Lightning earns a physical victory

Big hits leave bumps and bruises and highlight a rare win at home.

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO
Published February 1, 2008

Vinny Lecavalier, who scored the go-ahead goal late in the second period, fights Alexandre Burrows during the first.
	[Dirk Shadd | Times]

ADVERTISEMENT [Dirk Shadd | Times] Brad Richards scores to put the Lightning ahead 4-2. Playing with Marty St. Louis and Vinny Lecavalier, he also had two assists. [Dirk Shadd | Times] The Lightning's Karri Ramo, who made 23 saves to end a four-game losing streak dating to Jan. 8, keeps his eye on the puck during the second period. The rookie improved to 3-7-1 for the season.

TAMPA - The red scratches on Vinny Lecavalier's face and neck advertised a rough-and-tumble game.

Jan Hlavac's heavily bandaged right thigh and limp did the same, as did the ice wraps around Filip Kuba's back.

Lightning players looked like they were in a real hockey game Thursday at the St. Pete Times Forum, and the 4-3 win over the Canucks was the cooling salve.

"That," defenseman Brad Lukowich said, "was a fun (expletive) game."

Tampa Bay (21-26-5) played with an emotional edge to break a two-game losing streak. It took the body, was tough on the puck and prevailed in a contest that featured four fights, 72 penalty minutes and the sense of purpose it needs to make a playoff run.

"A lot of emotion," center Brad Richards said. "They were trying to get under our skin right from the start, and we had to answer."

The Lightning answered physically and by overcoming first-period deficits of 1-0 and 2-1.

Richards, nursing a mild case of mononucleosis, played his best game in weeks, scoring his 16th goal 8:34 into the third for a 4-2 lead and having two assists.

Lecavalier's 31st goal made it 3-2 with 3:21 left in the second. Marty St. Louis had three assists. Vinny Prospal scored his 21st, Chris Gratton his eighth. And after allowing a goal on Vancouver's first shot, Karri Ramo made 23 saves to outshine Lightning nemesis Roberto Luongo.

A new first line of Lecavalier, Richards and St. Louis accounted for seven points and played almost exclusively with offensive defensemen Dan Boyle and Paul Ranger.

But if you really want to know what this game was about, go back to Wednesday's video session in which the coaches showed, with clips from Tuesday's loss to the Sabres, how hard the team wasn't playing.

Go back to Thursday morning's players-only meeting.

"This was a character test for guys to see what they could bring to the table," center Craig MacDonald said. "Each guy has to look at their own game and assess it and bring more."

"It's a man's sport," defenseman Shane O'Brien said. "You have to be able to take criticism and look yourself in the mirror, and guys did that."

And while no one said they looked for a fight, they didn't take much to start.

Lecavalier pummeled Alexandre Burrows in a first-period bout coach John Tortorella said "sparked our team." Andre Roy fought Nathan McIver. Nick Tarnasky literally jumped on Jeff Cowan, and O'Brien tussled with Mattias Ohlund.

There were big hits as Vancouver's Alexander Edler crunched Richards along the boards. Lukowich ran over Burrows and Mason Raymond on one penalty kill.

"I caught myself watching sometimes, not just coaching," Tortorella said. "That's how hockey needs to be played."

Okay, so Edler's power-play goal with 24.1 seconds left cut the lead to one. Tampa Bay looked nothing like the team that entered on a 2-9-1 home stretch, and there still was plenty of good stuff for today's video session.

"I hope our team sees," Tortorella said, "and they will with the clips I'm going to show them, how effective we are when we play that way."

And pick up a few bruises, as well.

First Period-1, Vancouver, Bourdon 2 (Burrows, Pyatt), 2:41. 2, Tampa Bay, Prospal 21 (St. Louis, Richards), 7:56 (pp). 3, Vancouver, Pyatt 13 (Kesler, Burrows), 16:24. Penalties-Burrows, Van, major (fighting), 5:43; Lecavalier, TB, major (fighting), 5:43; Cowan, Van (hooking), 7:47.

Second Period-4, Tampa Bay, Gratton 8 (Hlavac, MacDonald), 3:12. 5, Tampa Bay, Lecavalier 31 (St. Louis, Richards), 16:39. Penalties-Burrows, Van (unsportsmanlike conduct), 7:02; Prospal, TB (high-sticking), 7:02; Brown, Van (delay of game), 12:46; McIver, Van, major (fighting), 12:46; Roy, TB, major (fighting), 12:46; Prospal, TB (high-sticking), 18:01.

Third Period-6, Tampa Bay, Richards 16 (St. Louis, Kuba), 8:34. 7, Vancouver, Edler 3 (Raymond, D.Sedin), 19:35 (pp). Penalties-Cowan, Van, major (fighting), 4:04; Ritchie, Van, misconduct, 4:04; Tarnasky, TB, major (fighting), 4:04; O'Brien, TB (tripping), 6:17; D.Sedin, Van (interference), 7:16; Ranger, TB (tripping), 8:02; Burrows, Van (roughing), 18:55; Ohlund, Van, major (fighting), 18:55; Gratton, TB, double minor (roughing), 18:55; O'Brien, TB, major (fighting), 18:55. Shots on Goal-Vancouver 7-10-9-26. Tampa Bay 10-12-5-27. Power-play opportunities-Vancouver 1 of 4; Tampa Bay 1 of 2. Goalies-Vancouver, Luongo 22-17-4 (27 shots-23 saves). Tampa Bay, Ramo 3-7-1 (26-23). A-17,019 (19,758).

Lightning 4

Canucks 3

[Last modified February 1, 2008, 01:33:27]