd definitely work out with them," Downie said. "Gary is well-known around the hockey world for his workouts and routines. I think it will be a good fit." As for his fitness goals, Downie, 23, who is having a breakout season with 17 goals and 40 points, and is a team-best plus-18, said, "I want to get faster, quicker, stronger. That's it."

In the blood

As general managers debated what to do about hits to the head last week, Canada's media machine cranked out copy about the issue as if it were a national emergency. In a way it was, Pierre LeBrun said.

"Canadians have an ownership feeling about hockey and the way it should be played and the issues that go around it," said LeBrun, who lives in Toronto and worked 13 years for the Canadian Press before moving to ESPN.com. "So, whenever there is an issue like this, it is very passionate."

Especially considering that "kids are born with hockey sticks in their cribs," LeBrun said.

"The head shot issue I think everybody viewed as, 'What if that's my kid?' There have been some incidents in junior hockey this year that have grabbed a lot of headlines in Canada, so there is a real semblance of, 'How do we tackle this issue?' "

The country was so focused that the Globe and Mail, Canada's well-respected national newspaper, on its main editorial page called for the league to act and applauded when GMs recommended blindside head shots be illegal. "Canadians feel they are stewards of the game, whether they're media, fans or parents that have kids in hockey," LeBrun said. "They are always very involved in trying to make things right. It really is unbelievable. There's nothing really like it."

Quote to note

"He's really trying to raise his game. You can see he's playing with a lot of desperation right now to do whatever he can do to lead us. Leading by example, it's just great."

LW Ryan Malone, about C Steven Stamkos

5 questions W Mark Parrish, above right

Is there anything like holding a newborn? It's as close to heaven as you can get.

What did you learn from the first one? Children have to be more patient sometimes with their parents, with their mistakes.

Who gets up in the middle of the night, you or wife Nicholle? I get up for Gianna (2). She gets up for Turner (2 months).

Who changes the diapers? I'd love to say it's 50-50, but it's not even close. It's 99 percent for my wife.

Do you ever get used to changing diapers? I'm not that bad with it, but she's just so much better at it than I am.