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Chances Go Awry As Woes Continue

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 11, 2008

TAMPA - The chance to seize momentum Thursday against the Penguins came early in the third period for the Lightning, who trailed by a goal when Pittsburgh C Maxime Talbot was assessed a double-minor for high-sticking.

Four minutes, six shots on goal and one cross bar later, the Lightning still trailed 2-1. It was the story of the game for Tampa Bay, which never had a better shot at avoiding what went on to be a 4-1 loss.

"We had chances," Lightning RW Marty St. Louis said. "We got opportunities on the power play, we just didn't get it done and I think that was the difference."

The Lightning went into the game ranked sixth in the NHL in home power-play percentage (22.6). Talbot's penalty - on which D Shane O'Brien was cut above the right eye - seemed to play to Tampa Bay's strength at an extremely opportune moment.

But the presence of G Ty Conklin (35 saves, including 14-for-14 in the third period) nullified the Lightning's attempt to forge a tie.

"All their power plays, they had great possession in our zone and we were able to block some shots and get some big saves," Penguins D Darryl Sydor said. "So, obviously that four minutes was huge. It was huge."

The closest Tampa Bay came to scoring during the double-minor was on a slap shot through traffic by D Filip Kuba, who found some rare space past Conklin - only to have the puck clang off the cross bar over Conklin's right shoulder.

"That's how it goes for us sometimes," Kuba said. "You've got to make those shots an inch lower and you've got to make them get in for us right now."

ANOTHER ALL-STAR? By the time the Lightning board their 2:30 p.m. charter flight for South Florida today, C Vinny Lecavalier will know if he'll have company on the Eastern Conference All-Star team, the reserves for which will be named at noon.

The most likely fellow Lightning player to join Lecavalier in Atlanta for All-Star weekend in Atlanta on Jan. 26-27 is St. Louis, who has played in three consecutive All-Star Games. He's 11th in the league and seventh in the Eastern Conference with 51 points.

NUTS AND BOLTS: Lightning RW Kyle Wanvig, recalled from the Norfolk Admirals on Jan. 5, was named to the AHL's Canadian All-Star team Wednesday. The game will be played Jan. 28 in Binghamton, N.Y. Wanvig had 13 goals and 23 assists with Norfolk when he was promoted. ... Lightning D Paul Ranger scored his eighth goal, giving him twice as many as he scored last season. His 23 points are five short of his 2006-07 total. ... The Lightning's 37 points in 44 games is their fewest at this point in the season since 2000-01, when they had 33 points after 44 games. ... Pittsburgh C Jordan Staal, who scored 29 goals as an 18-year-old rookie in 2006-07, recorded his first multi-point game of the season with two goals and an assist Thursday. ... Lightning LW Vinny Prospal's season-long seven-game points streak ended.

Carter Gaddis

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