The fourth line of Chris Dingman, Ben Clymer and Martin Cibak was the Lightning's best. The trio was plus-1 and combined for five shots while providing energy and physical play.
Dingman had four shots - second to Brad Richards' five - including several breakaway chances, but he was unable to score.
"I had a two-on-one I didn't score on and had another break where I didn't score on that," Dingman said. "It's the difference in the game. I think Torts (coach John Tortorella) rolled the lines and, given the ice time, I just tried to make the most of it and obviously I didn't get the job done. I had a couple opportunities, and those are the difference."
Tortorella was disappointed Tampa Bay's top lines didn't match their production.
"If Martin Cibak, Chris Dingman and Ben Clymer is your best line, it's simply not going to happen for you. No offense to them ... (but) your best players need to be your best players."
Not enough give, too much take
Goalie Nikolai Khabibulin has carried the Lightning for much of the postseason and kept it in the game with 33 saves, including 23 in the first two periods.
Tim Taylor said it's time Tampa Bay starts playing better in front of him.
"We put him in three-quarters of the game in bad situations," Taylor said. "It's about time our team bailed Nik out, and we're going to have to come together and play one heck of a game on Saturday."
"He made some unbelievable saves," captain Dave Andreychuk said. "He gave us a chance to tie that game up, gave us a chance to win it in overtime. If Nik doesn't make a lot of those saves, we're done a lot earlier. We're going to need him again."
Tight-lipped
Lightning players were in a closed-door meeting and unavailable for television interviews after a second period in which it was outshot 14-3 and allowed Jarome Iginla's go-ahead goal.
"If I was the Tampa Bay Lightning, I'd be too embarrassed to be interviewed," ABC studio analyst Barry Melrose said.
Said Fredrik Modin , "Obviously, we wanted to get back in the game. We talked about what we needed to do, and I thought we came out good, tied the game up, and kept playing well, creating chances. There were chances both ways. They get the one in overtime, and we don't win the game."
Line change
The Lightning started the third period with a line of Lecavalier, Richards and Martin St. Louis, and the trio produced quick results. Lecavalier drew a holding-the-stick penalty from Rhett Warrener while splitting two Calgary defenders 31 seconds into the period, and Modin scored on the power play to tie it at 2 six seconds later.
Been there, done that
The Lightning faces a difficult task down 3-2 as the series returns to Calgary for Game 6. But Dingman was part of an Avalanche team that rallied from the same deficit to beat the Devils in the 2001 Stanley Cup final.
"We just said to ourselves, "We're going to give it all we can, we've got nothing to save it for, we're going to go in and win' and we ended up winning that game," Dingman said. "You win one game and the momentum swings back in your favor. Obviously, it's a do-or-die situation, our season is on the line and you don't expect anything less than 100 percent from all our guys."
Fedotenko plays, Stillman scratched
In a bit of a surprise, Ruslan Fedotenko , knocked out of Game 3 when pushed face-first into the side boards, started Game 5 at left wing. Fedotenko, who sustained a badly bruised right cheek, played without the face shield he wore during Wednesday's practice and Thursday's morning skate.
Left wing Cory Stillman was scratched. With zero points in the series and one assist in his past eight games, Stillman, believed to be slowed by a lower-body injury, has not been the player who recorded 80 points during the regular season. Defenseman Pavel Kubina also played after missing Game 4 with what was believed to be a slight concussion. Brad Lukowich was a healthy scratch.
Have teams, will travel
Lightning owner Bill Davidson is on the move. Here, there, everywhere. The 82-year-old owner was in Tampa on Thursday for Game 5. He is expected to travel to Calgary for Saturday's Game 6. Then he'll show some love for his other team, the Detroit Pistons, who are in the NBA Finals. He will go to Los Angeles for Sunday's opening game, then back to Tampa if there is a Game 7.
