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Lightning denied again in overtime, fall to Kings

The Associated Press

Lightning goalie Antero Niittymaki looks over his shoulder as Los Angeles center Anze Kopitar scores the game-winning goal.

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By TONY FABRIZIO | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 14, 2009

TAMPA - Lightning coach Rick Tocchet refrained from criticizing the officials after a very questionable call cost the Lightning an overtime victory Saturday night at the Times Forum.

Anze Kopitar scored the only goal in a shootout to give the Kings a 2-1 victory in a physical and often frenetic game.

Before that, though, Andrej Meszaros appeared to score the game-winner with a slap shot from just inside the blue line with 1:40 left in overtime. A referee signaled goal, but then disallowed it, ruling Paul Szczechura interfered with goaltender Jonathan Quick.

Replays showed that Szczechura was pushed into Quick by the Kings' Sean O'Donnell.

"It's a tough one," Tocchet said. "We thought it was a goal. Obviously the ref pointed, but then he said it was incidental contact. That's how it was explained to me.

"There's nothing you can do. It happens all the time, where a goal is called back. You've still got to be able to focus."

Lightning goalie Antero Niittymaki, who stopped 29 of 30 shots through 65 minutes of hockey, was less diplomatic.

"Oh, terrible call," he said. "We won that game. I don't know what happened there. ... I guess everybody makes mistakes."

NHL referee supervisor Don Koharski was in attendance and said that in the eyes of referee Frederick L'Ecuyer, "the goaltender was clearly interfered with by the attacking player."

He said there will not be a review in the league office because the call wasn't reviewable.

Szczechura said he thought he was pushed into Quick and that a view of the replay confirmed it. He also said he thought the puck had passed Quick before the contact occurred.

"That was another reason I thought it should have been called a goal," he said.

The Lightning finally won a shootout two nights earlier against Minnesota, but against the Kings, Vinny Lecavalier, Steven Stamkos and Alex Tanguay came up empty. Stamkos, Tampa Bay's hottest scorer, fumbled the puck on his try.

After 47:20 of scoreless hockey, the Kings broke through on a 4-on-3 power play. Drew Doughty took a pass near the top of the left circle and beat Niittymaki with a slap shot.

The Lightning, who had rallied from a 3-1 deficit Thursday against Minnesota, tied it on Ryan Malone's wrap-around goal with 9:21 to play.

The game was particularly physical in the opening period, with the teams combining for 20 hits, and the hard hitting boiled over into a couple of incidents.

At 8:20 into the game, the Kings' Michal Handzus leveled Steve Downie after Downie hit Wayne Simmonds from behind in the neutral zone. Handzus got a charging penalty, and Simmonds and Malone received roughing penalties.

Three minutes later, Tampa Bay's Zenon Konopka and Raitis Ivanans clutched, held and punched for what seemed like a minute along the boards behind the Kings' net.

Los Angeles picked up the tempo in the second period and outshot Tampa Bay 9-1 in the opening 5:37 of the frame. But Niittymaki held off the assault with save after save, including an athletic glove stop to deny Anze Kopitar off a rebound.

Kopitar entered the night leading the NHL in points with 30 (16 assists, 14 goals). He was credited with an assist on Doughty's goal.

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