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Bolts Stuck In Spiral

Tribune photo by JASON BEHNKEN

A shot by Derek Roy gets by Lightning goalie Mike Smith for the game winner.

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By TONY FABRIZIO | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 7, 2008

TAMPA - The sight of captain Vinny Lecavalier fighting couldn't inspire the Lightning to a victory Saturday night.

The $85 million center added two assists to his team career-leading total and traded punches with Jochen Hecht in the second period, but Tampa Bay extended its winless streak to seven games, falling 4-3 to the Buffalo Sabres.

Interim coach Rick Tocchet admitted that seeing his leading scorer firing punches into an opposing player's helmet in one of three fights on the night was unnerving.

"He's the captain of the team, and I think he got cross-checked by Hecht and he decided to fight," Tocchet said. "I don't like seeing him do that, but every once in a while you have to do it.

"He felt maybe that would pick the team up and make other guys go, I don't know."

Lecavalier, who signed an 11-year extension worth $85 million in July, retreated to the massage table in the training room after the game and wasn't immediately available.

Particularly galling about this latest loss as the Lightning fell to 1-8-4 in their past 13 games is that Buffalo had averaged only 1.9 goals in its previous games while going 2-8.

But the Sabres broke out against Mike Smith with goals by Derek Roy, Drew Stafford, Thomas Vanek and Hecht, and goalie Ryan Miller improved to 12-1 against the Lightning.

It was yet another one-goal loss for the Lightning, who entered the game tied for the most one-goal games in the NHL with 16.

Afterward, right wing Marty St. Louis wiped his head in a Gatorade towel and struggled to find words.

"It's 'Groundhog Day,'" he said. "You feel sometimes you deserve better, but you know what? Maybe we don't."

Tocchet agreed with the analogy St. Louis drew to the movie in which Bill Murray wakes up to the same events over and over.

"It seems that, and I'm not pointing figures, certain individuals get panicky instead of just seizing the moment and enjoying it and taking hold of it," he said. "We're, like, retreating. ... Yeah, it's 'Groundhog Day.'"

Roy scored the winning goal midway through the final period. Tampa Bay's attack managed only 23 shots while going 0-for-6 on power plays.

The Lightning played without left wing Ryan Malone, who was a scratch with an upper body injury, but that did create a reunion of the line with Lecavalier, St. Louis and left wing Vinny Prospal.

That line produced six points, with St. Louis and Prospal each scoring a goal. Defenseman Paul Ranger scored the other Tampa Bay goal off a pass from Lecavalier.

The earlier fights occurred during a two-minute span late in the first period, with the Lightning's Radek Smolenak and Steve Downie getting into it with Paul Gaustad and Adam Mair, respectively.

Although the Lightning were 0-4-2 in their previous six home games against the Sabres, the game looked like an opportunity because of Buffalo's recent play. But after twice answering Buffalo go-ahead goals in the second period within 40 seconds, the Lightning couldn't make a play at the end.

"In life you always have down periods, and I judge people by the way they react after down periods or mistakes, and that's what we're looking for now," Tocchet said.

Now Tampa Bay heads on the road for four consecutive games, starting with a Monday night contest at Boston - a team that beat the Lightning 3-1 on Thursday night at the Forum.

After Boston is a rematch at Buffalo on Wednesday and games at Montreal on Thursday and Ottawa on Saturday.

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

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