NHL

Slapshots

Patience key to avoiding trap.

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published April 24, 2003

Tampa Bay learned the importance of scoring the game's first goal during its first-round series against Washington, in which the team that scored first won five of six games. An early lead will be even more important against New Jersey, which plays smothering defense and rarely relinquishes a third-period lead.

"It will be a priority," Lightning defenseman Dan Boyle said.

New Jersey's game plan is built around a stingy neutral-zone trap. Like prey in a spider's web, opponents who try too hard to free themselves only make things worse. The Lightning needs to be cautious and wait for opportunities, not an easy task for a young team.

"It's not going to be where we really try to take it to this team," captain Dave Andreychuk said. "Any team that has the lowest goals-against in the league is a team built for the playoffs. You have to wait for your chances and be patient."

The Devils tied for first with the Flyers with 166 goals allowed during the regular season, a hair more than two per game, and allowed eight in fives games against Boston in the first round (five coming in one game). When leading entering the third period, New Jersey was 33-0-5-1 in the regular season and 3-0 in the playoffs.

Then again, Tampa Bay has been a comeback team all season and rallied for ties in its two most recent games against the Devils, home games on Jan.11 and March 27.

"They're not going to give us much," Boyle said. "It's going to be frustrating for a lot of us who like to be creative offensively, but we just have to be patient."

Khabibulin focused on self

It's not exactly going out on a limb to say the series could come down to a showdown between two of the league's premier goaltenders, New Jersey's Martin Brodeur and Tampa Bay's Nikolai Khabibulin. But the matchup doesn't interest Khabibulin.

"I just have to concentrate on what I have to do, stick with what I can do and try to do my best," he said. "I'm not worried about matchups."

Khabibulin said nerves played a part in his shaky start against Washington. By the end of the series, he appeared to be in top form, making a career-high 60 saves in the Lightning's 2-1 triple-overtime victory in Game 6, the series clincher.

For the Lightning to advance against a seasoned New Jersey team that surrenders few goals, Khabibulin must deliver. But unless Brodeur plans to fire 190-foot slap shots, Khabibulin has better things to worry about than the man in the opposite net.

"They're a very quick team," Khabibulin said. "They go to the net hard. They have a good, mobile defense that is going to join the rush. Experience is a big thing in the playoffs, but we're going to go out and play our best and see what happens."

Familiar territory

Andreychuk did not hesitate to say New Jersey was one of his favorite stops as a player.

At this point, though, New Jersey is just another of the six teams for which Andreychuk has played.

"As I look up and down the lineup, there aren't a lot of guys left, but there are a few," he said. "Obviously, I had some good times when I was there.

"But I do remember we were beaten in the playoffs by some teams that shouldn't have beaten us."

Andreychuk has even forgiven the organization for not announcing his 600th goal, which he scored during Tampa Bay's 3-1 victory in November at Continental Airlines Arena.

"I don't think anything has been announced up there. That's the way it is," Andreychuk said. "I talked to a couple of guys after the game. It didn't bother me at all."

Andreychuk also knows Devils coach Pat Burns, having played for him for four seasons with the Maple Leafs and one with the Bruins.

"Dave is great," Burns said. "Everyone always knocked his skating, but he's still going strong. People say he was a defensive player and all that. All he ever did was score a bunch of goals and make a lot of teams better."

Noting Andreychuk's NHL-record 260 power-play goals, Burns said, "He's scored more power-play goals than God."

Burns toasts Tortorella

Burns gave Lightning coach John Tortorella the thumbs up for the way he handled Vinny Lecavalier.

"Lecavalier has finally come into his own," Burns said. "After hearing all the blubbering and crying and everything like that, he finally understood what it's all about, and he's a great player.

John has done a great job with him. At one point, he wanted to go home, and he wanted a trade. But they were patient with him. That's good. They were hard on him, but that's what it's all about. Sometimes, it takes them a while to understand. And when they do, he's a great player."

Rivals? Sure, why not?

Lightning defenseman Cory Sarich, who drew the Devils' ire with a blindside hit on Jay Pandolfo during a 3-3 tie on Jan.11 at the St. Pete Times Forum, said the incident is over. In the final meeting of the regular season, Pandolfo fought Sarich and lost.

End of story, Sarich said.

"I think so, unless he wants to test his luck again," he said. "He stood up for himself, did a good job of that. And I think that's the last you'll hear of that situation."

As for any lingering animosity between the teams, Sarich said bad feelings from hard-fought games in the regular season are bound to spill over into an intense playoff atmosphere.

"There's got to be a little bit," he said. "It was a tough season series. But we play hard against everyone, and I guess rivalries are going to form whether they're there or not. It's going to be a tough series."

Keep your head up

After watching the goal Lightning right wing Martin St. Louis scored to give Tampa Bay a 2-1 victory in Game 6, Brodeur issued a warning.

"There are not too many guys who would make that move in overtime and don't even look at anybody," Brodeur said. "I don't know if he's going to do a move like that when Scotty (Stevens) is going to be on the ice.

"It was the power play, but he exposed himself by looking down at his feet for about two seconds."

St. Louis agreed he looked down as he swung around the Capitals goal but said he was in no danger because he "read the play."

"I did look down. I took a chance," St. Louis said. "Sometimes, you take a chance, and it works. I mean, you have to read the play and what's going on. I saw the defense was behind the net. I was coming around with pretty good speed.

"I figured I could jump to the front. If Stevens is behind the net, he can't hit me in front of the net."

Playoff power

Andreychuk has 17 power-play goals in the playoffs. Brett Hull holds the record with 37.

Quotable

"We know that they have a good goalie. I don't really care about him. We just need to score goals on him." -- Lecavalier on Brodeur.