Fire destroys Boyle's house

BRANDON, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Dan Boyle thought the only flames he was going to have to worry about were the ones from Calgary that he's battling in the Stanley Cup finals.

However, when he arrived home after Tuesday night's 4-1 loss in Game 1, he was devastated to see that his two-story home was in ruins as a result of an electrical fire that started in a game room, burned an outside wall, and then quickly spread to his attic.

Boyle, who lives in South Tampa, was playing when the firefighters got the call at 10:33 p.m. Only a few minutes later, according to the Tampa Tribune, they arrived to find flames shooting through the roof.

They were able to contain the blaze in about 20 minutes and Boyle came home about 30-40 minutes later. The damage was extensive to the $435,000 home, estimated to be in the $300,000 range. Nobody was injured.

According to the paper, an electrical outlet on the first floor was the origin of the fire.

Shakeup for Panthers

The Florida Panthers have big changes in mind for next season and to meet those expectations, they got two big names to run the franchise. Jacques Martin and Mike Keenan, who have more than three decades of hockey history together, were reunited by the Panthers.

Martin -- a four-time NHL coach of the year finalist who was fired last month by the Ottawa Senators -- replaces interim coach John Torchetti. Keenan takes over as general manager, replacing Rick Dudley, who fired Keenan 6 1/2 months ago to end a turbulent two-year reign.

The moves were swift, sweeping -- and surprising to players.

"When I got the call, I had to replay my message again just to make sure I heard it correctly," said Roberto Luongo, the team's Vezina Trophy-nominated goaltender. "Mike knows what needs to be addressed, who needs to go, who needs to stay, and who he's got to bring in. It's a positive for our hockey club."

The Panthers are one of only five NHL teams to have missed the playoffs in each of the last four seasons.

Star of stage, screen

One of the byproducts of the Flames making it to the finals is that the club is viewed by a much wider audience, which has seen the brilliant play of 26-year-old right wing Jarome Iginla. The team captain has 11 goals in the postseason, heading into tonight's Game 2, and potted the winner (shorthanded) in Game 1. "The biggest reason that he's taken a step forward this year is because he's assumed the leadership of the team," said coach Darryl Sutter. "Before, he was the face of the team. It was the wrong sort of pressure to have on him. Even in the locker room, [there was a feeling of], `Well, if Jarome doesn't score, we can't win.' Or, `It's all right if we're playing Boston and Jarome had a big game.' It doesn't work and it didn't work and it's unfair to the player." Sutter said it was crucial every player understand he is part of a unit, and not look to the team's best player to carry the day. "It has to be about the team and I think he's grabbed that," said Sutter. "He wanted to be the captain of the team and he's assumed more of that role. There are a lot of captains who wear the `C', it doesn't make them the leader of the team. He's become the leader of the team and I think that is why he's a better player." . . . Left wing Martin Gelinas, who scored series-clinching goals for the Flames in the first three rounds and had a goal in Game 1, has made his presence felt. "If you didn't know how old he was, you'd think he was 25," said Sutter of his veteran, who turns 34 June 5. "It's a good format for him because he's a high energy, short focus [player]. Every series is like a season to him." . . . In his first season with Calgary, defenseman Rhett Warrener is the wily veteran among the club's blue line corps at the tender age of 28. He logged 26 minutes 37 seconds in Game 1, second only to teammate and fellow blue liner Andrew Ference. "He's probably the most underrated player on our team," said Sutter. "He gets zero credit. He plays against everybody's best players." . . . Game 1 tied for the lowest-rated Stanley Cup finals game on ESPN since 1990. It was watched by an average of 1,013,000 people and had a rating of 1.1. Of the 34 Stanley Cup finals games the network has televised since 1990, only Game 2 of last year's series between New Jersey and Anaheim had a rating as low . . . Linesman Ray Scapinello is scheduled to work Game 2 tonight in his final season in the NHL. The 57-year-old has been working in the NHL since the fall of 1971 and Sutter said he commands a lot of respect. "He's a guy who identifies with the players," said Sutter. "He knows everybody's first names. He's one of the few throwback officials who are left, where they can come in and straighten a lot of things out just by coming over to the bench and telling somebody, `Hey, next time,' or `You shouldn't do this,' and guys respect him for that. That's how it used to be."

Material from Associated Press was used in this report.