Tampa Bay trips top team

LIGHTNING 3, FLYERS 3: A three-goal comeback, on the road, with a backup goalie, against the No. 1 club in the East? Believe it.

[AP photo] The Flyers' Jeremy Roenick, left, flies through the air after being hip-checked by the Lightning's Ben Clymer, right, during second period action Monday in Philadelphia. Roenick was injured on the play and left the game..

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published March 19, 2002

PHILADELPHIA -- The Flyers haven't made it easy for the Lightning in Philadelphia.

This time it was the other way around.

Tampa Bay, down by three in the second period, continued to battle and earned a tie at 3 with the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference Monday night at the First Union Center, prompting the crowd of 19,405 to boo the home team.

The Lightning, with 60 points, one better than last season, is unbeaten in its past five games (2-0-3). The Flyers are winless in their past five games at home (0-4-1).

Sheldon Keefe's goal with 1:36 remaining was the Lightning's second of the period and earned the hard-fought point. Assists went to Dan Boyle and Brad Richards.

Richards had two assists and has points in 10 consecutive games, three behind Brian Bradley's team record.

Keefe also had an assist.

Jassen Cullimore's goal made it 3-1 with 26.8 seconds remaining in the second. Nikita Alexeev's goal, in which he blew past Flyers defenseman Eric Desjardins, pulled Tampa Bay to within one 2:23 into the third.

Vinny Lecavalier hit the post on a slap shot with 3:24 left in the extra period.

Goaltender Dieter Kochan looked strong in his first start this season for the Lightning and made 38 saves. The Flyers, 13-1-7 against the Lightning at home, outshot Tampa Bay 41-25.

The Lightning's team-record streak of power play goals in nine consecutive games came to an end.

As good as Kochan was, he could not overcome Donald Brashear and Jiri Dopita. Brashear scored two of Philadelphia's three second-period goals, giving him nine this season. Dopita assisted on all three.

It might be a costly tie for the Flyers as Jeremy Roenick and Keith Primeau were lost in the second period with injuries. Primeau's problem was not immediately known. Roenick's right knee met the hip of Tampa Bay's Ben Clymer, who threw a clean check.

Give the Lightning and Kochan credit in the first period. Tampa Bay withstood a furious first few minutes, regrouped and even forced the issue offensively at times.

Kochan was extremely sharp as the Flyers peppered him early. He made 11 saves as Philadelphia outshot the Lightning 11-8.

Desjardins tested Kochan with a wrist shot from the point 13 seconds into the game, and the goalie looked quick in sliding across the crease to kick the puck away.

Desjardins tried again 10 seconds later and Kochan stayed square to the play and went to his knees to make the save.

The Lightning established some momentum at 1:50 when Richards sent a crisp pass from the blue line to Vinny Prospal, who was pushing toward the net. Prospal redirected the puck, but goalie Brian Boucher made the stop.

The Lightning made some noise at 8:47 when Martin Cibak's slap shot from the slot clanked off the post on Boucher's stick side.

Any idea the Lightning had of keeping up with the Flyers seemed to wash away in the second period as Philadelphia had a 14-5 advantage in shots and took a 3-1 lead.

The first came on the power play when Dopita passed perfectly from the corner to Desjardins sneaking in from the point. The defenseman one-timed the puck from the faceoff circle for his fifth goal at 2:45.

Brashear got his first of the game 29 seconds later from the slot. The pass came from behind the Lightning goal line from Dopita, who took the puck from Boyle.

The two repeated the play at 10:49 to give the Flyers a 3-0 lead.

Alexeev almost got Tampa Bay on the board when he outraced a Flyers player to the puck in the Philadelphia zone and got off a backhander that beat Boucher and hit the post.

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