TAMPA -- The Tampa Bay Lightning continue a six-game homestand hosting the Boston Bruins Saturday. In preparation, each team held an optional morning skate.
Lightning coach Jon Cooper skipped the morning media session, sending associate coach Rick Bowness in his place.
The Lightning are riding a three-game losing streak and slipping in the Stanley Cup Playoff race. But despite the distractions surrounding the recent trade of captain Martin St. Louis to the New York Rangers, Bowness characterized the team as "pumped up about the challenge to play the Bruins."
"We all know what has happened lately but the atmosphere around the players is good," Bowness said. "We need some wins to take it to another level. We have to keep working and keep pushing until we get this thing turned around."
With one game with the Lighting under his belt, forward Ryan Callahan, who was part of the trade for St. Louis made Wednesday, was on the ice Saturday morning.
"I’m getting adjusted," Callahan said. "It was good to get the first one out of the way. The guys have been great to me and I just have to come in and do what I did in New York."
Callahan is living in a hotel one block from Tampa Bay Times Forum.
"I can walk to work," Callahan said. "Just like Manhattan."
Bruins coach Claude Julien said the two new members of the Bruins, defensemen Corey Potter and Andrej Meszaros, will continue to sit out for now. Julien approved of the Lightning's decision to hand their captaincy to Steven Stamkos, who was expected to play for Julien with Canada at the 2014 Sochi Olympics before being sidelined with a broken leg.
"Naming him captain of the Lightning, that was a no-brainer," Julien said.
Here are the projected lineups for the Bruins and Lighting:
BRUINS
Milan Lucic - David Krejci - Jarome Iginla
Brad Marchand - Patrice Bergeron - Reilly Smith
Chris Kelly - Carl Soderberg - Loui Eriksson
Daniel Paille - Gregory Campbell - Shawn Thornton
Matt Bartkowski - Johnny Boychuk
Scratched: Andrej Meszaros, Jordan Caron, Corey Potter
Injured: Adam McQuaid (quad), Dennis Seidenberg (knee)
LIGHTNING
Alex Killorn – Steven Stamkos – Teddy Purcell
Ondrej Palat – Valtteri Filppula – Ryan Callahan
J.T. Brown – Tyler Johnson – Richard Panik
Scratched: B.J. Crombeen, Ryan Malone, Nikita Kucherov
Injured: Radko Gudas (lower body)
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