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Bolts' Effort Better In Loss To Ottawa

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By ERIK ERLENDSSON

eerlendsson@tampatrib.com

Published: March 12, 2009

OTTAWA - March games between expansion cousins Tampa Bay and Ottawa often mean a march to the postseason for one or the other.

Wednesday's nationally televised tilt between the two teams, however, found both mired at the bottom of the standings with draft lottery positioning the only thing on the line.

Despite the lack of intrigue and their respective placements in the standings cellar, the two teams played an entertaining, if somewhat imperfect, game in Ottawa's 3-2 overtime victory on Mike Fisher's winner with 2:22 left in overtime.

Cory Murphy and Adam Hall scored for Tampa Bay, while Karri Ramo made 23 saves as Tampa Bay rebounded with a better effort after Saturday's 9-3 loss to Carolina.

"One of the worst things about a game like Saturday is you have to sit for a few days before you have a chance to come back," Murphy said. "I think that was embarrassing for everyone and it's nice to get back out and compete again and put in a better effort."

The teams traded power-play goals just over two minutes apart in the first period. Ottawa native Murphy set a small section of hometown fans in the upper corner into a roar when his shot from the center point found its way through traffic 2:37 into the game for his fourth goal of the season. Ryan Shannon answered that 2:16 later with a shot from the bottom of the right circle that tied the game.

In the second period, it was Tampa Bay's turn to answer the Senators' call. Ottawa scored a short-handed goal - the eighth allowed by the Lightning this season - when Daniel Alfredsson zipped a pass from along the boards to a streaking Chris Kelly at 9:25 that Ramo stopped but inadvertently dragged the puck across the line with his pads.

Adam Hall quickly pulled the Lightning even 13 seconds later while still on the power play when he sent a shot from the right circle toward the crease that hit the pad of goaltender Brian Elliott and squeezed between his legs for Hall's fifth goal of the season - and just his second since Dec. 23.

Ottawa had a goal taken off the board with 4:56 left in the game when an apparent Jason Spezza rebound was waved off as the officials determined the puck was kicked in, a ruling that was upheld after a review.

Both teams had open chances in the final minute, with Ramo stopping Brendan Bell from the slot while Marty St. Louis fired a shot high with five seconds remaining.

"I don't think we gave them much and the goals that they did get, they were opportunistic," Lightning interim coach Rick Tocchet said. "So I think our team played pretty good and I'm happy that we came out with the effort we did tonight after the last game."

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