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Bolts Plunge Deeper Into Division Cellar

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By ERIK ERLENDSSON

eerlendsson@tampatrib.com

Published: December 11, 2008

BUFFALO, N.Y. - Even when handed a gift, the Lightning find a way to fumble with the bow.

Tampa Bay was handed a pair of power plays on questionable calls late in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to Buffalo, but came away empty to continue the team's losing ways. Thomas Vanek scored twice, giving him 11 goals against the Lightning in the past seven meetings between the teams.

Tampa Bay lost its fourth consecutive game and saw its winless streak reach nine games (0-7-2), the longest stretch of games without a victory since Jan. 12-29, 2001. Overall, the Lightning have one victory in the past 15 games (1-10-4) as they sink deeper into the depths of the league standings.

All but one of the games during the nine-game winless streak have come either by one goal or by two with an empty net.

"It is frustrating, a lot of games we are losing by one goal," defenseman Andrej Meszaros said. "We have to find a way to win a game, or tie it in the end and try to win it in overtime."

The Lightning had two such opportunities, one coming on a questionable delay of game penalty call on Buffalo goaltender Ryan Miller at 4:07 of the third and then a questionable boarding call on Alex Kotalik with 44.8 seconds left. A goal on either power-play chance would have tied the game.

"I hate to put pressure on guys, but we need to score a goal," interim coach Rick Tocchet said. "Maybe we are asking certain guys of things they are not capable of doing, I don't know, but we have to find a way."

The Lightning jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals by Martin St. Louis and Mark Recchi in the first period. But the Sabres cut the lead to one on a power-play goal when Drew Stafford deflected Jaroslav Spacek's shot with 37.8 seconds left.

Steven Stamkos had two opportunities with in-close chances in the second and Radek Smolenak had a breakaway. But Vanek scored twice in the second, one on a breakaway midway through the second and then again with 14.4 seconds left in the period after a roughing call on Evgeny Artyukhin with 1:01 left.

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