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Richards Hurt As Lightning Fall

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By ERIK ERLENDSSON, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 11, 2007

TORONTO - The Lightning once again fell into a pothole on the road, dropping their 11th game out of 14 away from home this season.

But watching Toronto score four times in the span of 4:32 in the second period en route to a 6-1 victory Monday may not be the team's greatest concern after seeing one of its top players leave the ice with the aid of his teammates.

Center Brad Richards, who leads the league in average ice time by a forward, needed to be helped off the ice after crashing into the boards at the 8:32 mark of the second period with what the team has called a left knee injury. Though his return was initially listed as questionable, he did not return to the game.

After the game Richards declined a request to speak to the media about the injury as he walked to the team bus with a noticeable limp. At one point there was a thought Richards would return to the game before the score got out of hand and he has not been ruled out for tonight's game in Montreal.

No type of X-ray or MRI is scheduled at this time and he will be examined by the medical staff before tonight's game.

Richards has never missed an NHL game because of injury, although he missed two games during the 2002-03 season to attend his grandmother's funeral.

"Obviously he's a big part of the team and any time you lose a key player who is a leader on the team, it's definitely tough," said center Vinny Lecavalier.

In what was a scoreless game at the time, Richards tried to dive for a loose puck in the Toronto zone near the net. Maple Leafs' defenseman Tomas Kaberle ended up on top of Richards as the two slid toward the boards. Just before hitting board Richards tried to get back to his skates but his legs were caught under Kaberle, leaving the top half of Richards' leg exposed as he went crashing into the boards with left knee hitting first.

Richards lay on the ice in obvious pain as play continued at the other end until a whistle finally stopped play. He remained on the ice for several moments before getting help from Paul Ranger and Marty St. Louis to get back to the bench where he was helped back to the locker room by the training staff.

Maybe it was just a coincidence but Toronto scored four goals in a span of 4:32 just after the injury occurred.

"Let's just call a spade a spade; it was a good old-fashioned butt kicking," Lightning coach John Tortorella said.

Whatever the case, Toronto scored a pair of power play goals and two even-strength goals that chased goaltender Johan Holmqvist with 5:19 left in the second period. Jason Blake's opening goal of the game came 1:37 after Richards left the game.

"You can write that there was a letdown but I didn't feel that," defenseman Brad Lukowich said. "We let our goaltending down, we just made some bad plays."

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

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