|
 The Boston Bruins goaltender was beaten this time. But then again
he wasn't, as Panik's blast breezed past the motionless goaltender
but clanked harmlessly off the post.
Moments later, right winger Reilly Smith scored the only goal in the
seventh round of a shootout as the Bruins came from behind twice to
beat the Lightning 4-3.
"Sometimes you have to be lucky to be good," Raask said.
After an exhilarating overtime that featured several Bruins scoring
opportunities and Tampa center Steven Stamkos' one-one-one snuffed
out by right winger Jarome Iginla, Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop
(28 saves) and Rask (17 saves) dominated through six rounds of a
shootout.
Bishop, who blamed himself for the goal Boston used to tie the game
in the third period, was not as fortunate as Rask, as Smith deked
him right and tucked in the winner.
Among Rask's stops in the shootout was a snuff of a stick-handling
exercise by two-time goals-scoring champion Stamkos and a lunging
tip of the puck from Victor Hedman far beyond the crease before the
defenseman could attempt his shot.
Rookie left winger Ondrej Palat had a short-handed goal and an
assist for the Lightning and defenseman Johnny Borchuk had the
game-tying goal for Boston in the third period and an assist. Center
Carl Soderberg also had a goal and assist for Boston.
Two nights after falling at home to Buffalo, the worst team in the
Eastern Conference in standings points, Tampa Bay (34-24-6) earned a
much-needed point against the conference's second seed, and one that
had dominated it this season. The Lightning are winless in three
straight and have lost nine of 12, eight in regulation.
"Well, at least we got a point in this one," said Lightning coach
Jon Cooper. "I thought we played pretty well. ... I thought all in
all we gamed one out.
"We are building. I feel that our game is getting better and better.
This is the best we have played since the [Olympics] break and we
played a pretty good team and did pretty well."
Tampa Bay remains in possession of the first Eastern Conference wild
card.
Boston, meanwhile, won its fourth straight in improving to 41-17-5,
and holds a 10-point lead in the Atlantic Division.
"Every night we're playing some good teams and it's that battle
where everybody is in their own positions with what they are trying
to do in the playoffs," Iginla said. "But as a team we have been
able to have all different lines going, and our goaltending has been
outstanding."
Boston saw a concerted effort from the Lightning in a manic second
period. Palat's 15th goal of the season gave Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead
just 27 seconds into the period as the Lightning killed off a
carryover penalty.
Lightning center Tyler Johnson, who leads all rookies with three
short-handed goals, sparked the sequence by breaking out past
defenseman Dougie Hamilton and rushing Rask, who strayed far from
the crease to smother the Johnson's initial attempt. Palat dug the
puck from under Rask's pads, however, and flung the puck past
defenseman Zdeno Chara for a 1-0 lead. Johnson (21) and defenseman
Eric Brewer (10) were credited with assists.
[to top of second column] |
Tampa defenseman Mark Barberio upped the margin to 2-0 with 15:47
left in the period with a blast through traffic from the blue line.
Rask appeared to never see the rookie's fifth goal of the season, as
Lightning center Nate Thompson occupied Boychuk and defenseman Matt
Bartkowksi, then lifted his skate just in time to allow the puck
under. Center Tom Pyatt recorded his fourth assist and right winger
Ryan Callahan his 15th of the season and first since being traded to
the Lightning on Wednesday for Martin St. Louis.
Boston tied the game 2-2, however, with strikes by left winger
Daniel Paille and Soderberg within a 91-second span, both on
odd-man. With 13:02 left in the second, Paille beat Bishop with a
nifty backhand while crossing the goal mouth and Soderberg camped at
the blue line to take a pass from center Chris Kelly and tip his
11th of the season through Bishop's pads. Center Gregory Campbell
(11) and defenseman Johnny Boychuk (16) had assists on the Paille's
ninth goal of the season. The assist was Kelly's seventh.
Tampa Bay reclaimed the lead quickly, however, as center Valtteri
Filppula took a sharp-angle Palat pass from the boards to direct in
his 21st goal of the season. The assist was Palat's 24th.
Boston jammed the puck into the net with 13:55 left in the game
after a lengthy scrum in front of a flailing Bishop, but the play
had been whistled dead and the call was upheld by video review.
Boychuk made no doubt about the actual tying score, hammering in a
slapper from outside the right face-off circle with 11:49 left. The
goal was his third of the season, off assists from Soderberg (24)
and right winger Loui Eriksson (11).
"I was looking at the corner," Bishop said. "I had no idea the puck
was at the point. I thought the puck was in the corner.
"It's extremely frustrating. It's my fault there on the third one.
We probably should have won the game. It's my fault."
NOTES: The Lightning have a short-handed goal in consecutive games.
Tampa Bay's eight this season is tied for third in the league. ...
Boston was 3-0 against Tampa Bay entering the game on Saturday,
having out-scored the Lightning, 11-1, this season. The Bruins had
shut out the Lightning twice consecutively. ... Tampa Bay entered
having lost eight of its previous 11 overall. ... Boston entered one
point behind Pittsburgh for the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
... D Andrej Meszaros (acquired via trade at the deadline) and D
Corey Potter (claimed off waivers) practiced with the Bruins for the
first time but were healthy scratches, an acknowledgement of the
blue-line effort as Boston stifled Washington in a 3-0 win on
Thursday. ... Tampa Bay plays 13 of its final 19 games at home. ...
Boston LW Brad Marchand leads the NHL with four short-handed goals.
Lightning C Tyler Johnson leads all rookies with three. ... Tampa
Bay entered play having not allowed a power-play goal in its four
home games.
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