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Hard Work Doesn't Pay Off; Bolts Lose To Bruins

Tribune photo by JAY NOLAN

Paul Szczechura fights to keep the puck against the Bruins' David Krejci and Blake Wheeler.

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By TONY FABRIZIO | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 5, 2008

Updated: 12/05/2008 01:00 am

TAMPA - Lightning interim coach Rick Tocchet got the effort and energy he was looking for Thursday night against the red-hot Boston Bruins.

What he didn't get, again, was the results.

But then when you don't score - and Tampa Bay didn't during the final 58:39 of a 3-1 defeat at the St. Pete Times Forum - it's hard to win.

"I don't know how to address it," said Tocchet, whose team lost its fourth in a row, is winless in its last six and is 1-7-4 in its last dozen games. "We played hard, real hard. It's kind of the theme the last four weeks."

David Krejci's shorthanded goal midway through the third period broke a 1-1 tie, and Phil Kessel added an empty-net goal late as Boston regained a tie with the New York Rangers for first in the Eastern Conference. The Bruins are 12-1-1 since the start of November.

Early on, the Lightning played as though they had designs on pulling off the upset.

Marty St. Louis gave Tampa Bay the lead 1:21 into the game on a backhanded pass from captain Vinny Lecavalier, who took a dish from Ryan Malone and put a fake on Zdeno Chara. Lecavalier became the Lightning's assist leader with 340.

But it was the only one of 31 shots that got by goalie Tim Thomas (10-3-3), who returned after missing Saturday's 4-1 victory over Detroit with an illness.

The Lightning, failing to score more than three goals for the 23rd time in 25 games, wasted another outstanding effort by goalie Mike Smith, who saved 23 of 25 shots.

They had their chances, including three power plays. Worse than going scoreless, they gave up the shorthanded goal on a defensive breakdown.

"As a group, we play our system for 20 minutes and then we have a couple of shifts where we don't want to do those little things and it costs us," Smith said.

Kessel also scored the tying goal in the second, and he has eight goals during a 10-game point streak.

Reporter Tony Fabrizio can be reached (813) 259-7994.

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