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Holmqvist Frustrates Hurricanes

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By ERIK ERLENDSSON, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 7, 2007

TAMPA - There are not many better sights for a goaltender than to watch opposing skaters look up to the ceiling or slam their sticks down on the ice around the crease.

It's generally a sign that the net has become some sort of impenetrable barricade turning shooters to search everywhere else for answers.

That's what Johan Holmqvist did to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday, turning aside 23 shots in a 2-1 Lightning victory.

Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis each recorded a goal and an assist to lead Tampa Bay to its third consecutive victory and pull the Lightning within five points of the division-leading Hurricanes. Tampa Bay also improved to 11-3-1 at home.

But it shouldn't be surprising that Holmqvist was a big part of the Lightning getting back to a .500 mark with Thursday's victory. In his two seasons with Tampa Bay, Holmqvist has made a habit of frustrating Carolina. In nine games against the Hurricanes, the Lightning goaltender is 6-2 with a 1.78 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage.

This season, Holmqvist is 3-1 with a 1.76 goals-against and a .940 save percentage, including a 40-save performance against them on Nov. 8 in Carolina.

"It's frustrating when you don't score, especially in a close game," said Hurricanes forward Cory Stillman, who was robbed from in close a handful of times. "I had two or three quality chances in the crease and they don't go in. I needed to score tonight."

Stillman eventually did, redirecting a David Tanabe shot with 14 seconds left in the game to spoil the shutout. But it wasn't enough to spoil Holmqvist's night.

"I didn't really care about the goal going in, as long as we win the game," Holmqvist said. "That was key for us tonight, to have a strong third period and have a victory."

It was during a flurry in the second period, however, that went a long way to securing the win. After Lecavalier scored his 19th goal of the season on the power play at 16:00 of the period, a too many men on the ice penalty gave the Hurricanes a power play and a chance to build some momentum after firing just three shots on goal in the period to that point.

"When they got that power play," he said, "I thought it was a good chance to get involved in the game."

Did he ever, as less than a minute into the power play Brad Richards was without a stick after giving his to defenseman Filip Kuba. Carolina took advantage of the opportunity, firing pucks from every type of angle. But Holmqvist first stopped Justin Williams with a glove after a puck just eluded him in the crease and ended things with a pad stop on Stillman with 1:08 left in the period. The Hurricanes ended up with five shots on goal during the power play after getting three through the first 17 minutes of the period.

Many of his stops had his teammates talking among themselves on the bench.

"You just kind of look at each other, you're in awe a little bit, excited," St. Louis said, "and you just want to go out there and help him out."

St. Louis did when he scored his 10th of the season and the Lightning's second power-play goal of the night with 7:15 left in the game. And despite giving up the late goal, Tampa Bay put the finishing touches on the Hurricanes - who finished 0-for-5 on the power play Thursday - for the fourth time this season and the seventh time in the past eight meetings.

"I thought we did a very good job defensively, some of the things we've been trying to improve on here, and when they had chances, Homer was just fantastic," Lightning coach John Tortorella said. "It's a tough position for Homer, getting absolutely nothing as far as work and then on that power play in the second period I think he made five or six great saves."

Reporter Erik Erlendsson can be reached at (813) 259-7835 or eerlendsson@tampatrib.com.

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