Clipping penalty angers Tortorella

BOSTON -- Lightning coach John Tortorella was mad at Boston's Martin Lapointe. Lapointe did not seem to care.

Lapointe was called for clipping Lightning left wing Vinny Prospal with 2:47 left in the third period of Monday's 2-2 tie with the Bruins. The penalty is called when a check is thrown at a player's knees.

"That was a (pointless) play by Lapointe," Tortorella said. "If the NHL wants to do something, that should be an automatic suspension right there. Boot him right out of the game and suspend him because that's how someone gets hurt. That's what I'm concerned about here."

Lapointe said, "It wasn't a dirty play. "I was just trying to avoid a hit and the puck was right there. If it happened again, I would do the same thing."

The play occurred as Prospal trailed Lapointe toward the boards behind the Lightning red line. Lapointe bent over and Prospal went flying as Lapointe's butt went into his legs.

"(New Jersey's) Scott Stevens plays like that all the time and rarely gets called," Lapointe said. "It doesn't matter to me if they're mad. They can be mad all they want."

Prospal said he did not consider it a dirty hit, and Tortorella said dirty play "is not in (Lapointe's) nature at all. I know him as a player, but it's a joke."

"I wish," Tortorella added, "we would have scored on the power play."

LINE OF FIRE: The Lightning got a scare during the morning skate when defenseman Jassen Cullimore took a hard slap shot from defenseman Cory Sarich off his right foot. Cullimore, who has played three games after missing 54 with a torn left rotator cuff, went to the ice then bent over along the boards before resuming practice. Tortorella said Cullimore was fine, and he was in the lineup.

GAME ON: If the Lightning wins the Southeast and faces the Capitals in the first round of the playoffs -- the likely scenario -- it probably will open at home April 9 and play Game 2 on April 11. If the Capitals win, the first two games likely will be at the MCI Center on April 10 and 13. Another scenario has the Lightning opening at home on April 10 and 12 and playing in Washington on April 15 and 16. That will depend on whether ABC wants to televise the April 12 game.

ODDS AND ENDS: Lightning left wing Fredrik Modin played his 500th game. His second-period goal was his first in 11 games and second in 20. ... Left wing Chris Dingman returned to the lineup after being scratched in eight of nine games. ... Left wing Andre Roy was scratched.