Knocked out

Despite two power-play goals from Brad Richards, the Lightning can't solve Devils goalie Martin Brodeur, and its season slips away.

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO
Published April 23, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT [Times photo: Dirk Shadd] Martin St. Louis reflects on the team's playoff exit after the Lightning lost 3-2 to the New Jersey Devils.

TAMPA

When the final horn sounded, Lightning players on the St. Pete Times Forum ice bent over in exhaustion ... and frustration.

They leaned on sticks that rested across their knees. Teammates gently smacked stick blades on legs in encouragement.

It was all over - the game, a 3-2 loss to the Devils on Sunday, and the season, as New Jersey took the best-of-seven East quarterfinal series four games to two.

"It's a weird feeling," right wing Marty St. Louis said, "an empty feeling."

"This is not fun," center Brad Richards said. "I can't believe we're talking about this right now."

For the second straight game, Tampa Bay could not solve goaltender Martin Brodeur, who made 32 saves and, until Richards scored the first of his two power-play goals 5:10 into the second period, shut out Tampa Bay for 122 minutes, 44 seconds.

Brodeur's 93rd playoff victory pushed him to second all time behind Patrick Roy's 151 and set up New Jersey's semifinal series with Ottawa.

"This was a big test for us," Brodeur said of beating the Lightning. "We did not want to overlook those guys. They played very well. That's a tough team to shut down."

As usual, the Devils, outshot 34-26, took advantage of Tampa Bay's mistakes.

When goalie Johan Holmqvist was off in his positioning, Brian Gionta scored a first-period, power-play goal high to the short and glove side.

When New Jersey had a five-on-three advantage with top penalty-killers St. Louis and Vinny Lecavalier in the box, Brian Rafalski scored for a 2-0 second-period lead.

And when captain Tim Taylor failed to clear a puck from the defensive zone and defenseman Filip Kuba, tangled up with Devils forward Patrik Elias, knocked over Holmqvist - "I was pushed," Kuba said - Gionta scored his second, and fifth of the series, into an empty net just 39 seconds after Richards made it 2-1.

Richards again cut the deficit to one at 3-2 with 9:14 left in the second. But the Lightning failed to even break into the offensive zone after pulling Holmqvist with a minute left in the third.

"It was pretty obvious we were tired by then," defenseman Dan Boyle said. "We just ran out of gas in the last five minutes."

The high number of minutes played by Tampa Bay's best was a hot topic all series, and coach John Tortorella again leaned on them heavily.

Boyle played a game-high 31:49, St. Louis 31:35, Richards 29:02 and Lecavalier 26:44. All were on the ice in the final minute with Kuba and Vinny Prospal, who played a season-high 25.

"You can write your story now," Tortorella said to a reporter who asked about fatigue. "I'd do the same thing over again."

The Lightning had its chances. Zone time was well in Tampa Bay's favor, and the Lightning outshot the Devils 65-40 in the final two games. But Brodeur made the saves he had to make, and New Jersey took better advantage of its chances.

"On paper they won 4-2, but anyone who watched the games, and I'm sure (the Devils) know it, too, we took control of most games," Boyle said. "But that's how they're built. That's how they win hockey games. They don't have to control the play. They have a good goalie and just have to capitalize on their chances."

The Lightning did not, for the most part, while losing three straight and going 1-2 at home.

"A turn here, a turn there," Tortorella said, "we could be going to Game 7."

Instead, they are going home.

"What do you do now?" St. Louis said. "You're a stay-at-home dad. That's a tough thing to do, flip that switch. It's difficult. We have to remember how this feels."

[Last modified April 23, 2007, 00:03:33]