TAMPA Preseason hockey games, especially early ones, are a strange mix of effects and emotions. Consider Friday night's matchup between the Lightning and Thrashers. The game was Tampa Bay's second of the preseason and its only one at the St. Pete Times Forum before the Oct. 8 regular-season home opener. So players admitted there was some urgency to put on a good show, not only so fans could leave happy but to begin erasing the ugly memories of the two previous seasons. On the other hand, given training camp's ultimate purpose and that Tampa Bay last season won five of six preseason games before falling flat when it counted the score, in a sense, was the least of the team's worries, though it wasn't going to turn down the 2-1 overtime victory. More than two weeks before the regular season begins, established players are working out the kinks and getting into game shape. Younger players are fighting to get on coaches' radars. Coaches are looking for the combination of players that will create the best chemistry. 'So, everybody has a different agenda,' Lightning coach Rick Tocchet said. 'But the bottom line is, you want to compete because maybe your linemate is competing for a job. You want to give them a chance.' One player pulled in several directions Friday was defenseman Mattias Ohlund. Acquired as a free agent during the summer to be the cornerstone of a rebuilt blue line, the game was his first in a Lightning uniform. 'And coming in as a new guy, you want to play well,' he said. But he also acknowledged the danger in trying to do too much in his first game in four months. 'Absolutely,' he said. 'You're going to be excited, and you want to play as hard as you can. But you also have to realize it's the first game, and sometimes you might be better off taking a step back and not rush into things.' Right wing Marty St. Louis said there is no sense holding back. 'You can't just turn on the switch when the regular season starts,' he said. 'I think you have to work your way into the regular season. You're competing and working on your game at the same time.' It is, defenseman David Hale said, 'a tweak you have to work out. 'You can't do everything in one night,' he said. 'The preseason is to do everything as well as you can. You have to realize you're going to make mistakes. You make mistakes, and you learn from them.' That is why, for now, Tocchet said he is more concerned with the players' techniques than their numbers, with thought process more than results. 'That will come,' he said of finishing plays or making saves. 'You're looking for intangibles. You're looking for guys doing what we asked in training camp. Hockey IQ is big. We're looking for smart players.' 'You want to work on what you can and get ready for the regular season,' defenseman Kurtis Foster said. 'We've got different guys in the lineup every night. Hopefully, everybody jells and everybody has a good time.' A victory is a bonus. Damian Cristodero can be reached at cristoderosptimes.com On the Web For more pictures from the game, go to lightning.tampabay.com. 