Late play matters most down the stretch

TAMPA -- A five-game winless skid entering Monday left the team 13 points shy of a final playoff spot.

However, Tampa Bay was 5-5-4-1 in March, its second non-losing month this season (it went 6-6-0-1 in November). The 15 points Tampa Bay earned in March is within two of the team record set in March 2001 (8-6-0-1 for 17 points). Since the Olympic break, the Lightning has come back to win or tie seven of nine games in which it trailed.

"If you look at it through the season, how many close games we had and we would be tied or ahead," goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin said. "If we can (win) some of those we'd be right up there."

Added Brad Richards: "We lost a lot of one-goal games (Tampa Bay is 14-19 in one-goal games). "There's a very fine line of losing and winning in the NHL. It's just too bad we're on the other end. We've been right there."

Allowing Montreal to tie with six seconds left on March 22 and losing to Boston in the final minute of overtime on March 24 were recent games Khabibulin and Richards alluded to.

Both players, as well as coach John Tortorella, believe the Lightning will be better next season.

"We've just got to learn from mistakes," Khabibulin said.

Tortorella added, "We want to leave this year feeling good about ourselves and the strides we've made."

DADDY'S HOME: Jimmie Olvestad never has been quite so eager to get home from a road trip. The 22-year-old new dad went six days without seeing his son, Lucas, born March 19.

"I was calling home three times a day," Olvestad said of calls to fiancee, Frida. "I just want to see how he's doing. You just don't want to miss anything."

ROYER RECALLED: Right wing Gaetan Royer was brought up from Springfield because Chris Dingman's back injury left the team short of forwards. Royer has 6 goals, 4 assists and 112 penalty minutes for Springfield.

PUGILIST TO SCORER: For the past two seasons, tough-guy Sandy McCarthy has discovered his stick could be just as potent a weapon as his fists.

The ex-Lightning wing still drops the gloves when necessary, evidenced by 152 penalty minutes, but McCarthy has become somewhat of an offensive threat with the Rangers. He entered Monday's game with 21 points, matching last season's career high.

"I kind of got my focus on playing hockey more and, basically, I paid the price in the summer to have some fun in the season," McCarthy said of increased offseason workouts. "I go to the net more."

SCRATCHES: Dingman and D Stan Neckar (hip flexor) were scratched. It was the first time this season Neckar was out of the lineup.