TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Bolts Suffer From Lapses

ADVERTISEMENT

By ERIK ERLENDSSON

eerlendsson@tampatrib.com

Published: February 5, 2009

PITTSBURGH - Two mental letdowns led to a monumental meltdown for Tampa Bay on Wednesday.

Evgeni Malkin scored his second goal of the game with 15.5 seconds left in overtime as the Penguins rallied for a 4-3 victory, erasing a three-goal deficit in the third period.

The Lightning were cruising through the first two periods, getting goals from Ryan Malone, Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis to build a 3-0 lead in front of goaltender Mike McKenna, who was making his first career start, and they were looking comfortable doing so.

But defenseman Paul Ranger opted to zip a cross-ice pass through his zone that was picked off by Malkin, leading to his first goal 2:25 into the third period that gave the Penguins life.

"If I had that play to do over a million times, I would go up the wall," Ranger said.

After Pittsburgh cut the lead to 3-2 with 5:54 left when referee Gord Dwyer got in the way of a Matt Smaby pass behind his net that led to Mark Eaton's goal, veteran Gary Roberts, back in the lineup after missing 28 games, took a roughing call while getting tangled up with Matt Cooke. Pittsburgh tied the game on the ensuing power play, with 3:29 left.

"I have to realize who that is," Roberts said of Cooke. "We're jostling all the way up the ice, and obviously he's famous for diving and he's never really played with any honor.

"He's been a coward his whole career and continues to do that. Out there with a visor, chirping like that and he never backs it up, I have no respect for a guy like that. But I have to be smarter."

Tampa Bay was also forced to play the third period down a defenseman when Andrej Meszaros, who has appeared in 298 consecutive games to start his career, left the ice holding his left arm.

He did not return following a hit along the boards by Malkin in the second period.

Reporter Erik Erlendsson can be reached at (813) 259-7835.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT