While still mathematically alive in the Eastern Conference playoff race, the Tampa Bay Lightning suffered a crushing blow on Sunday night that, for all intents and purposes, has eliminated them from contention. Through sixty minutes of play with the Washington Capitals, the Lightning were outmatched and ultimately outscored by a margin of 4-2. Like their last game against the Islanders, the Bolts were unable to muster up a goal when it counted most.

For a long while, it looked as though the Lightning were going to do something special on Sunday evening. They started the game with jump, speed, and a great forecheck. That hard work was rewarded just under two minutes into the game as Vincent Lecavalier tapped home a beautiful pass from Martin St. Louis to give the Lightning a 1-0 lead on the power play.

It wasn’t just the Lecavalier goal that was inspiring in the opening frame. Ben Bishop looked calm and solid, Lecavalier had a number of glorious chances only to be thwarted by Michal Neuvirth, and the kids from Syracuse seemed to have the Capitals back on their heels. All in all, it was a picture perfect first period for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Unfortunately, as the score implies, it didn’t last.

Early in the second period, a period that has been unfriendly to the Lightning all year, Alex Ovechkin tipped home his 24th of the season to tie the game at one. His hand eye coordination on the play was something to behold, and there really wasn’t a whole lot Bishop could do to stop it.

The Lightning would regain the lead only moments later as Alex Killorn took a beautiful pass from Vincent Lecavalier, burst through the Capitals’ zone and slid the puck right underneath Neuvirth. With the score 2-1 it was easy to like the Lightning’s chances, but it was all Capitals from there as John Carlson and Joel Ward both scored weak late period goals to give the Capitals a 3-2 lead they would not relinquish.

Coming out of the second intermission, the Lightning really didn’t seem to have a whole lot of fight left. Having played the night before on Long Island, the Bolts were visibly out of gas. Still, with their season hanging in the balance, it would have been nice to see a little more pushback against a Capitals team that should have been equally tired. It was not to be.

Alex Ovechkin notched his 25th of the season into the empty Lightning cage to tie Steven Stamkos for the league lead, and that was all she wrote. The Lightning’s already slim shot at making the playoffs has all but faded away into darkness. With only a handful of games left in this season, the dream of a spirited and miraculous comeback is dead.

It’s easy to look at tonight’s result and lay blame on Ben Bishop’s shoulders for the weak goals he let in, or on Steven Stamkos for not scoring when the team needed it most, or on Martin St. Louis for not having enough left in the tank to propel the team to victory as he has on so many occasions; the reality, however, is that this team just wasn’t ready to make the post-season. Tonight’s loss wasn’t the turning point, February was.

As always, thanks for reading.

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