Latest loss takes a little longer

Patrik Elias' goal with 58.7 seconds left in OT makes it nine defeats in the past 10 games.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Published March 8, 2008

ADVERTISEMENT [AP photo] The Devils mob Patrik Elias after his goal with less than a minute remaining in overtime beat the Lightning 2-1. The Lightning now has lost nine of its past 10 games. [AP photo] Patrik Elias' shot gets past Karri Ramo to give the Devils a 2-1 overtime victory. Ramo, in his first start since Feb. 21, made 31 saves.

NEWARK, N.J. - Even in times as hard as these for the Lightning, there always is room, intentional or not, for humor.

Asked after Friday night's 2-1 overtime loss to the Devils at the Prudential Center if he saw signs his team was improving, coach John Tortorella said with perfect timing and deadpan delivery, "We got a point."

Actually, that is an improvement for Tampa Bay (26-35-7), which lost for the ninth time in 10 games but was rewarded for the regulation tie.

That did little to brighten a locker room somber after Patrik Elias scored the winner with 58.7 seconds remaining to boost New Jersey (39-23-6) to No. 1 in the East with 84 points.

"This is the hardest time in sports, when the team is losing and you try to go out and work hard and you don't get any results," goaltender Karri Ramo said. "But that's the nature of sports. We have to keep going and keep fighting."

Ramo was outstanding in his first game since Feb. 21. He stopped 31 of 33 shots, including all 14 faced in the third period.

He said he believed he had Elias' snap shot, "But it slipped through my arm."

No such luck for the Lightning against New Jersey's Martin Brodeur.

Michel Ouellet scored his 12th goal and fifth in seven games on a power play with 2:30 remaining in the second period to tie the score 1-1.

There was little help otherwise as Brodeur had few toughies among his 21 saves and Tampa Bay's offense continued to flounder.

The Lightning has just four goals in its past four games and has been outscored 7-0 in the third periods of its past five.

Vinny Lecavalier was without a goal for his 12th straight game, five off his career worst. Marty St. Louis, who has one point in his past nine games, had one shot on goal.

The frustration seemed to boil over 3:47 into the third period as defenseman Dan Boyle, who had just four previous NHL fights and hadn't fought since November 2003, went at it with Zach Parise, earning 19 minutes in penalties: a 10-minute misconduct, a five-minute major and two-minute minors for roughing and instigating.

Boyle, who has just two assists in his past four games, was unavailable to comment, but replays showed Parise might have kicked Boyle's foot out while battling for a puck.

"If I did, I didn't try," said Parise, whose 28th goal gave New Jersey a first-period lead. "I was just going for the puck. We got back in front of the net, and he tried to slew foot me. And he got me in the face, so it just escalated from there."

Tampa Bay did a terrific job killing off the four-minute power play, and Boyle returned to the ice with 1:56 left in overtime. But he lost the puck in the offensive zone as he tried to make a play, and New Jersey went the other way for a two-on-one. Elias' 18th goal finished it off.

"We're getting the wins, and that's the bottom line," Elias said.

Not the punch line Tampa Bay was hoping for.

NOTES: With Andre Roy in Tampa, left wing Karl Stewart was called up from AHL Norfolk. ... Defenseman Filip Kuba (knee) sat out his fifth consecutive game.

[Last modified March 8, 2008, 00:50:56]