Lightning: Ottawa broke, but it owns Tampa Bay

Ottawa broke, but it owns Tampa Bay

SENS 7, LIGHTNING 0: Tampa Bay drops to 0-10-1 in past 11 vs. bankrupt team.

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO, Times Staff Writer

OTTAWA -- Is it a voodoo curse, bad karma or simply that the Senators are a really good team? Whatever it is, the Lightning just can't seem to figure them out.

The bad vibes were all around Tuesday night as a 7-0 loss increased Tampa Bay's winless streak against Ottawa to 11 games (0-10-1) and its losing streak at the Corel Centre to 10.

Ottawa opened a Lightning vein in the third period with four goals, two by Martin Havlat, and chased goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin with 9:38 left after he allowed his seventh goal on 26 shots.

It is never good when the opposition has such a good time doing it.

"It was maybe the game we had the most fun playing," Senators goalie Patrick Lalime said. "The fans got us into it, especially when they did the wave. It felt like the playoffs."

For the Lightning, which remained three points behind the first-place Capitals in the Southeast Division, it felt sickening.

"Hopefully, this is rock bottom for us," captain Dave Andreychuk said. "I don't see why it shouldn't be. We can only go up from here."

Consider Tampa Bay's 17 shots were its fewest this season, and the loss was its worst since an 8-0 collapse to the Sharks in February 2000.

Vinny Prospal was minus-4. Andreychuk, Stan Neckar, Cory Sarich, Vinny Lecavalier and Nolan Pratt were minus-3.

Compare that to the Senators, who are No. 1 in the league, are on a 23-4-4-1 roll, got their third consecutive shutout from Lalime and raised their team-record shutout streak to 190 minutes, 28 seconds.

Havlat had two goals and two assists. Radek Bonk had two goals and an assist. Both were plus-4.

"In a way, it's probably easier to forget about this game because it's such a blowout, you leave it behind and move on," Khabibulin said.

The goalie certainly wants to forget the streak he is on after being pulled for the fourth time in seven games and the fifth time in 15. Two goals allowed in the second period were critical.

Zdeno Chara scored from behind the goal line 7:45 in, when his fluttering attempt at a centering pass hit Khabibulin's blocker and deflected between his legs.

Petr Schastlivy scored with 13.8 seconds left. The stoppable wrist shot from the top of a faceoff circle beat Khabibulin between his legs and made the score 3-0.

That tainted a period in which Tampa Bay outshot Ottawa 9-8 and got the bulk of the chances but was stuffed by Lalime, who got his fifth shutout and 25th of his career.

"I thought he was going high," Khabibulin said of Schastlivy. "I kind of froze a little bit and didn't get down fast enough."

It was not all Khabibulin's fault as his teammates, especially in the third period, continually gave away the puck and offered scant support. Chris Neil's goal knocked Khabibulin out 1:14 after Havlat's second goal made it 6-0.

John Grahame, acquired Monday from the Bruins, made two saves in relief.

"You can always think about what you could have done, this or that," Khabibulin said. "The best thing is to leave it behind and don't even bother."

"We did some good things tonight," Lightning coach John Tortorella said. "We're going to find ways to play a complete game starting with our goaltending right on up. That's what we have to do to start competing again."

Now, about that voodoo curse.