Lightning looking to duplicate home record

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This article was published 14/11/2011 (4154 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG — The Tampa Bay Lightning have come to Winnipeg in search of their home game.

The 8-6-2 Lightning are just 3-5-2 on the road this season and wondering why they can’t duplicate their 5-1-0 record from home.

“We’ve looked at the game film, we know what we have to do and it’s a lot easier said than done,” said Lightning sniper Steven Stamkos after this morning’s game-day skate at the MTS Centre. Tampa Bay’s meeting with the Jets starts at 7:30 p.m. (TSN Jets, 1290).

“We have to find a way to have the same aggressiveness, the same urgency we’ve had on home ice this year and put that together on the road,” Stamkos added. “Even the ones we’ve won on the road haven’t been pretty.

“If you look at last year, we were so successful as a team because we found a way on the road. It starts tonight and we know we’ll have a tough one here.”

The anticipated questions came this morning about Tampa Bay’s 1-3-1 defensive scheme and last week’s hot debate about tactics the Philadelphia Flyers used against it.

Stamkos, who has been catching fire with nine goals in his last 11 games, didn’t sound all the impressed with the heat the Lightning have felt in that public forum.

“As a hockey fan myself, I’m watching a lot of teams in the league and they’re doing it, too,” he said. “If Philly hadn’t done it, I don’t think it would be an issue. That was our gameplan, they obviously had their gameplan and great for them. We obviously ended up winning the game (2-1 in overtime). That’s what this league is all about, wins.”

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca