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Atlanta ends Lightning's run with 2-0 road victory

Thrashers score twice in third to end best streak of Tampa Bay's season.

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO

© St. Petersburg Times, published March 23, 2001

TAMPA -- It had been a long time since coach John Tortorella felt the Lightning was outworked in a game. A long time since he though that "we got beat by a better team."

But those were the feelings Tortorella expressed after Thursday night's 2-0 loss to the Thrashers before 12,741 at the Ice Palace.

"It wasn't a lack of effort," Tortorella said. "I just thought they had a better effort."

An effort -- led by goaltender Milan Hnilicka, who made 29 saves for his second shutout -- that messed up what could have been a noteworthy night for the Lightning.

A victory would have given Tampa Bay eight wins in March, a number it never has reached in any month.

A victory, a tie or even an overtime loss would have given Tampa Bay points in a team-record eight straight games. It also would have tied the team mark of points in eight straight home games.

But third-period goals by Andrew Brunette and Ray Ferraro, and a series of missed opportunities by the Lightning, doomed Tampa Bay to its seventh shutout.

It was the Thrashers' first victory at the Ice Palace in five tries (1-3-1), and it dropped the Lightning (6-1-0-1 in its past eight) into a tie with Atlanta for last in the Southeast Division.

Lightning goaltender Kevin Weekes played well while making 28 saves, and lost for just the second time in nine games.

"We had a lot of chances at the net and didn't bury them," forward Matthew Barnaby said. "That kind of took the momentum away."

Barnaby missed one of those chances in the second period, when Hnilicka, making his first start since Feb. 10, used the glove to stone Barnaby on a breakaway. Barnaby came straight down the slot and tried to go high to the corner of the net.

"He made a nice save," Barnaby said. "I thought he wanted me to go there because he gave me that part of the net. Maybe I should have waited another step."

Hnilicka also stopped forward Nils Ekman's bang-bang tip-in try in the second. Forward John Emmons fanned on a shot in the second period after deking himself into great position in front of the net.

And the Lightning went 0-for-7 on the power play, including 0-for-3 in the third period. The final chance with the man advantage, beginning with 4:54 left, was particularly discouraging as passes went into skates and pucks could not stay on sticks.

"We couldn't make a play," Tortorella said.

Defenseman Pavel Kubina crafted a perfect ending when he was called for cross-checking to wipe out the final 40 seconds of the power play.

"We didn't have the quality shots, especially on the power play," captain Vinny Lecavalier said. "I thought we were moving the puck very well. But they were very aggressive on the (penalty kill) and made it hard for us."

And they cashed in on their opportunities. Brunette's goal, 3:12 into the third, came after Kubina took himself out of position. Ferraro scored his 28th goal at 10:45 on Atlanta's fourth shot during a scramble in which Tampa Bay couldn't come up with the puck in front of its net.

Give the Thrashers credit for coming out strong after the Lightning beat them 4-3 Wednesday night in Atlanta.

"We were going into tonight's game as a playoff game," Hnilicka said. "It was a very important second game, and that's the way we played it."

Tortorella said it will be interesting to see how the Lightning reacts with games against the Southeast Division-leading Capitals and red-hot Devils on Saturday and Tuesday.

"We're not going to panic and climb the walls," the coach said. "At this time of year, we're not going to dissect a whole lot. But if our work habits aren't better, we're going to get killed."

UP NEXT: Washington, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Ice Palace, Tampa.

TV/RADIO: Sunshine; WDAE-AM 620.

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