Lightning limp into Olympic break

In the past month, the Lightning have risen up the Eastern Conference standings like a slow-climbing hot-air balloon floating off the ground during the predawn light.

With the spotlight shining on them the past three games culminating with Sunday's 5-2 loss to the Marian Gaborik-less New York Rangers, a giant leak has suddenly developed in Tampa Bay's season that has deflated any kind of momentum that had been built.

"It's all gone now," center Steven Stamkos said of good feelings the team had built.

The loss at Madison Square Garden sent the Lightning into the two-week Olympic break with three consecutive losses. The losing streak comes on the heels of a four-game winning streak that saw Tampa Bay climb as high as sixth in the conference standings as recently as Tuesday. But after giving up nine goals during a seven-game stretch, the Lightning allowed 15 goals in the past three.

With the chance to move back into a playoff position in the final games before the break, the Lightning were swept during a two-game trip to New York, watching leads and games slip away due to suspect defensive-zone coverage, average goaltending and unbalanced offensive support.

Tampa Bay enters the break tied for ninth with the Rangers, on the outside of the playoff picture looking in.

"These were two winnable games, two games that we were in control of at one point in the game and it unraveled," Lightning coach Rick Tocchet said.

In both losses, the game slipped away in the second period. Just like the day before, the Lightning carried a lead into the first intermission Sunday. A power-play goal by Stamkos, his 35th goal of the season, and a deflection from Steve Downie - who has goals in three consecutive games - built a 2-0 lead following a smart and well-played first period.

Then the seams began to loosen early in the second when Sean Avery was awarded a penalty shot when he was hooked by defenseman Kurtis Foster even though it was not a breakaway situation. Avery weaved his way down the right side, cut wide past the left post and lifted a shot over a sprawling Mike Smith 1:40 into the period.

Vinny Prospal tied things up at 6:07 before Erik Christensen struck twice - the first on a bad-angle shot that beat Smith through the legs at 12:06, then on a 2-on-1 just 1:46 later that beat Smith to the far post.

"At this time of the year, your goaltender has to be your best player," said Smith, making just his second start since suffering a neck strain Jan. 12. "Tonight, (New York goalie Henrik) Lundqvist was their best player and it didn't happen at our end of the rink, which needs to happen for our team to win. ... That third one tonight, it broke our back. That's a shot that has to be stopped. At that point in the game you need to come up with a couple of saves and the past two starts I've given up that third goal that has kind of broke our backs to knock the wind out of our sails. That's got to stop."

The four-goal outburst was part of an alarming second-period trend. In the past two games, Tampa Bay was outscored 7-1 in the middle frame, and 70-50 this season.

"Mental breakdowns, mental mistakes. ... I mean, we are beating ourselves. We don't have anyone else to blame but ourselves," said Stamkos, who tied a franchise record with a point in his 13th consecutive game.

So while there was some fear a week ago that the Olympic break might serve as a momentum breaker, now it might be needed as a momentum builder.

"We are looking forward to this break now after the past three games," Stamkos said. "We didn't want it to end when we were winning, but now ..."