At last, a Lightning win

Holmqvist uses his whole body to help end the six-game skid.

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO, Times Staff Writer
Published November 8, 2007

Teammates, including Brad Lukowich, right, mob Marty St. Louis, front, after his goal put the Lightning ahead 2-0.
	[Dirk Shadd | Times]

ADVERTISEMENT [Dirk Shadd | Times] Johan Holmqvist denies the Panthers' Brett McLean during the second period of the Lightning's 3-1 win. Holmqvist stopped 22 shots, including all eight in the third. [Dirk Shadd | Times] Marty St. Louis hits the ice with Mike Van Ryn after putting in a rebound of Vinny Lecavalier's shot.

TAMPA - Johan Holmqvist seemed embarrassed describing the save that, in some respects, was the key to the Lightning's 3-1 victory over the Panthers.

Asked what body part got in the way of Nathan Horton's point-blank shot early in the third period, Tampa Bay's goaltender said, "It hit me in the, in the ...

"Butt?" someone offered.

"Yeah, the butt," Holmqvist said smiling.

Horton's shot was one of five the Panthers took in a frantic eight-second span. Holmqvist made four saves, two with his back literally to the play to preserve a 2-1 lead.

Defenseman Brad Lukowich blocked a fifth shot, and the Lightning (6-8-1) broke a six-game losing streak Wednesday night at the St. Pete Times Forum.

"That's how you win and lose in this league; in those key situations and you get a big play, you get a big save," coach John Tortorella said. "(Wednesday), it hit him. It's a big play for us to win a game."

The Lightning had not done that since Oct. 25 against the Flyers. It hadn't gotten a point since an Oct. 27 overtime loss to the Sabres. Its 0-5-1 stretch was testing patience and confidence.

"Sooner or later," left wing Vinny Prospal said, "we had to get a win."

Jan Hlavac helped in the first period when he broke a 10-game goal drought, his second tally of the season coming on a tap-in of Brad Richards' sensational backhand pass from the side of the net.

Marty St. Louis also scored in the first period after Vinny Lecavalier picked off a pass deep in Florida's zone.

After that, with a power play that entered as the league's best at home going 0-for-6 and Florida goalie Tomas Vokoun making 31 saves, it came down to Holmqvist, who held the fort with 22 saves until Lecavalier's empty-net goal.

"Holmer was good when he had to be," St. Louis said.

He was good and lucky during the third-period frenzy.

Florida cut its deficit to one in the second period when Kamil Kreps' shot deflected in off the stick blade of Lightning defenseman Shane O'Brien.

And the Panthers began the third period with 1:04 left on a power play.

The craziness began 41 seconds in.

Holmqvist made a left-leg save on Olli Jokinen.

Out of position, he dived across the net, and his left leg, bent up at the knee, stopped Horton's backhander from the slot. Holmqvist went spread eagle to stop Jozef Stumpel's rebound try.

Horton shot again from in close as Holmqvist began to stand, but the puck caught the goalie in the, in the ... butt.

"The puck just hit me," Holmqvist said. "It's something you need once in a while. It's something we've been waiting for."

Of Florida's eight third-period shots, four came in that sequence.

The final rebound went to Jay Bouwmeester, whose shot hit Lukowich.

"We haven't got many bounces," Tortorella said. "But if you stay within yourself and still feel you can play at the level we know we can, you force those bounces your way."

"It was a good feeling," Holmqvist said. "It was good to have a little luck."

No need to be embarrassed.

[Last modified November 8, 2007, 00:56:04]