'Unreal' Holmqvist lifts Lightning
The goaltender's 40 saves help produce the season's first road victory.
By DAMIAN CRISTODERO, Times Staff Writer
Published November 9, 2007
RALEIGH, N.C. - Johan Holmqvist is not one to use superlatives when describing his game.
So after making 40 saves Thursday night to squelch the Southeast-leading Hurricanes 5-1 at the RBC Center, the Lightning goaltender said he was "sharp" and felt "good."
"He was unreal," defenseman Shane O'Brien said. "He was great."
Good thing, too, because without Holmqvist, who knows how the game, in which Tampa Bay gave up a season-high 41 shots, might have changed.
As it turned out, both Holmqvist and the Lightning (7-8-1) won their second straight. It also was Tampa Bay's first road victory after a team-record seven losses to start the season.
Holmqvist wasn't on his own.
O'Brien scored twice and has four goals, double last season. Defenseman Filip Kuba got his first. Vinny Prospal scored his 10th and Vinny Lecavalier his ninth.
Notice also should be taken of the new line of Lecavalier and wings Prospal and Michel Ouellet. The trio had seven points with two assists each for Ouellet and Prospal and an assist for Lecavalier.
Right wing Marty St. Louis moved to Brad Richards' line.
But it was Holmqvist who was at his best as the Hurricanes, who entered with a league-high 58 goals, began to surge.
"Sometimes you can find holes in a goalie, and sometimes he stands tall," Carolina wing Justin Williams said. "He had all the angles covered."
The decision by coach John Tortorella and his staff to go with Holmqvist on consecutive nights raised some eyebrows.
The goalie has played 14 of 16 games. The team was home Wednesday against Florida, and Holmqvist only twice previously had played on consecutive days.
"I'm not getting into a long discussion about it," Tortorella said before the game. "I want to go with Holmer."
Perhaps it was Holmqvist's 22 saves in the 3-1 win over Florida. Perhaps it is the work he is doing on positioning while trying to raise the mediocre .880 save percentage with which he entered.
"Finding when to be aggressive and when to back off, stuff like that," he said.
Whatever it was, the hunch paid off.
The Lightning was almost perfect in the first period as it controlled the middle of the ice, crafted a north-south sensibility and took a 2-0 lead on goals from Lecavalier and O'Brien.
Holmqvist got it done in the second and third periods, when Carolina took away some of the play and outshot Tampa Bay 33-18. He seemed to thrive on the heavy demand and admitted it was better than "standing around and waiting 15 minutes" for a shot.
His diving glove save on Erik Cole with 7:47 left in the second preserved a 3-0 lead and preceded O'Brien's breakaway tally with 1:49 left.
"I just tried to get over there," Holmqvist said. "You never know. It's one of those things you do once in a while."
"The biggest thing is our team knows it can play good hockey both home and away," Tortorella said. "They found themselves (Thursday) and found a way to get a win."
All things considered, a superb result.