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Shootout Loss Feels Like Lost Opportunity

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By ERIK ERLENDSSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 2, 2008

TORONTO - Road points have been as easy to find for Tampa Bay this season as a poolside sunbather would have been on a snowy New Year's Day.

So in that respect, Paul Ranger's goal with 40.3 seconds left in regulation to earn a point in a 4-3 shootout loss to Toronto should be something for the Lightning to take solace in as they try to climb out of the Eastern Conference cellar. It's just the second point Tampa Bay has earned this season in 16 games when trailing entering the third period.

"We fought through it in the third and got rewarded for it and gave ourselves a chance to pick up the win in overtime," right wing Marty St. Louis said. "It's a big point in the way that we got it."

But here's the thing. It's not good enough. Not for a team that now sits three points behind the No. 14 team in the conference. And certainly not for a team that now is winless in five consecutive games and has just one victory in the past nine games.

"To get the point is fine, but the fact of the matter is we have to win," Ranger said. "We had some chances in overtime to win the game, but we have to learn to bear down and play our hardest, with desperation in the most crucial times. We're getting there, but we have to find a way to get it done."

Though Tampa Bay got some good shifts out of the fourth line, including Andreas Karlsson's first goal since Jan. 9 of last season - a span of 49 games - late in the first period that resulted in increased ice time for the lower line, Coach John Tortorella said he wants to see more out of the top players in crunch time.

"One point is better than nothing but it's still not good enough," he said. "Our bottom six forwards were going pretty well but Toronto's top players outplayed our top guys. We have a shootout to try to make up for it and we don't get it done. That's why we walk away with one point and not two."

Rookie goaltender Karri Ramo stopped 26 shots, including all 13 in the third period and OT, but Tomas Kaberle and Mats Sundin both converted their shootout tries while only Vinny Lecavalier converted on Tampa Bay's three chances.

"It kind of stinks, two goals and no saves," Ramo said of his first NHL shootout. "I asked Johan Holmqvist and he said to just try to stay with them, go with them. Now I know they are really good shooters."

The Lightning lost the chance for victory, essentially, in the second period, when the Leafs scored all three goals. The top line accounted for all three goals.

"Our team in general has to learn that to get out of this, it's not a situation where you think you're playing hard or you try to play hard," Tortorella said. "You have to play at a different level. And have we got to that level? Not even close.

"We will mire in this until we simply decide to play with some jam. We've had our meetings, we've shown our tape, we've had talks, this and that. ... The funny thing about the National Hockey League is if you play harder and play with some jam and in the other team's face, you find a way to get some results. And we're not even close to there."

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

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