One point but one more loss

Paul Ranger ties it late, but that only delays the Lightning's fifth consecutive defeat.

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO, Times Staff Writer
Published January 2, 2008

TORONTO -- For the Lightning, every point gained creates a little bit of hope, every one lost takes some away.

That is why Tuesday night's 4-3 shootout loss to the Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre was so disheartening.

Tampa Bay, last in the East, earned a point for a regulation tie on Paul Ranger's goal with 40.3 seconds left in the third period. But it left a point on the table by losing the shootout.

"Getting a point is a good thing for us," Ranger said. "But the fact of the matter is we still didn't win. We have to win."

Because things are desperate.

Tampa Bay (15-21-4) cut to nine points Carolina's lead in the Southeast. In the East, it is three behind the 14th-place Capitals, one of six teams it must climb over to reach the final playoff spot eight points away.

"So every point we leave behind is tough," right wing Marty St. Louis said.

The loss was Tampa Bay's fifth straight, though the first not in regulation, and eighth in nine games. It was its sixth straight loss in Toronto.

Tampa Bay was 0-for-5 on the power play and is 2-for-25 in its past eight games. And it got little from its top players while falling to a league-worst 3-13-2 on the road.

St. Louis scored his 14th but failed in the shootout against goaltender Scott Clemmensen as did center Brad Richards, who has not scored in eight games. Vinny Lecavalier had two assists and scored in the shootout but had just one shot on goal.

On the other hand, Toronto's Jason Blake had a goal and two assists. Mats Sundin had a goal, and he and Tomas Kaberle beat goalie Karri Ramo during the 2-1 shootout with backhanders high to the stick side.

"I'll have to see it (on video) to see why they had so much room," Ramo, who otherwise was solid, said of his first NHL shootout.

"Their top guys outplayed our top guys," coach John Tortorella said. "We have a shootout to make up for it and don't get it done.

"That's why we walk away with one point and not two."

There were bright spots.

Andreas Karlsson scored his first goal of the season and first in 49 games since Jan. 7 against the Penguins. Defenseman Shane O'Brien was plus-3 and sprawled in overtime to block a shot that left a deep welt on his left calf.

But the Lightning was outshot 5-1 in overtime, and Richards failed on a superb third-period chance against Clemmensen, who made his first start after a Dec. 26 call-up from the minors.

"We've got to learn to bear down and play our hardest and with some desperation in the most crucial times," Ranger said. "We're getting better at it, but we have to get it done."

"You have to play at a different level," Tortorella said. "We will mire in this until we decide to simply play with some jam. We've had our meetings. We've shown our tape. We've had talks and this and that."

Next are road games against the Canadiens, Senators and Rangers.

"We have to follow (Tuesday) with another good effort," O'Brien said. "A point on the road is not the worst thing in the world."

It's not the best, either.

[Last modified January 2, 2008, 01:53:04]