Lightning offense sputters in defeat

In his second start, rookie Karri Ramo stops 33 of 35 shots but gets little support.

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO
Published December 23, 2007

Marty St. Louis, who scored 23 seconds into the game, gets a second-period shot on Cam Ward despite the effort of Hurricanes defenseman Frantisek Kaberle.
	[Stephen J. Coddington | Times]

ADVERTISEMENT [Stephen J. Coddington | Times] Andrew Ladd reaches for the puck before putting it past Karri Ramo in the first. [Stephen J. Coddington | Times] Vinny Lecavalier, front, and teammate Brad Richards show signs of frustration in the game's closing seconds. The Lightning was outshot 16-5 during the third period. [Stephen J. Coddington | Times] Karri Ramo, keeps his eye on the action during the third period. In his second start, he made 33 saves with two of Carolina's goals being empty-netters.

TAMPA - The Lightning is in the middle of a drought. You think the state is dry? Check out Tampa Bay's scorecard lately.

Funny, with all the attention being paid to the team's goaltending problems, it hasn't seemed a pressing issue.

But after Saturday night's 4-1 loss to the Hurricanes at the St. Pete Times Forum - and another strong effort by rookie goaltender Karri Ramo - it is time to pay attention.

The Lightning has scored just 20 goals in its past nine games. Take away the six-goal aberration against the Flames, and it's 14 in eight games with no more than two goals in each. The third goal in a 3-2 victory over the Canadiens was awarded in a shootout.

No surprise, then, Tampa Bay (15-18-3) is on a 3-5-1 stretch.

What was surprising was the way coach John Tortorella went out of his way to criticize his "core" offensive players, in other words, those expected to score consistently: Vinny Lecavalier, Marty St. Louis, Brad Richards and Vinny Prospal.

The group had 21 of Tampa Bay's 30 shots, and St. Louis scored his 13th goal 23 seconds into the game for a 1-0 lead. But the Lightning was outshot 16-5 in a third period that began 1-1, with one shot each from Richards and Lecavalier.

"I just didn't like the effort in the third period, our intensity," Tortorella said. "I didn't like anything about our third period to try and close out a game, and that falls on the core - no one else. ... I'm totally disgusted about what happened there."

The score would have been worse if not for Ramo. As it was, Carolina hit two posts and a crossbar. But Ramo made 33 saves before two empty-netters.

"So don't talk to me about goaltending," Tortorella said. "We get it in an important game, and we get squat offensively from our top guys. It's frustrating."

As was the failed five-on-three of 1:05 in the second that left the score 1-1 against the team with the league's worst penalty kill.

Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward made some saves, but the shots were from the outside as Carolina did not allow plays at the net.

"We've got to capitalize on those situations, especially when it's an even game," defenseman Paul Ranger said. "If we get up 2-1 and go out and look for another goal and maybe get up 3-1, then 4-1 - you just don't want to stop."

Tampa Bay also stopped itself with bad penalties. A delayed call on Jan Hlavac led to Ray Whitney's winner 9:31 into the third.

But considering the Lightning got goaltending, had a chance to move four points behind first-place Carolina in the Southeast, the effort did not compute.

"They have played great hockey for us this year," Tortorella said of his core. "But it (upsets me) when you have a kid play in net again like he played and we can't muster up some energy to get something done.

"I'm disappointed in the core in this situation, tonight's game, in what our core accomplished, especially in that third period."

First Period-1, Tampa Bay, St. Louis 13 (Richards, O'Brien), :23. 2, Carolina, Ladd 3 (Cullen, Nolan), 18:04. Penalties-None.

Second Period-None. Penalties-O'Brien, TB (tripping), 5:21; Seidenberg, Car (slashing), 6:27; Brind'Amour, Car (hooking), 7:22; Gratton, TB (slashing), 9:08; O'Brien, TB (slashing), 19:52.

Third Period-3, Carolina, Whitney 17 (Stillman, Kaberle), 9:31. 4, Carolina, Whitney 18 (Walker), 19:00 (en). 5, Carolina, Staal 17 (Whitney, Hedican), 19:57 (en). Penalties-None. Shots on Goal-Carolina 13-8-16-37. Tampa Bay 10-15-5-30. Power-play opportunities-Carolina 0 of 3; Tampa Bay 0 of 2. Goalies-Carolina, C.Ward 15-10-2 (30 shots-29 saves). Tampa Bay, Ramo 1-1-0 (35-33). A-18,765 (19,758).

Hurricanes 4

Lightning 1

[Last modified December 23, 2007, 01:04:53]