An infuriating loss

Tortorella rips Tampa Bay's effort after it falls to 0-4 on the road.

By EDUARDO A. ENCINA
Published October 30, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT [Getty Images] Rangers center Brandon Dubinsky, right, lands a blow on Lightning forward Mathieu Darche.

NEW YORK - The Lightning dressing room was quiet, but coach John Tortorella was not.

The Lightning hoped a trip to Madison Square Garden to play a Rangers team that has scored the fewest goals in the league would help it emerge out of an early season road funk.

But the Rangers were the more desperate team Monday night, dominating the Lightning physically and scoring two power-play goals in the third period on their way to a 3-1 win, handing the Lightning its fourth road loss in as many games.

The Garden hasn't been kind to the Lightning, which suffered its third straight loss at the arena after goaltender Johan Holmqvist did everything he could to keep Tampa Bay in the game.

That was the problem in the eyes of Tortorella, who dressed down his team to the media.

"We were undisciplined," Tortorella said of the third period, "but up until then, we had one player play, our (expletive) goalie. Our goalie gives us a chance after two periods, and we can't put 20 minutes of disciplined hard hockey together, so we're not even (expletive) close tonight, not even close, so we don't deserve anything.

"We spent more time (expletive) looking at referees for (expletive) calls, p------ and moaning about instead of playing, so we don't deserve (expletive-expletive) tonight."

Holmqvist (32 saves) was spectacular early, surviving a constant peppering of Rangers shots, a deflection goal off the stick of Nigel Dawes at 7:40 in the first period the only shot of 23 in the first two periods to get past him. The Rangers, whose three goals Monday were as many as they had scored in their past four games, hit the post three times, including the crossbar twice, and had a goal go off Chris Drury's glove in the first two periods.

Meanwhile, the Lightning's only offensive highlight of the night came on Vinny Lecavalier's penalty-shot goal with 6:28 in the second period. Lecavalier, who was hooked by Marek Malik, showed great patience on the shot, waiting out Rangers goaltender Hendrik Lundqvist before taking a late backhand shot between the goalie's legs.

But that goal was it for the Lightning.

"Physically, it was just no contest tonight," said Lightning defenseman Dan Boyle, who returned from a freak left wrist injury that kept him out of the first nine games. "They were much hungrier on the puck."

The Lightning had a chance to steal a game heading into the final period. But its failure to convert on the power play - it was 0-for-4 Monday after entering with the sixth most productive unit in the league - and seven penalties, including four in the third, ultimately did the Lightning in.

"We couldn't help (Holmqvist) out in the third," Lightning forward Marty St. Louis said. "We got caught in penalties and special teams. On the road you need your (power play) to get you some goals, man, and it didn't."

The Lightning survived a 55-second five-on-three disadvantage late in the second after a rare too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty put Tampa Bay two men down. But the Rangers scored two power-play goals just 2:44 apart in the game's final 10:45. Jaromir Jagr scored at the 10:45 mark 13 seconds after Chris Gratton's cross-checking penalty.

The Rangers sealed the game by taking advantage of Shane O'Brien's hooking penalty when Brendan Shanahan scored in front of the net off Chris Drury's centering pass from the left side. The Rangers outshot the Lightning 12-4 in the third.

"We didn't play our best two periods, but we were still in the game," Holmqvist said. "Then you always have a chance to win hockey games. It's tough to win when you're shorthanded."

First Period-1, N.Y. Rangers, Dawes 3 (Mara, Shanahan), 7:40. Penalties-Ranger, TB (hooking), :34; Drury, NYR (tripping), 11:17; Girardi, NYR (hooking), 15:00.

Second Period-2, Tampa Bay, Lecavalier 6 (penalty shot), 6:28. Penalties-Lecavalier, TB (tripping), 13:14; Tampa Bay bench, served by Ward (too many men), 14:19.

Third Period-3, N.Y. Rangers, Jagr 3 (Rozsival, Drury), 10:45 (pp). 4, N.Y. Rangers, Shanahan 2 (Drury, Jagr), 13:29 (pp). Penalties-Mara, NYR (hooking), 5:47; Lecavalier, TB (holding), 6:25; Gratton, TB (cross-checking), 10:32; O'Brien, TB (hooking), 12:22; Tyutin, NYR (holding), 14:39; Darche, TB (boarding), 17:06. Shots on Goal-Tampa Bay 11-7-4-22. N.Y. Rangers 10-13-12-35. Power-play opportunities-Tampa Bay 0 of 4; N.Y. Rangers 2 of 7. Goalies-Tampa Bay, Holmqvist 5-2-1 (35 shots-32 saves). N.Y. Rangers, Lundqvist 4-6-1 (22-21). A-18,200 (18,200). T-2:29. Referees-Dan O'Halloran, Ian Walsh. Linesmen-Steve Barton, David Brisebois.

[Last modified October 30, 2007, 00:36:37]