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St. Louis Notches 900th Career Point as Lightning Squeak by Senators

April 9, 2013, 11:12 PM ET [37 Comments]
Michael Stuart
Ottawa Senators Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
“This O’Rourke’s ridiculous.” – The Chief, Bobby Taylor

Despite being all but out of the Eastern Conference playoff race, the Tampa Bay Lightning refuse to roll over and figuratively die. On Tuesday night the Lightning, boosted by their special teams, managed to defeat the struggling Ottawa Senators. It wasn’t the prettiest of wins or the most spectacular, but it was a much needed victory for a team that has faced its fair share of adversity this season.

On a night that saw Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop face and defeat his former team in impressive fashion, the Lightning were incredibly lucky to waltz into the sunset with two points. The Senators, for their part, dominated the game at even strength. With their season hanging in the balance, the Senators were skating well, creating chances and shooting the puck at every opportunity. For Paul MacLean’s club, now in the thick of a five game losing streak, it was ultimately all for naught.

The Senators hard work paid off early on as Daniel Alfredsson opened the scoring with a beautiful deflection that highlighted his great hand-eye coordination. After a Kyle Turris shot deflected up in the air behind Bishop, Alfredsson took a swing at the puck in midair and batted it into the gaping cage. With a 1-0 lead and a great sense of desperation in their game, the Senators looked to be in good shape.

Pierre-Cedric Labrie would knot the game at one with what he described as a “garbage goal” less than three minutes into the second frame. Good work from Nate Thompson and B.J. Crombeen resulted in Labrie’s first career goal and capped off a very good game for the feisty winger. He was hitting all night long, skating well, and doing the little things that fourth liners need to do. Simply put – Mr. Labrie had a strong outing that should see him earn ice time in a few extra contests down the stretch.

Shortly thereafter, the game took a turn for the worse as downright shoddy officiating took hold and decimated the Senators’s chances. With Kyle Turris already off for hooking, Peter Regin was called for delay of game after supposedly playing the puck with his hand in the faceoff circle. Upon closer inspection, it was mighty clear that Regin never touched the puck with his hand. Unfortunately for the Senators, the Lightning were handed a five-on-three man advantage; they made no mistake.

With both Regin and Turris in the penalty box, Lightning captain Vincent Lecavalier knocked a Teddy Purcell rebound past Craig Anderson. His ninth of the year, and second since returning from injury, gave the Lightning a pivotal 2-1 lead. Lecavalier’s contribution to this team cannot be understated. He is a great leader, an offensive force, and a true champion. Simply put - he makes the Lightning a much better team.

In addition to Purcell, Martin St. Louis was credited with an assist on Lecavalier’s goal. The assist was St. Louis’s 900th career point. Congrats, Marty!

The Lightning’s 2-1 lead lasted until early in the third period when Guillaume Latendresse whacked the puck past Bishop to tie the game. With the Lightning tender down and out, Latendresse got to the puck and knocked it in off Bishop’s glove. From that point on, it was hard not to like the Senators’s chances. In the third period specifically, they outplayed the Lightning by a vast margin. Despite that, they couldn’t muster up another goal when they needed one most.

Instead, it was the Lightning that notched the game winning goal. With Sergei Gonchar off for hooking, Steven Stamkos converted on a great Lecavalier feed to give the Lightning a lead they would not relinquish. Stamkos’s 26th, which ties him with Ovechkin for the league lead, was a thing of beauty. When the Lightning needed a goal, the big guns game through. Ultimately, that speaks to the heart and dedication that is laden throughout the roster.

Backed by Ben Bishop’s solid 31 save performance, the Lightning did something they had been unable to do since dismantling the Hurricanes five days ago. The Bolts won a game. As said, it wasn’t pretty or even deserving, but it was a win. It's always a shame to see officials have such a large impact on a game's result, but it's hard to fault the Bolts for converting on the opportunities bestowed upon them.

With solid goaltending, offensive superstars, a smart coach, and some great young players coming up through the system, it’s hard not to cheer for this team moving forward. There’s a lot to like about this group, so stick around for the ride.

As always, thanks for reading.
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