Niittymaki powering surge

As the Lightning have climbed the NHL standings the past two weeks, moving into the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference with Saturday's overtime victory against Calgary, G Antero Niittymaki's play has picked up.

In his past seven starts, Niittymaki is unbeaten in regulation, posting a 6-0-1 record while not allowing more than two goals in any of those starts. Since Jan. 21, the Finnish Olympian has posted a 1.24 goals-against average and stopped 205 of the 214 shots he has faced for a save percentage of .958.

And what might be just as impressive during his current mini-run is of the six wins, three have come in games the Lightning won by 2-1 scores (one of which was in a shootout), with the only setback in that stretch a 2-1 shootout loss to Anaheim. So not only has Niittymaki been strong recently, but also he's had to do it in pressure situations.

Niittymaki's play comes on the heels of a stretch of three games between Jan. 16-19 in which he was pulled twice after allowing five goals in a game. He might not have had the chance to get right back between the pipes had Mike Smith not been out of action while recovering from a strained neck he suffered Jan. 12.

Now, it might be hard to take him out of the net.

"I just kind of struggled a bit, and I didn't feel too bad, it was just that pucks were going in," Niittymaki said of the two games he was pulled. "Sometimes that happens and you have to sit back, relax and get back to basics. You just have to try to get back into some momentum going on and I think we played a really solid game against Toronto (on Jan. 21, a 2-1 overtime win) and it just kind of gave me confidence since then that I can still win. And sometimes you just need that one game to get back on track and that's kind of what's happened."

Niittymaki will get strong consideration for one of the league's three stars of the week awards today for his 3-0 record, allowing four goals for a 1.31 goals-against average and stopping 85 of 89 shots during the week for a .955 save percentage.

"The guy works; he's one of those guys where you have to almost kick him off the ice," Lightning coach Rick Tocchet said. "He's square to the puck, he very rarely is off kilter. He had those couple of games there were he was off kilter, and he just somehow can get himself back really quick. He's not really one of those goaltenders that loses it for a couple of weeks because they lose their angles. He can get it back pretty quick."

Our house

Last season on home ice, Tampa Bay posted an abysmal 12-18-11 record, which was four fewer wins than any other team at home.

This year, the Lightning are 16-6-6 at home and have proven that scoring goals at the St. Pete Times Forum is a tough task for the opposition. Tampa Bay has allowed 58 goals at home, the fewest of any team in the league. Only three opponents have scored more than three goals on the Lightning in Tampa this season - Toronto on Nov. 25, Philadelphia on Dec. 23 and Washington on Jan. 12.

In the past 12 games at home, Tampa Bay is 9-1-2 since Dec. 26, with the only loss 3-2 to Florida in a game the Lightning led heading into the third period.

"There were a couple of games here and there where maybe we shouldn't have won, but in the long haul I think our defensive game at home is better," Tocchet said. "It's not like we are giving up 25 chances a game, like against Atlanta (on Jan. 23). Our team is at its best when we are giving 11 to 15 chances a game, somewhere in that area. I think we've been keeping that number around that area in the past 12 or 13 games."

The goaltending at home has been solid as well. Niittymaki is 9-3-3 with a 1.80 goals-against average and .942 save percentage, while Smith is 7-3-3 with a 2.14 goals-against average and .930 save percentage.

Erik Erlendsson