Bolts Zero In Again: Holmqvist Blanks Sens

OTTAWA - Skittish is how Tampa Bay played during third periods earlier this month. Now it's all about poise and control.

And the play in net is a big part of keeping things calm.

The Lightning knocked off the top team in the Eastern Conference on Saturday night, beating Ottawa 2-0 to post shutouts in consecutive road games for the first time in franchise history. Johan Holmqvist, who stopped 25 shots, has pitched a shutout in consecutive games for the first time in his career, in North America or Sweden. His shutout streak is 121 minutes, 31 seconds.

The only goaltender in team history to record back-to-back shutouts was Nikolai Khabibulin on Nov. 23 and Nov. 25, 2001 (one home game, one road game). This is the first time the Lightning have recorded shutouts in consecutive games since 2006, when John Grahame beat New Jersey 1-0 on Jan. 26 and Sean Burke beat Philadelphia 6-0 on Jan. 28.

It's also the first time Tampa Bay has kept the Senators off the scoreboard since Rick Tabaracci did so on March 25, 1997, in a 5-0 victory.

"It's a very nice feeling to post consecutive shutouts, and it's the first time I've ever had it," Holmqvist said. "It's two big wins for us, and that's the most important thing, but obviously it's nice to get a shutout."

Holmqvist, who carried the load through the early part of the season before hitting a wall in November, has won three consecutive starts and earned the chance to be back in net in Ottawa after shutting down Pittsburgh the night before.

"He's played very well the last two games," Lightning coach John Tortorella said. "It's not just the saves he's making, it's how he's making them. He just looks solid."

Tampa Bay has won consecutive games for the first time since a three-game winning streak to start December. The Lightning have won four consecutive games on the road.

"I think our team is beginning to play as a team here, and that's the most important thing," Tortorella said. "I'm very pleased with the efforts of everybody in finding a way to win a couple of games here."

Marty St. Louis snapped a four-game goal-less drought with a power-play marker with 2:38 left in the first period. Brad Richards stepped into a loose puck that caromed off the right boards and fired a shot. It hit Vinny Prospal's skate and went right onto St. Louis' stick, and he scored his 18th goal of the season.

Holmqvist, starting in consecutive games for the first time since he started three in a row Dec. 13-18, kept Tampa Bay in the lead with a couple of highlight saves. He robbed Chris Phillips of a shorthanded goal on a 2-on-1 with Jason Spezza, making a glove save while sliding across the crease on his stomach 2:11 into the second period.

"Spezza was coming down with the puck, and you never know what he's going to do with the puck, so I just tried to stay with him as long as I could," Holmqvist said. "After he passed it, I just tried to sprawl out as much as I could and I got lucky."

Tampa Bay stayed in control throughout most of the third period, allowing six shots on goal. The win was clinched on Vinny Lecavalier's empty-net goal with 11.6 seconds left, as he snapped a personal four-game scoreless streak.

"Our last two third periods have been good," Tortorella said. "I just think we feel more confident with the puck, especially our defensemen, who didn't just shoot the puck around in pressure situations and maintain possession. We've really worked on that and it transforms into making quick plays up the ice."