Matchup: Penguins at Tampa Bay Lightning, 5:08 p.m. today, St. Pete Times Forum.
TV, radio: FSN Pittsburgh, WXDX-FM (105.9).
Probable goaltenders: Jocelyn Thibault for Penguins. Johan Holmqvist for Lightning.
Penguins: Have won four of past five away games and are 6-1-1 in past eight on road. ... C Sidney Crosby has goal in each of past two games against Lightning. ... Are 21-7-4 when getting first goal.
Lightning: Has won 11 consecutive games against Penguins and nine of past 10 at home against them. ... C Tim Taylor does not have goal in 39 games. ... Is 0-21 when scoring two or fewer goals.
Hidden stat: Tampa Bay is 12-3 in games decided in overtime or shootouts.
TAMPA, Fla. -- The Penguins will play their 61st game when they face Tampa Bay at the St. Pete Times Forum at 5:08 p.m. today. Goalie Jocelyn Thibault, however, will be making consecutive starts for the first time all season.
"I can deal with that," he said, chuckling after asked if he can handle such a workload. "I might look old, but I'm not that old.
"It's fun to be playing again, to get some kind of rhythm. To play a couple of games in a short period of time is a good feeling."
This will be the second time Thibault has appeared in consecutive games in 2006-07, but coach Michel Therrien was reluctant to sit him after Thibault stopped 32 of 33 shots in a 2-1 overtime victory at Florida Thursday.
"He played outstanding," Therrien said. "He deserves to be there again."
Thibault's partner, who has appeared in 49 of the Penguins' first 60 games, didn't argue the point.
"He's been great the last two games he's been in, or the last three," Marc-Andre Fleury said.
Thibault, meanwhile, agreed that the edge on his game is as sharp as it has been in several years.
"It's been a while," he said. "Probably before the lockout [that wiped out the 2004-05 season]. I feel comfortable. I know what I have to do out there. It might not work great every night, but I'm going to try to put my best effort out there."
Roy draws suspension
Former Penguins left winger Andre Roy, who returned to the Lightning via re-entry waivers Dec. 3, won't face his old club today.
He received an automatic three-game suspension for violating Rule 41.4 (Category III), which deals with abuse of an official, at the end of a 6-2 loss to Boston Friday, after complaining about the performance of the referees and feigned a head-butt at one of the officials. And it could be that, in the wake of his comments after the Lightning's workout in suburban Brandon yesterday, Roy might be facing additional sanctions -- or at least an unpleasant phone call -- from the league.
"It's all about the name on the back [of the sweater], and the number," Roy said. "If it's anybody else, maybe a 10-minute misconduct. But it's Andre Roy. We'll suspend him. They just like to [expletive] me.
"This [expletive] league, where's all the emotion? You used to be able to [expletive] let your emotions out, say what you think. ... I spoke, and I faked a head-butt, or something like that. And they [expletive] suspend me.
"I'm very surprised. Very, very, very surprised. But ... [NHL executive] Colin Campbell likes to [expletive] me every time. So [expletive] him."
Lightning coach John Tortorella said after the Bruins game that Roy's actions were "just emotion, at least from what I saw," and that, "if a little common sense comes into play and ego stays out of it," Roy likely would not have been penalized.
Yesterday, though, he criticized Roy for failing to show restraint.
"It was selfish, doing some of the things he did. We're not looking for undisciplined stuff. We're looking for him to be a tough player, but we also know he can play, or he wouldn't be here, so he frustrates me.
"Andre gets put into a box that he can't play. We believe he can, and I want him to believe that he can [make] a difference here. Him doing stupid things like that and sitting out three games at a key time of the year for us, it's selfish."
Schedule becomes Lightning rod
The NHL schedule has not done the Lightning any favors lately. Boston was resting in Tampa while the Lightning played a physically and emotionally draining game in Atlanta Thursday night, and the Penguins got here about the same time the Lightning returned from its overtime victory against the Thrashers. The difference is, Tampa Bay had to face Boston the next night, while the Penguins had to do nothing more strenuous than sit around and relax.
"But we haven't had many back-to-back games this year," said Lightning center Tim Taylor, "so it's not really anything to complain about. Obviously, this is a tough stretch, with five games in eight nights, but we have the next two at home, so we should be all right. We can regroup."
First Published: February 25, 2007, 5:00 a.m.
