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Lightning Nuts & Bolts: Carle, Realtor?; a Boyle first

 
TAMPA, FL - SEPTEMBER 18:  Matt Carle of the Tampa Bay Lightning poses for his official headshot for the 2014-2015 season on September 18, 2014 at the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - SEPTEMBER 18: Matt Carle of the Tampa Bay Lightning poses for his official headshot for the 2014-2015 season on September 18, 2014 at the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images)
Published Jan. 4, 2015

Short shift With D Matt Carle

Must-TiVo TV show: Of all time, probably Seinfeld. One I'm watching most now is Suits.

Favorite movie: Top Gun.

Second-best sport: I was a one-trick pony, never played other sports, so I'd say fishing.

If you weren't a hockey player, what would be your job? I'd be doing something in real estate. That was my major in college, some­thing that always interested me.

Favorite piece of memorabilia: One of the coolest things I have is when I played with Jeremy Roenick in San Jose. He had just scored his 504th goal, but it was to tie or pass Jean Beliveau on the all-time goal-scoring list, and he gave me that stick he scored with. That was pretty cool.

Favorite dad activity (daughter Sophie was born last summer): I think it's always fun when she's waking up, whether it's a nap or middle of the night, walking in and seeing how excited she is when she sees you.

Baby Boyle watch

C Brian Boyle is from a huge Irish-Catholic family, one of 13 kids.

And Boyle, 29, is starting a family of his own. His wife, Lauren, is pregnant, with a due date in May.

"We're beyond excited," Boyle said. "We're thrilled, blessed, thankful."

It will be the 17th grandchild for Boyle's parents, Artie and Judy, but the first with the last name Boyle.

Brian hopes the Lightning is in the middle of a playoff run when the baby is born. "We better be," he said. "Should be the conference finals."

He isn't sure if he and Lauren will match the child tally of his parents. "I don't think so," he said. "We'll see. We're excited for one."

So much for 'soft'

Sabres D Nikita Zadorov curiously delivered some bulletin board material before Wednesday's game, calling the Lightning forwards "quick" but "pretty soft."

"We gotta hit them," he told Sabres TV.

Zadorov ended up learning a lesson the hard way. Tampa Bay thumped the Sabres 5-1, holding them to 11 shots. As for those forwards, Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov combined for 10 points and were plus-12, letting their play do the talking. Palat said they hadn't heard about Zadorov's comments.

"All that matters is two points," Palat said. "But I don't think we're a 'soft' team, that's all I can say."

From the fans

For Nikita Kucherov: What's been the biggest key to your breakout season?

Kucherov: It's confidence. I got older, and I know more about the NHL right now. Last year I made those little mistakes. Coach (Jon Cooper) didn't like it. This year, I'm trying to be smarter with plays.

Have a question for a Lightning player? Send them to me via Twitter @TBTimes_JSmith or email at joesmith@tampabay.com.