Lightning, Martin St. Louis able to put complicated past to rest

TAMPA, Fla. -- The first boo happened about 30 seconds into the first period. It was no surprise. It would have been a larger shock if it never occurred at all Wednesday, the full bellow from a packed Amalie Arena sounding like a foghorn cutting through a cold night.

Marty St. Louis, now long gone, was the Tampa Bay Lightning's symbol of scrappy desire for 13 seasons. Then many fans here vilified him for his forced trade to the New York Rangers last March, a watershed moment in a season made memorable for what happened off the ice as much as on it.

Former love made this prick of the heart possible.

St. Louis was booed early when he touched the puck near Tampa Bay's goal. He was booed again when a short tribute began on the video board above center ice during a first-period timeout, before a smattering of claps turned into a standing ovation, before he skated under the melting pot of emotion and lifted his right arm near the Rangers' bench.

The moment was a contradiction, like much of his no-shot night in a 4-3 Lightning victory. It included disdain and appreciation, frustration and thanks. Each bit of it was packaged as a reminder that a tattered page had been turned.

"It was great," St. Louis said of the tribute. "It brought back a lot of memories. I wanted to give them the thank you they deserved."

St. Louis was a face of the old Lightning. Tampa Bay has become something fresher, something different. He has changed as well, as someone content with his choice.

This awkward reunion was inevitable, a circle-the-date moment for those curious and confused about why he left. But his presence in the building that once adored his gritty persona was reason to recall how much had changed.

The Lightning that St. Louis knew have faded into history.

The new Lightning want to come at you fast and furious. They have no qualms about it. They're young, which can leave them vulnerable. But mostly, their youth is an advantage because it includes so much promise and life.

Tampa Bay's young faces have attacked opponents in waves this season. That's what makes the potential of the post-St. Louis Era fascinating to consider. A veteran's departure left a void in the immediate weeks after he jetted north for a new life. But in the months that followed, the Lightning's youth has created an identity that's shaped by more than one or two stars. They are stronger.

There's Steven Stamkos, at age 24, leading the Lightning in goals with 15. There's Tyler Johnson, at age 24, leading his team in assists with 16.

There's Ondrej Palat, at age 23, second on his team with a plus-minus rating of plus-11. There's Nikita Kucherov, at age 21, third on his team with eight goals.

There's Cedric Paquette, at age 21, offering a surprise impact. There's Jonathan Drouin, at age 19, just discovering who he can become.

The list is long, deep and encouraging.

Evolution is a natural process, of course. No team remains the same from year to year. Stars come and go for various reasons. But think back to those strange hours last March when everything seemed confusing, when everything appeared off. The path ahead was unknown.

There was no guarantee that the Lightning would thrive without St. Louis, who served as Tampa Bay's glue when Stamkos rehabbed from a broken right tibia. There were more questions than answers. There were more doubts than guarantees that the Lightning would continue to rally without the mighty Marty who served as their heartbeart for those many years.

Now, the Lightning are different. They have moved on. They re-signed Ryan Callahan, who was stellar Wednesday with two goals and an assist. They made other moves in free agency.

St. Louis is a memory, a fine one. But he's hardly a symbol of a championship past that can never be lived again.

"It's a young team that's very entertaining to watch, and we want to play fast," Lightning associate coach Rick Bowness said. "I know that's a cliché around the league that everyone's talking about. But we want to play the right way. We want to play fast. But you have to have the assets to do that, and we have the assets."

New veteran influences enhance those assets. Mentors shape that youth.

Luring names like Anton Stralman, Brian Boyle, Jason Garrison and Brenden Morrow was key in making the Lightning well-rounded. It made them more dynamic. Those grizzled eyes offered perspective.

"We're definitely energetic, young, fast," Stamkos said. "An exciting team to watch, I think. You bring in the pieces we did in the offseason, the veteran presence and guys who have been around this league and won before. It's nice when you can just add those little pieces, because you do have that young core now. And I think from now and the next couple years, there's definitely not going to be as much change as there has been the last couple years, because we have those big pieces. And then when you add the little ones, that's when you build it up. And we're building, obviously, toward a championship."

Added Stralman: "A lot of good, young players that are taking strides everyday, it seems like. I'm really impressed about the talent. Right off my first day in camp, I was really impressed. ... This organization is doing something really good right now."

That's what the Lightning have created with St. Louis gone. Fourteen years of memories should be remembered. Fourteen years of influence shouldn't be lost because of hard feelings.

But steps have been taken forward. Optimism is easy to find. The Lightning's machine has evolved into a younger, meaner force that appears primed for exciting tomorrows.

The past that included St. Louis, on this night, was left behind for good.

The future will be different. St. Louis may make more trips here in a different uniform. But the boos should have a little less bite, a little less burn.

For most, the good will be recalled more than the bad.

That's the way it should be. It was easy to watch Wednesday and see why the new Lightning should excite into the future.

There was Callahan, tearing through his old team on his way to reaching seven goals and seven assists for the month. There was Stamkos finishing with one goal and two assists. There was Johnson closing with another assist.

"It felt pretty close to a playoff game," Stamkos said. "It was cool to come out and play. I think that was as close as we're going to get to a playoff atmosphere in the regular season with Marty coming back."

Playoff success is the goal. But the new Lightning aren't guaranteed to reach all they envision in the future. They must prove that they can play a physical brand of hockey when matched against the Eastern Conference's best. They must develop chemistry to make the most of the promise found in their youth. They must deliver when it matters most in March, April and beyond.

Still, there's movement in the right direction, movement beyond St. Louis.

"I'm sure the emotions inside of him were running pretty deep," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said of St. Louis. "And so, I'm sure that he would have liked things to be different. But I'm sure he's glad this one is over."

One era ended eight months ago with St. Louis' departure. Another began in the hours that followed, but with an old face visiting his former haunt Wednesday, a final step forward by the Lightning was made toward complete evolution.

There were boos today.

Tomorrow, there will be more belief.

You can follow Andrew Astleford on Twitter @aastleford or email him at aastleford@gmail.com.