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5 games to forget

DAMIAN CRISTODERO
Published April 8, 2004

1. MARCH 20 - BRUINS 5, LIGHTNING 4: Tampa Bay had a 3-0 lead with 1:52 remaining in the first period. But the Bruins scored three goals in the next 3:13 to tie the game. Making it worse, goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, allowed two bad goals, including Michael Nylander's winner early in the third period, which increased Tampa Bay's winless streak in Boston to 20 games (0-14-5-1).

2. JAN. 21 - CANUCKS 5, LIGHTNING 4 (OT): Tampa Bay still hasn't won in Vancouver (0-6-2-1), but it should have. A 3-1 first-period lead was wasted. The Lightning went ahead 4-3 with 9:13 left on Dave Andreychuk's goal and Pavel Kubina's 100th career assist, but the Canucks tied the score with 6:23 left and Markus Naslund scored the winner with 20.5 seconds left in OT after goalie Nikolai Khabibulin mishandled a save.

3. FEB. 19 - BLUES 4, LIGHTNING 3 (OT): Tampa Bay led 2-1 entering the third period, but goalie Nikolai Khabibulin allowed two bad goals, and another in overtime at the Savvis Center. It was the Lightning's 10th consecutive loss in St. Louis, where it has not win since Nov. 13, 1992, the franchise's fourth game.

4. DEC. 20 - STARS 2, LIGHTNING 1: Dallas came into the game with just three road victories. Yet Tampa Bay, in one of its most listless efforts of the season, went 0-for-7 on the power play, including 2 minutes, 50 seconds of five-on-three, and increased its winless streak at home to 0-4-1.

5. NOV. 10 - PANTHERS 4, LIGHTNING 0: A second shutout loss in a four-game stretch and a 1-2-1-1 streak after 7-0-1-0 start had the players hanging their heads at Florida. Adding insult, former Lightning GM Rick Dudley coached his first game as Florida's interim and former Lightning coach Steve Ludzik was his assistant. Roberto Luongo made 26 saves for his first shutout of the season.

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