Lightning in the playoffs

LIGHTNING 4, SHARKS 1: Tampa Bay clinches spot in postseason for first time since 1996.

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published March 25, 2003

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The young and the old meshed so well for the Lightning this season, it was fitting they got together Monday night to push Tampa Bay into the playoffs.

Dave Andreychuk, 39 and in his 21st season, and Vinny Lecavalier, 22 and in his fifth, each had a power-play goal and an assist during a 4-1 victory over the Sharks at HP Pavilion , securing the Lightning's first playoff berth since 1996.

Both goals were historic. Andreychuk's 613th gave him 20 in 18 seasons. Only Gordie Howe (22) and Carolina's Ron Francis (20) have more. It also was his 15th with the man advantage and extended his NHL record to 260.

"We deserved to go to the playoffs," Andreychuk, the team's captain, said. "We played with desperation the last month, and I just get the feeling in this room we're not done. It's time to get to the next level."

Lecavalier's 31st goal gave him a team-record 112. Ruslan Fedotenko's third-period goal was his 17th and tied a career high.

"We're not satisfied just with the playoffs," Lecavalier said. "Now our goal is home ice advantage. That's what we're going for."

The Lightning, which scored three times in the second period, including twice in 79 seconds, did itself all kinds of favors with the victory. It not only gained the team's second playoff appearance in its 11-season history, it pushed Tampa Bay to a five-point lead in the Southeast Division over the Washington Capitals.

The Lightning's 88 points tie a team record set by the 1995-96 playoff team.

Nikolai Khabibulin again was stellar and made 34 saves to raise his personal- and team-record unbeaten streak to 11-0-2. Andre Roy scored his 10th goal and got his personal-best 17th point. Lecavalier's assist was his 42nd and tied a career high. Brad Lukowich's assist on Fedotenko's goal gave him a career-high 15 points.

The Lightning got a scare with 5:01 left when Lukowich had to be helped off the ice with a cut under his right eye.

It has been a remarkable 20-game run for the Lightning, whose six-season playoff drought was tied with the Flames for the league's longest.

Tampa Bay is a mind-boggling 13-2-5, and its nine-game unbeaten streak (6-0-3) is a team record. It is 6-1-3 on the road in that stretch and 4-0-1 in its past five.

The Sharks had the better of play in the first period, outshooting Tampa Bay 12-8.

But Tampa Bay mounted some pressure on the game's first power play. Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov stopped Dan Boyle's shot from the point. The puck rebounded to Andreychuk in the slot, but he did not get good wood on the shot and it fluttered over the net 4:25 into the period.

Nabokov, who later in the game stopped Martin St. Louis on a penalty shot, had to be acrobatic at 6:16 to stop Tim Taylor.

After that it was all Sharks.

Khabibulin had to make quick-kick stops on Kyle McLaren's wrist shot through a screen at 11:19 and Jesse Fibiger's shot that also was screened at 15:00.

The Sharks picked up in the second period where they left off, and so did Khabibulin.

The goalie made nice saves on a shot from the point and a Lynn Loyns rebound try 40 seconds in. He then stopped Teemu Selanne's slap shot from the faceoff circle.

The Lightning, which had 21 shots in the period and 42 in the game, took a 1-0 lead on Andreychuk's power-play goal at 4:54.

It was 2-0 79 seconds later on Roy's goal. Roy had three tries to get it past Nabokov and finally did for his first goal since Jan.24.