To call the Tampa Bay Lightning a huge disappointment so far in 2011-12 would be an understatement. The same team that pushed the Boston Bruins to seven games last spring in the Eastern Conference Finals, came into tonight's action tied for the worst mark in the conference.
Playing their second game in as many nights, the B's (29-13-1) didn't seem to have their normal jump in their skates so they fell 5-3 to the Lightning (18-23-4) at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
As crazy is it sounds, this was Tampa's first win in 2012 since they ended a seven-game losing streak with the victory.
This served as the final game that Brad Marchand will miss (due to suspension) and Rich Peverley is also expected back in the next contest after sitting out the last two in Florida. Those two can't return soon enough since Boston desperately needs their energy, speed and skill. As expected, Jordan Caron and Zach Hamill are not even close to adequate replacements for those two guys. On Thursday, I hope to see the youngsters back in the press box as healthy scratches.
If we're being fair, it is reasonable to say that Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas (26 saves; 18-9-0) isn't playing up to his normal insane level. Tonight was the third time in his last six starts that he's allowed four goals. In fact, including the empty-netter, Boston allowed five goals for the first time this season.
Don't take that as me blaming the loss solely on Thomas since three of the four goals were the end result of bad defensive zone play by the normally stout B's.
It also helps that the Lightning led three times and the Bruins never led; they rallied three times but they ran out of life late in the third-a product of back-to-back nights. Ex-Harvard star Dominic Moore (4th of the season) had the game-winner at 16:15 when he put one over Thomas's shoulder from Ryan Malone and Steve Downie. Steven Stamkos added his NHL-leading 31st goal, the empty-netter, at 19:39 to seal it.
Vincent Lecavalier (18th of the season) gave Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead 7:11 into the first thanks to some sloppy clearing attempts and coverage by the Bruins which allowed him to get close to Thomas and poke in the rebound. Ex-BU star Matt Gilroy and ex-UVM star Martin St. Louis assisted on Lecavalier's goal.
Nathan Horton (15th of the season) tied it at 1 with the first of his two goals, at 4:28 into the second. He followed his own shot-like in basketball-and was able to eventually put it past Lightning goaltender Mathieu Garon (26 saves) for an unassisted tally.
Milan Lucic should have earned an assist on Tom Pyatt's goal (5th of the season) since Looch's terrible giveaway led directly to Pyatt beating Thomas on a rebound. Gilroy and Downie assisted at 14:11 of the second.
Horton answered at 16:48 off another rebound, assisted by Andrew Ference and David Krejci. My best comparison for Horton in terms of recent Boston sports history is former Red Sox slugger Brian Daubach. The streakiest players you can imagine, good or bad.
Tampa Bay was the recipient of another blunder by Boston as Ryan Malone (10th of the season) stuffed in a chance from in close after the B's failed to clear the zone properly. Moore and former Bruins prospect Nate Thompson assisted at 4:58.
Nobody in the NHL has more breakaways but scores less on them than Daniel Paille. He did it in the second period, hitting the post, so it was nice to see him cash in the second time he got the opportunity-in the third. Paille's shorthanded tally at 10:53 was his eighth of the season and it tied it at three with help from Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg.
Thomas made a pair of spectacular saves in the second: somehow keeping a deflection out after Stamkos-Lecavalier and St. Louis skated in on a 3-on-1 plus kicking out Teddy Purcell's one-timer to end the period.
There was plenty of metal ringing as Seguin also hit the post along with Lecavalier and Stamkos.
Getting Marchand and Peverley back in the lineup should give Boston the kick in the hockey pants that they desperately need right now. They were lucky to escape Florida with two points after beating the Panthers in a shootout on Monday.
In the two previous meetings, Boston has topped New Jersey. Most recently, the Bruins rolled 6-1 in Newark on January 4. The Devils have been playing well lately and they're only five points behind the B's so expect a more competitive game on Thursday.
That is the final game of this four-game road trip for Boston before returning home for one juicy matchup-the Rangers on Saturday-then two more on the road before the All-Star break.
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