TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Lightning game against Devils to resume today

The Associated Press

With the Lightning up 3-0 against New Jersey, the game was suspended after a lighting malfunction.

ADVERTISEMENT

By ERIK ERLENDSSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 9, 2010

Updated: 01/10/2010 12:49 am

PHILADELPHIA - The Lightning will escape the bitter cold of Florida for one more day, as the lights have turned back on in New Jersey.

Tampa Bay's suspended game against the Devils from Friday night will resume tonight at 6, picking up just past the midway point of the second period.

With 9:12 left in the period and Tampa Bay leading 3-0, the lights inside Prudential Center on the Lightning bench side of the ice went dark, leaving half of the playing surface shrouded in shadows.

Building personnel attempted several times to correct a broken circuit breaker, but they had no success. Devils president, CEO and general manager Lou Lamoriello said other options were discussed, such as attempting to bring up all the LED lights on the overhead scoreboard to a bright white and playing under the half-lit conditions, but it was deemed too dangerous for the players.

With no quick solution and both teams scheduled to play games Saturday in different cities, the game was suspended at 10:08 p.m. after a nearly two-hour delay.

The lights came back on at approximately 11:30 Friday night, and after long discussions Saturday to resume the game in a timely manner, the game will be played from where it left off, starting with a faceoff outside the New Jersey zone. Regular television timeouts will be in effect, the ice will be resurfaced after the end of the second period and the same referees will be used.

"In the end logic prevailed," Lightning GM Brian Lawton said. "You want to play this one sooner, you want to play similar lineups, you don't want teams to have a competitive advantage. ... Nobody had a problem with this, none of our players, none of our management. And that's the thing, you have to have complete agreement for all the parties."

Power-play goals by Steve Downie and Brandon Bochenski and an even-strength goal by Steven Stamkos 44 seconds before the lights went out gave Tampa Bay a three-goal lead even though they were outshot 20-7.

The announcement that the game will resume today came less than four hours before Tampa Bay faced off against the Flyers. Despite the disruption, Lightning coach Rick Tocchet said the team was treating Saturday like any other day.

"There are things that happen throughout the course of a year that test your focus," Tocchet said. "(Friday) was (Friday) and we'll get that game played. But we face a team (Saturday) that is ahead of us in the standings, again, and we have to be ready. The focus has to be there."

Nuts and bolts

LW Ryan Malone received 16 stitches to the back of his right leg after falling on top of the skate blade of New Jersey G Martin Brodeur during the second period Friday. Malone was ready to return to the game had it been resumed, and he was back in the lineup Saturday against Philadelphia. ... C Jeff Halpern returned to the lineup after missing six games with an undisclosed lower-body injury. ... D Andrej Meszaros was a healthy scratch for the second consecutive night, while LW Stephane Veilleux also was scratched. ... D Matt Smaby left the game with an upper-body injury and did not return.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

ADVERTISEMENT