LIGHTNING 5, COYOTES 1: The goalie shuts down his old team for the fourth time in four tries since being traded.
By DAMIAN CRISTODER0
Published October 17, 2003
[Times photo: Dan McDuffie]
Lightning goalie Nikolai Khabibulin stops a shot by Phoenix's Landon Wilson in the second period. It was one of 20 saves on the night for Khabibulin.
[Times photo: Dan McDuffie]
Brad Lukowich celebrates with Brad Richards (19) and Pavel Kubina (13) after scoring Tampa Bay's first goal.
[Times photo: Dan McDuffie]
Tampa Bay's Chris Dingman, right, and Andrei Nazarov mix it up late in the third period in the only fight of the night. Both got major penalties.
TAMPA - Nikolai Khabibulin will tell you it doesn't matter; that every game is as important as the next.
Look at the numbers, though (not to mention the results), and it is difficult to believe the Lightning goaltender does not raise his game when facing the Coyotes.
For the fourth time in four tries since Phoenix traded his rights to Tampa Bay, Khabibulin beat the Coyotes, this time 5-1 Thursday night at the St. Pete Times Forum.
Khabibulin's 20 saves gave him a 0.50 goals-against average and a .973 save percentage against Phoenix. He even assisted on Martin St. Louis' second-period, power-play goal that turned out to be the winner.
"It's been a long time since I got traded," said Khabibulin, who came to Tampa Bay in March 2001. "I guess it's always nice to beat your old team but you don't get any more points for it. It's just like playing any other team."
Khabibulin is right. Only Shane Doan remains from the 1998-99 team on which Khabibulin played before his almost two-year holdout that led to his trade. And general manager Bobby Smith, with whom Khabibulin clashed, also is history.
But it isn't quite ancient history.
"Quietly, deep inside himself, maybe he does have that motivation," coach John Tortorella said. "And to me, any type of motivation a player can get to get them ready, as a coach you want that."
Khabibulin, 2-0-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average and a .961 save percentage, had lots of help sending Phoenix to its first loss after three victories.
St. Louis and defenseman Jassen Cullimore scored 25 seconds apart in the second period to break open a 1-1 game. Defensemen Brad Lukowich and Pavel Kubina also scored, giving the Lightning, for the first time, goals from three defensemen.
St. Louis and Fredrik Modin had a goal and an assist each, Ben Clymer had three assists and Martin Cibak had two.
But it was Khabibulin who made a huge stop on Doan after a giveaway 4:33 into the game to keep the score 0-0. And it was Khabibulin who made a diving stop on Mike Johnson with 1:40 remaining in the second period to preserve a 3-1 lead.
"Niki was very, very good," Coyotes defenseman Paul Mara said. "But I don't think goaltending was actually the difference. As good as he was, it was that 20-second span in the second period that changed the game."
Khabibulin was involved there as well, making a crisp pass to Vinny Lecavalier, who redirected the puck to a streaking St. Louis, who sizzled a shot over the shoulder of goalie Brian Boucher to give Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead 8:07 in.
It was not enough for Khabibulin, who said he did not play his best game despite allowing only Johnson's first-period power-play goal that tied the score at 1.
He said there were times he did not move well and times he was lucky, such as when defenseman Cory Sarich got a stick on Johnson's shot that enabled Khabibulin to make that diving save.
There were problems for Tampa Bay, some of which could be attributed to the five-day layoff after opening Oct. 10 against the Bruins. Defensive zone turnovers were irksome for the second straight game. There were times the hard-working Coyotes were able to pin Tampa Bay in its zone, and the Lightning was 1-for-8 on the power play.
Cory Stillman, who was solid and had an assist, hit the outside of the post with .5 seconds left in the first period at the end of a breakaway in which he deked Boucher out of the play.
The defense helped pick up the slack with offense. It got some help from Phoenix as Kubina's third-period goal that made the score 4-1 deflected in off the skate of Coyotes forward Tyson Nash.
Still, "It shows everyone is contributing," said Lukowich, whose first-period goal was his first since last season's opener. "We don't have to rely on certain people to win games."
Against the Coyotes, a certain person again came up big.
