TAMPA - More than a month of frustration made the Lightning wary of assuming a 4-2 win over Boston signaled the end of a slump in which it went 3-10-3 and scored 26 goals.
A 5-4 win over Philadelphia, the No.2 team in the Eastern Conference, on Dec.18 was supposed to have been the end of the problems but the Lightning scored just three times and went 0-2-1 before Saturday night.
"I think when you win a game you want to come back and do it again and I guess, develop a streak," coach John Tortorella said. "That's what we're looking for and the past month a couple of times when we've won a big game, we stutter-stepped there."
WHAT GIVES: The power play went 0-for-4 to stretch its recent futility to 9-for-96. Admittedly tentative, Martin St. Louis said, the unit was ineffective on a five-minute advantage when Martin Lapointe earned a fighting major and game misconduct for hitting Brad Lukowich in the head late. But the penalty kill erased six advantages, scored three goals and has succeeded 62 of the past 69 times.
"We put pressure on them," said Vinny Lecavalier, who scored his second short-hander of the season. "By putting pressure on them they made mistakes and we took advantage of them."
STICK AROUND: Right wing Shane Willis played his 10th game with the Lightning, meaning he must clear waivers before being reassigned to the minor leagues. His four shots Friday against Atlanta, after being scratched in three straight games, has made that a nonissue right now.
"He showed up (against Atlanta)," Tortorella said. "And with our offensive play, I'm not taking him out of the lineup now. It's a matter of him finding it, and if he does, he grows and we're a better team because of it."
Willis has five assists and a plus-1 rating.
HISTORY: Barring injury, Dave Andreychuk, 40, will pass Red Wings Hall of Famer Alex Delvecchio for seventh on the NHL all-time games list (1,549) on Wednesday at home against Florida.
SLAP SHOTS: Fredrik Modin collected his 99th and 100th assists as a Lightning. Scratches: For Tampa Bay, right wing Ben Clymer, left wing Chris Dingman and defenseman Darren Rumble. For Boston, left wing Sergei Samsanov (injury), defenseman Ian Moran and left wing Doug Doull. ... Two of Rob Zamuner's three goals this season have come against his former Lightning team.
