By ERIK ERLENDSSON

ATLANTA - Coach John Tortorella hopes a little youthful enthusiasm is enough to energize his struggling team.

So he is letting 21-year-old Nikita Alexeev play on the second line with Vinny Lecavalier and Vinny Prospal.

Alexeev practiced alongside the Vinnys on Thursday, and the trio will work together tonight against Atlanta as Tampa Bay attempts to snap a four-game winless skid.

Alexeev is 6-foot-5, 225 pounds and fast. The sky is the limit. But in two seasons, the sky has been mostly cloudy.

In 44 games with Tampa Bay last season, Alexeev had four goals and eight assists. In 71 games with AHL Springfield the past two years, he has 12 goals and 14 assists.

Since his recall Jan. 16, the sun has started to break through the clouds more for the eighth overall pick in the 2000 draft.

``We are always looking at him from shift to shift as far as his consistency level, but he's trying to do that and he has done some good things for us here,'' Tortorella said. ``I think he's working hard, but he's still one of those guys ... he's been called up at a very difficult time of the year when the level has to go up even higher. I still don't think he has a full grasp of that, but he's been pretty effective.''

Though Alexeev only has one goal - a game-winner against Ottawa on Jan. 20 - in six games his ice time has gone from eight minutes to a season-high 17:51 against the Islanders on Tuesday.

``It's always fun when you play like 17 minutes a game and you get more chances to score and get shots,'' Alexeev said. ``To get on the power play and get the chance to show myself and that maybe I can be one of best players on the team, put some points on the board and help the team win.''

Though he wasn't tearing up the AHL, the Lightning wanted Alexeev here.

``We feel it is very important for him to be with us for him to understand what we mean by discipline - not just not taking penalties but everything about the game as far as preparing,'' Tortorella said. ``It also gives us the opportunity to teach him, because at that time the reports we were getting back, meetings were late and this and that. And I just can't stomach that with a young player, and the problems we have with young players as far as understanding preparation before they even step out on to the ice.''