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We teach our kids that effort is the most important thing, but sometimes effort just isn’t enough. Case and point – tonight’s game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Philadelphia Flyers. There was blood, there was sweat, and there were tears from the Tampa Bay Lightning, but it wasn’t enough. At the end of sixty minutes, the Philadelphia Flyers skated off the ice with a 2-1 victory and two incredibly important points. For the Tampa Bay Lightning, the end of the game signaled a second straight loss and a real wakeup call.
Not unlike the first period of Saturday’s game between the Rangers and Lightning, the first frame in this tilt was an example of defensive hockey from both sides. With minimal consistent attack and incredibly solid goaltending on display, it didn’t come as a surprise that neither team was able to score a goal in the first twenty. From the Lightning’s perspective – the first period left a lot to be desired. The team looked sluggish and just didn’t seem to have its timing figured out.
Perhaps the biggest moment in the scoreless first came when BJ Crombeen and Zac Rinaldo dropped their gloves just over six minutes into the frame. In what was arguably the best (read: most violent) fight of this young National Hockey League season, both Crombeen and Rinaldo threw some absolutely vicious bombs. Crombeen was left all but unconscious by Rinaldo’s last punch and was sent directly to the dressing room; he did not return.
In the words of Rick Dixon, a Winnipeg Jets blogger and personal friend, “punches were thrown without any thought of self-preservation.” So true, Rick. Scary.
The Flyers opened the scoring early in the second period when Tom Sestito (?!) squeaked the puck through Anders Lindback’s five-hole for his first of two on the night. Reaction to the goal from Bolts Nation varied. Some described it as a goal that Lindback should have had while others viewed him as being helpless on the play. Either way, going down 1-0 on the road (especially at the Wells Fargo Center) is never a recipe for success.
For a long while, it looked as though the Flyers weren’t going to need another goal to claim victory. Ilya Bryzgalov was absolutely sensational, Claude Giroux played the way a captain should, and the Flyers supporting cast was stymieing the Bolts’ attack. Every Flyer player, especially Giroux and Bryzgalov, should feel proud of the effort tonight. It was playoff hockey in February and the Flyers came out on top.
Benoit Pouliot tied the game midway through the third period with his third of the season. Teddy Purcell made a beautiful no-look pass from behind the net to find Pouliot in the slot. From there, Benoit made no mistake. For a depth player, Pouliot has certainly been a great addition to the Lightning core. He’s playing solid hockey and is converting on the chances he’s getting. Since his arrival, his skill and speed have been on display. The fact that he’s scoring at a semi-regular pace is just icing on the cake.
The euphoria Bolts Nation experienced after the Pouliot goal was short lived as Tom Sestito (?!) scored his second of the night just under two minutes later. That was all the Flyers needed to close this one out, despite the Lightning getting numerous chances in the last minute of play. Considering their paltry record, the Flyers desperately needed this victory. Clutch teams come through at big moments; the Flyers are a clutch team.
Despite the fact that the Lightning failed to battle back and claim victory, there were a number of very strong individual performances to take note of. Vincent Lecavalier, in particular, had an incredible night. Even though he was suffering from the effects of a bone bruise, Vinny fought, battled, hit and did everything else but score. In addition to Lecavalier’s performance, Anders Lindback had another good night in net. While his stat line is decent, it doesn’t speak to the sheer quality of his performance. He made numerous key stops off big time Flyers chances. Moving forward, that’s the kind of goaltending this team needs. If Lindback continues to play like he has, this group will be in good shape.
While there are certainly a number of things to build on as the Lightning move forward on this trip, the reality is that the team has suffered back-to-back losses as a result of not being able to put the puck in the net. Considering just how much the Lightning struggled on the road last season, Guy Boucher and the coaching staff needs to right the ship rather quickly. By no means is it time to panic, but it’s definitely time to start looking at ways for this team to get back to high flying Lightning hockey.
As always, thanks for reading.
Ottawa Senators Blogger • 
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