By DAMIAN CRISTODERO, BRANT JAMES
Published March 7, 2004
SUNRISE - Darcy Hordichuk played his role to perfection. And so did Andre Roy.
The Panthers' pesky left wing was at his abrasive best Saturday, making boundary-pushing contact with any available target and shooting the puck at an open net on a delayed penalty. When Hordichuk appeared to cross check Lightning defenseman Cory Sarich then drew an interference penalty on Jassen Cullimore for what was, arguably, a dive, enough was enough. So Roy, half of the Lightning's on-ice security detail, waited for his chance.
It came 2:24 into the second. After geting the better of a lengthy and nasty tussle, Roy made a mocking hand-wiping gesture to the crowd before taking his seat in the penalty box. "He is trying to get under everyone's skin. He's after (Martin St. Louis). He's after (Brad Richards). He's after everyone, and we cannot let that happen," Roy said. "I know he's trying to do his job, but at one point, someone had to step in and do something. Me or (Chris Dingman) had to do something, and it just happened to be me."
Lightning coach John Tortorella was pleased how his team responded, including killing off a subsequent five-on-three. "Not just Andre," he said. "How it responded immediately when that happened. If the referee down in that corner can't handle it, then the players have to take it into their own hands. And they wonder why they have problems."
ESCAPE: Though enjoying the glow of Friday's dramatic 3-2 overtime victory over the Devils, the Lightning understood the lesson it learned.
"That's what it's going to be like if we're still playing in the middle of April," Tortorella said. "So we have to learn to play against that."
Tortorella meant playoff games are going to be tight-checking, clog-the-slot affairs, and Tampa Bay can't deviate from its game plan or wait more than two periods, as it did against New Jersey, before turning on the energy and sharpness that has defined its 24-3-1-4 run since Jan. 3.
And it certainly can't count on tying goals with 9.6 seconds left in the third period as Vinny Lecavalier provided.
ODDS AND ENDS: Defensemen Nolan Pratt and Darren Rumble and right wing Ben Clymer were healthy scratches. ... With two first-period assists, St. Louis has points in 13 of 14 games and 23 of 25. ... With a first-period goal and assist, Cory Stillman has 66 points, one shy of his career high. ... With an assist, Lecavalier set a career-high points streak (eight games). ... With a second-period assist, Richards extended his points streak to a career-best 11.
