Sports: Lightning falls to 0-3 with 4-3 loss

The Lightning grinded, scrapped and definitely didn't quit. The Sharks just had too many weapons Thursday night and used some of their most potent to earn a 4-3 victory in front of 16,591 at the Compaq Center.

It was a notable turnaround from Sunday's debacle against the Panthers in which Tampa Bay laid down without a fight. Many times Thursday the Lightning took the fight to the Sharks, and had a few bounces gone the team's way things could have been different.

But trouble with the penalty kill continued as San Jose went 2-for-6 on the power play after going 1-for-14 in its first two games. Vincent Damphousse had two goals for the Sharks, including the winner, an empty-netter with 1:20 remaining that made it 4-2.

Just to make things interesting, Fredrik Modin scored for the Lightning with 1:04 remaining.

Teemu Selanne's first goal of the season broke a tie at 2 with 1:05 gone in the third period.

Evgeni Nabokov made 24 saves as the Sharks outshot the Lightning 38-27 with most of that difference coming in the final 25 minutes as they overcame a 2-1 deficit.

Nikolai Khabibulin made 34 saves for the Lightning, and Brad Richards and Martin St. Louis scored. Vinny Lecavalier, in his first game since signing his new contract, had an assist.

"We showed improvement compared to the other game, but it's still not good enough," Khabibulin said. "We got zero points tonight. We've got to learn to play with the lead and stay patient."

A spirited first period ended with the Sharks leading 1-0 and 12-10 in shots.

Tampa Bay's first chance came 5:21 into the period, when defenseman Andrei Zyuzin pinched, went behind the net and fed in front to Juha Ylonen, who was stopped by Nabokov.

Khabibulin did his part a little more than a minute later with a huge save on Niklas Sundstrom, who took a feed in the slot from Alexander Korolyuk.

The Sharks finally broke through at 7:07. With Modin in the penalty box for high sticking, Damphousse scored from the slot in front of a stationary Jimmie Olvestad off a pass from Selanne, who charged down the right side and swung behind the Lightning net.

The Lightning turned it up a notch and dominated play for almost four minutes.

Matthew Barnaby is probably still kicking himself about his missed chance 30 seconds later. After getting a beautiful pass from Dave Andreychuk, Barnaby went for the wraparound and had Nabokov down and out of position. But Barnaby lost the puck a fraction too soon and sent it through the crease.

A minute later Modin bounced a shot off the post after good work digging in the corner.

The Lightning tied it at 1:34 of the second period when Richards came out of the penalty box, took a pass from Modin and fired past Nabokov.

It was Tampa Bay's first goal in 93:55 going back to Richards' goal at 7:39 of the second period of the opener against the Islanders.

The Lightning took a 2-1 lead on St. Louis' power-play goal at 8:03 in front of the net off a brilliant pass from Andreychuk, who got the puck on a nice backhand pass from Lecavalier.

Credit, however, must go to the line of Ylonen, Ben Clymer and Tim Taylor, whose grinding against the boards forced San Jose's Scott Hannan into a holding penalty.

Two Lightning penalties changed the momentum.

First Brian Holzinger was called for a questionable slashing penalty. Referee Scott Zelkin said Holzinger slashed the arm of a Sharks player, but the stick on stick contact was audible in the pressbox.

While Tampa Bay tried to kill that penalty in the face of crushing pressure from San Jose, Ylonen was called for high-sticking. With the extra skater on for Nabokov on the delayed call, Owen Nolan tipped in a Gary Suter slap shot from the high slot at 17:51 to tie the game at 2.

Tampa Bay 0 2 1--3

San Jose 1 1 2--4

   Second period -- 2, Tampa Bay, Richards 2 (Modin, Sarich), 1:35. 3, Tampa Bay, St. Louis 1 (Andreychuk, Lecavalier), 8:03 (pp). 4, San Jose, Nolan 1 (Suter, Jillson), 17:51 (pp). Penalties -- Hannan, SJ (holding), 7:36; Neckar, TB (holding), 10:41; Holzinger, TB (slashing), 16:12; Ylonen, TB (high-sticking), 17:51
   Third period -- 5, San Jose, Selanne 1 (Ragnarsson, Marleau), 1:05. 6, San Jose, Damphousse 2 (Nolan), 18:40 (en). 7, Tampa Bay, Modin 1 (Prospal, St. Louis), 18:56. Penalties -- Smith, SJ (high-sticking), 1:36; Suter, SJ (interference), 11:50.
   Shots on goal -- Tampa Bay 10-7-10--27. San Jose 12-13-13--38. Power-play opportunities -- Tampa Bay 1 of 3; San Jose 2 of 6. Goalies -- Tampa Bay, Khabibulin 0-3-0 (37 shots-34 saves). San Jose, Nabokov 1-0-1 (24-27 Attendance -- 16,591 (17,496). Referees --Bill McCreary, Scott Zelkin. Linesmen -- Brad Lazarowich, Mark Wheler.

























	

	
	




 





	





Back to Sports


	





	
© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times

								490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111
						
	Contact the Times | Privacy Policy

		Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright








	
		
                                                  

			
		
		
	





		
		From the Times sports desk

		

				





Lightning

Lightning falls to 0-3 with 4-3 loss
Lightning's focus on playing harder
Draft choice won't join team until at least 2002


Colleges

Nobody gets by this guy
BCS sites offer a bit of explanation
Bulls bits
Bulls spotlight
Turf toe: USF's Rubin can tell you it is no small injury
Tonight at USF: Bull Madness
Practice reports
Florida notebook
Close calls
Spartans shorts
Waldon, Bulls want to do some dancing


MLB playoffs

Yanks look at changes on horizon
Mariners get even with a 5-1 victory
A's take 2-0 win, 2-0 lead
A's, Hudson silence Yanks, take control
Postseason
Rocker finds trouble in bullpen


Bucs

Winless Titans present a desperate threat to Bucs

Brooks, Dunn questionable


Rays

Rays' Hoover to Durham





TV, radio

Visser to become first female NFL analyst


Boxing

Wright vs. Frazier:12 rounds for IBF title




Preps



Pass happy
Tonight's games
It's all for pride


Outdoors

Oooops!
Kings will come when winds calm

				




From the wire

	
		
		
		

	From the state sports wire Jacksonville's Spicer placed on IR after leg surgery
    

FIU-Western Kentucky game postponed because of Jeanne
    

Brown anxious to face old team for first time
    

Dolphins' desperate defense readies for Roethlisberger
    

Former Sarasota lineman sheds tough-guy image with Michigan
    

Rothstein rejoins Heat as assistant
    

No. 16 Florida has history on its side against Kentucky
    

FSU and Clemson QBs both off to slow starts