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Bolts Let One Slip Away In Shootout

The Associated Press

Toronto's Jamal Mayers gets in a tussle with Tampa Bay's Ryan Craig.

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By ERIK ERLENDSSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 18, 2009

TAMPA - Two teams headed for tee times next month teamed up for a tilt worthy of more meaningful times.

But end-to-end action doesn't always mean the best hockey, especially for a Lightning squad that blew a three-goal lead in falling to Toronto 4-3 Tuesday in a shootout.

With the overtime loss, Tampa Bay - 2-0-2 in the past four - picked up points in all four meetings this season, but the Leafs avoided being swept in the season series.

Toronto, in 11th place in the conference, scored three consecutive goals, the last with 5:31 left by Jeff Hamilton, before John Mitchell won it in the sixth round of the shootout.

Vinny Lecavalier, Steven Stamkos and Matt Pettinger scored for the Lightning.

"Usually, the games that are the fun ones to watch, when you go over the video, are pretty sloppy, and I think that was the case tonight," Stamkos said. "We go up 3-0 and then lose a game, that's totally unacceptable. We can't afford to do that moving forward if we want to continue improving everyday."

Things started well for Tampa Bay after Lecavalier put the Bolts up in the first with his 29th goal of the season while on the power play.

Stamkos then notched his 15th goal of the season, and ninth in the past 16 games, with a one-timer from the right point at 2:26 of the second period. The 15 goals ties the second-most in a season for a rookie in franchise history, a feat also accomplished by Ryan Craig (2005), Daymond Langkow (1997) and Rob Zamuner (1993).

On the ensuing faceoff, Martins Karsums fed a perfect pass to a streaking Pettinger for a tap-in goal 10 seconds after Stamkos to give Tampa Bay a 3-0 lead. The time between goals ties the record for two fastest goals on home ice, a mark set twice last season - March 11 against the New York Islanders and on Dec. 13, 2007, against Calgary. It was one second off the team record, set when Dave Andreychuk and Fredrik Modin scored nine seconds apart on Jan. 9, 2004, in New Jersey.

From that point on, however, it was downhill for Tampa Bay. Mitchell scored with 24 seconds left in the second period, and then Jason Blake pulled the Leafs within one 3:24 into the third.

After Toronto tied the game, Tampa Bay had a pair of power-play chances, but with quarterback Cory Murphy out after taking a shot off his foot/leg, the Lightning mustered two shots on goal despite having scored twice with the man advantage earlier in the game.

"Cory has probably been our best power-play guy, but you are looking for other guys to step up," Lightning interim coach Rick Tocchet said. "This game is just a good learning tool to show how far we have to go as a team."

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

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