Same old same old

The Barry Melrose era is fast becoming just a bad memory for Lightning fans, but interim coach Rick Tocchet isn't having a much better time of it and remains winless following yet another disappointing performance Tuesday night on their home ice.
Bryan McCabe scored twice in regulation and Nathan Horton had the lone goal in a shootout for Florida Panthers, who beat Tampa Bay 4-3. Tomas Vokoun made 49 saves, and David Booth added a goal for Florida, which has won three of four following a six-game losing streak.
Tampa Bay, which trailed by three goals in the second period, did stage another fightback in tying at 3-3 when Steve Eminger snapped a 63-game, goal-scoring drought with 2:51 left in the third. Radim Vrbata and Evgeny Artyukhin also scored for Lightning, which has lost five in a row - including two straight in shootouts - under Tocchet.
But the players are remaining optimistic that things are going to turn around soon. ''That's a game right there that we're going to build on,'' said Lightning goalie Mike Smith, who stopped 33 shots. ''Just shows how we can play when we play with passion.''
Try as they might, forgetting life under Melrose is proving harder for some Lightning players than others.
A report on the Canadia hockey show 'Hockey Night in Canda' pointed the finger at Lightning center Vinny Lecavalier as the ringleader of a player revolt against his former coach. Hot Stove panelist Al Strachan claimed Lecavalier led the charge to have Melrose fired, saying: "I heard that Vinny Lecavalier went into ownership and said, 'I didn't like it under John Tortorella last year, and this is worse this year and you've got to get rid of him.'"
In response, Lecavalier, who verified Strachan did try to call him before reporting the rumor, said: "I didn't do it, I don't think anybody else did it. They went to another show after the Hot Stove segment and said they talked to me and that it wasn't true, and after that I didn't really think about it."
There will be those who believe him and others who think there's no smoke without fire - and that's what makes juicy gossip so much fun!

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