Period pieces

First period: A Lightning lead

By BRANT JAMES, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published April 16, 2003

A switch that put 70-point scorers Vinny Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis on the same line provided early energy and the Lightning's first lead of the series less than five minutes into the game.

Troubling, though, was Washington's continued dominance on special teams.

It killed one penalty, drawing a penalty shot in the process, and exploited its one power play to tie the score on a defensive gaffe by defenseman Stan Neckar.

THE POSITIVE: Capitals wing Dainius Zubrus sent a penalty shot, the first in Lightning playoff history, off the cross bar with 8:28 left to preserve a 1-0 Lightning lead. Vinny Prospal hooked him down during a short-handed breakaway.

THE NEGATIVE: Zubrus' goal with 5:34 left tied the score and gave the Capitals four goals on 10 power plays during the series.

The Lightning failed on its only power play to fall to 0-for-9.

KEY PLAY: With six minutes left, wing Ben Clymer earned a two-minute penalty for roughing after exchanging face washes with Capitals ruffian Brendan Witt. Zubrus scored less than 30 seconds later.

KEY PLAYER: Lecavalier's big-game potential glimmered with three outstanding chances and a goal five minutes in.

Period two: Another lead, another tie

Tampa Bay earned its second lead of the series on Vinny Prospal's goal. It did not hold, however, as Dainius Zubrus tied it in a period almost perfectly split in terms of control.

Four minutes in, Prospal took a pass from Martin St. Louis behind the net and cut to the net to score from a sharp angle. But Zubrus scored as the entry pass from the wing appeared to nip the skate of Zubrus or sliding defenseman Jassen Cullimore.

Still, Zubrus flipped it over Nikolai Khabibulin's shoulder to tie it. Washington began to flow better offensively thereafter. Robert Lang hit Khabibulin in the head with a shot, and Jaromir Jagr nicked the post after Khabibulin lost his stick. THE POSITIVE: With an assist from St. Louis and a goal from Prospal, the Lightning got more points from its mostly invisible stars.

THE NEGATIVE: Lecavalier seemed to vanish, and Jagr, Lang and Michael Nylander seemed to find more open ice.

KEY PLAY: Pavel Kubina had a solid period until it was over. As the horn sounded, he was checked hard by Steve Konowalchuk, and Kubina was given a penalty after retaliating.

KEY PLAYER: Zubrus, at 6 feet 4, 213 pounds, is the type of player who could give the smaller Lightning fits. Perhaps inspired by Dan Boyle's check into the bench in Game 2, he scored his second goal and began to assert himself on both ends.

Period three: Back and forth

The Lightning looked fantastic in taking a 3-2 lead with 8:47 left, Martin St. Louis swooping onto a long lead pass from Vinny Prospal to blast his first playoff goal over Olaf Kolzig's shoulder.

After that, its playoff inexperience showed, and the Caps, bolstered by two dynamic scoring opportunities by wing Peter Bondra, began a furious push.

Bondra was stopped in close as he tried to lift a puck over Nikolai Khabibulin and later hit the pipe. Jaromir Jagr set up the tying goal with less than three minutes left with a nifty pass and a few ounces of blood, eventually sending the game to overtime.

THE POSITIVE: The Lightning kept coming, waiting for the opportunity to spring St. Louis. It also killed the potentially damaging high-sticking penalty by Pavel Kubina that occurred at the end of the second period.

THE NEGATIVE: Jagr was allowed to arise at a key time, negating a lot of hard work.

KEY PLAY: Jagr pinched behind the net to control a loose puck. Jagr wired a pass through to the high slot, took a shot to the face that bloodied him, and missed Brendan Witt slapping in his fourth career postseason goal with 2:56 left.

KEY PLAYER: With Jagr under control, Bondra found another gear and created an offensive tension that helped change the last eight minutes.

Overtime period:Gooooooooal!!!

Now that's the way to end a power-play slump. Sure, it was five-on-three, but in the playoffs, it's all gravy. Vinny Lecavalier's second goal of the game less than three minutes in ended an 0-for-10 slump.

THE POSITIVE: There will be at least one more game at the St. Pete Times Forum.

THE NEGATIVE: Going down two men in overtime -- highly unusual in the playoffs -- the Caps have an excuse. KEY PLAYS: Jaromir Jagr, frustrated by the in-his-jersey coverage, punched Pavel Kubina in the head 90 seconds in, dislodging the defenseman's helmet and drawing a penalty. Less than a minute later, Ken Klee elbowed Dave Andreychuk rushing the net. KEY PLAYER: Lecavalier is supposed to score goals such as these.

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