Official News, Notes, and Prospects Thread

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C Nate Thompson played only 9:19 and did not play the last 7:18 of the third, though the team did not report an injury. ... RW Steve Downie sat out with a minor injury sustained against the Bruins that coach Guy Boucher declined to identify. He also confirmed Downie hasn't healed from a high ankle sprain that kept him out of 13 December games.

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Tampa Bay announced the signing of undrafted junior prospect Tyler Johnson to a standard three-year entry-level contract Monday.

Johnson, 20, ranks second in the Western Hockey League with 106 points in 64 games with the Spokane Chiefs, including a career-high 48 goals. Johnson was a member of the 2010 Team USA World Junior Championships that won the gold medal as he had three goals and five points in seven games.

The 5-foot-9, 175-pound native of Spokane, Wash., will remain with the Chiefs through the end of their season. Should the Norfolk Admirals, Tampa Bay's American Hockey League affiliate, still be playing when Spokane's season is finished, Johnson could suit up for Norfolk. Otherwise, Johnson is expected to attend Lightning training camp in September.

Signing is official...

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Other notes...

D Marc-Andre Bergeron was a scratch with back spasms, which kept him out of two games last week. Bergeron, who played Saturday against Montreal, admitted he wasn't near 100 percent and should have sat out. … Stamkos snapped a four-game scoring drought, while RW Marty St. Louis picked up his first point in four games. … Injured LW Ryan Malone skated in full pads on his own Monday morning but is still considered to be at least 3-4 weeks away with a torn abdominal muscle

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Ideally, the Lightning would have waited until at least Friday to push D Mike Lundin back onto the ice. These, though, are not ideal times for coach Guy Boucher and the Bolts' defensive corps.

With Randy Jones, the team's top penalty-killing blueliner, the latest to go down with an injury, Boucher had no choice but to bring Lundin back slightly ahead of schedule against the Blackhawks on Wednesday night.

"Instead of making him practice (today) and get in shape that way, we had to get him in shape (Wednesday night) during the game,'' Boucher said of Lundin, who had missed the previous 13 game with a pulled abdominal muscle.

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D Marc-Andre Bergeron returned the lineup for the Lightning. Bergeron had missed three of the previous four games with a sore back.

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The injury that has kept RW Steve Downie out for three games is likely a right knee problem sustained March 3 at Boston on a knee-to-knee hit with Shawn Thornton. The injury is the same leg as the high ankle sprain that has bothered Downie since December. There is no timetable for his return, Boucher said.

Tampabay.com

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Kubina suspended 3 games...

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Lightning D Pavel Kubina said he will reach out to Blackhawks C David Bolland, whom Kubina elbowed in the back of the head in the first period Wednesday at the St. Pete Times Forum.

Kubina was suspended for three games by the league. Bolland might have a concussion, reports out of Chicago say.

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Curtis McElhinney's Lightning career consisted of one practice, after which he was on a plane home to California awaiting reassignment.

McElhinney was acquired Feb. 24 from the Ducks in the Dan Ellis trade; it was the price Tampa Bay paid to dump Ellis' salary on Anaheim. Four days later he was lost to the Senators on waivers as the Lightning tried to get him to AHL Norfolk.

"I guess it's part of the business," McElhinney said after his 34-save victory in his Ottawa debut. "It was such a short stay here. I got in one day at 1 o'clock and was on a plane that night. But those things happen. It was just great to get the win. That's the most enjoyable part for me."

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tampabay.com

With G Cedrick Desjardins (shoulder) cleared to play with AHL Norfolk, G Jaroslav Janus was re-assigned to ECHL Florida.

[BranWingss]

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I actually felt bad for the kid. I'm glad he got a good win tonight.

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I actually felt bad for the kid. I'm glad he got a good win tonight.

Yeah, it was probably redemptive to a degree for him. It's not like the Bolts were trying to dump him, but they probably knew he wasn't going to slip through waivers...

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D Randy Jones is not expected to be back before the end of the regular season after suffering a high ankle sprain, an injury that normally takes a minimum of 4-6 weeks. Jones could return at some point during the playoffs.

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D Pavel Kubina served the final game of his three-game suspension and is eligible to return on Thursday in Montreal.

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While Malone is still considered to be two weeks away, injured RW Steve Downie — who is not on the trip — could be ready to return to the ice next week and ready to return to game action by next weekend. Downie has been out since March 2 after suffering an unspecified lower-body injury.

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