LOVELAND, Colo. — Marty St. Louis acknowledged all the excuses: The Lightning played its stars for only the second time in five preseason games, and new faces are still trying to jell.
Neither, he said, are excuses for the lack of offense in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Coyotes on Wednesday night at the Budweiser Events Center.
"Absolutely," said St. Louis when asked if it was cause for concern. "We can't just turn the switch on. We have to play the right way."
Tampa Bay (2-1-2) was significantly outshot for the third straight game, 29-18, and it was worse than it sounds. The team went through a stretch when it was outshot 10-0. "I don't think tonight we took a step forward," St. Louis said.
Ryan Malone, Steve Stamkos and Vinny Lecavalier scored. Goaltender Antero Niittymaki gave up a bad rebound that led to Scott Upshall's goal 3:50 into the third period that tied the score at 3, which came 34 seconds after Lecavalier had given Tampa Bay the lead. Phoenix won the shootout 2-1. Lecavalier scored the Lightning's only goal.
DECISION TIME: With 41 players in camp, the most in the league, the Lightning soon will make drastic roster cuts, reducing perhaps to 28 by the weekend.
"There's going to be some tough decisions the next five or six days," coach Rick Tocchet said before the game. "There are some decisions here, you're going to be lying awake at night thinking, 'Geez, which way am I going.' "
Complicating matters at forward is the emergence of prospects James Wright and Carter Ashton (though extreme long shots to make the club), minor-leaguer Blair Jones and unsigned veteran Brett McLean, and the disappointing play of others expected to make a push, such as forwards Martins Karsums, Dana Tyrell and Paul Szczechura.
There also is a glut on defense, with Lukas Krajicek, David Hale, Matt Lashoff, Matt Smaby and Mike Lundin vying for the final two spots.
"There are some guys who definitely have been disappointing," GM Brian Lawton said. "They still have time to resurrect themselves, but it's mission critical for some players."
WAITING ON RANGER: Tocchet said D Paul Ranger, rehabbing from March surgery to repair a torn left shoulder labrum, could play in Friday's scrimmage at AHL Norfolk but more likely will play Sunday at Atlanta. "He's pretty close to being ready to go," Tocchet said. "It's more my call. I wanted to give him a couple more days, but he looks good in practice."
FULL HOUSE: Goaltending prospect Jaroslav Janus has played so well (10 saves on 11 shots in 25 minutes entering Wednesday), he could be assigned to Norfolk as an unsigned tryout, Lawton said. The Admirals already will have Riku Helenius and Dustin Tokarski in camp.
"We need to see him in more action," Lawton said, adding generally about the team's young goaltenders, "They're doing what we want everybody to do, which is drive us crazy to make it hard to make a decision."
Around the league
Coyotes: BlackBerry billionaire Jim Balsillie has pledged to keep the team in its suburban Glendale, Ariz., arena this season if he wins an auction for the financially troubled club. Balsillie does, however, still plan to move the team to Hamilton, Ontario, as part of his $242.5 million bid.
Kolzig retires: Veteran goalie Olaf Kolzig, who spent part of last season with the Lightning, is retiring after 14 seasons. The 39-year-old former Vezina Trophy winner and two-time All-Star spent most of his career with the Capitals, leading them to the 1998 Stanley Cup final, where they lost to the Red Wings.
Information from Times wires was used in this report.
tonight
Lightning vs. Oilers
When/where: 8:30; MTS Centre, Winnipeg
TV/radio: NHL Network (available on your cable company's sports tier package); 620-AM
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