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Clymer's winner sinks Ducks

LIGHTNING 3, DUCKS 2: A power-play goal with 2:01 remaining caps Tampa Bay's rally from a 2-0 deficit.

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO
© St. Petersburg Times,
published November 21, 2001

[Times photo: Dirk Shadd]

Pavel Kubina, left, celebrates with Ben Clymer, who scored the winning goal late. The Lightning ended its five-game homestand 3-2 and with consecutive victories.

"Now I know what a day in the life of Vinny Lecavalier is like," Clymer said of the attention that so often goes to Tampa Bay's star center.

More and more, Clymer is doing things that deserve to be noticed; things that are helping Tampa Bay win.

Clymer's power-play goal with 2:01 remaining Tuesday night gave the Lightning a 3-2 victory over the Mighty Ducks at the Ice Palace.

It was Clymer's second winner in as many games, and continued a remarkable streak in which the 23-year-old converted defenseman, with two goals and four assists, has figured in Tampa Bay's past six power-play successes, two of which came against the Ducks.

"I laid into that one," Clymer said of the goal, his sixth, that capped the Lightning's comeback from a 2-0 first-period deficit. "That one felt real pure. That's about as hard as I can shoot it."

"Benny's been very good on the power play," coach John Tortorella said. "He's probably been one of the most consistent players. He's got a big-league shot and he's done a lot for us."

The victory, Tampa Bay's third in four games, wrapped up its five-game homestand at 3-2 and improved its record in one-goal games to 4-8. The resurgence couldn't have come at a better time, considering the team was on its heels after an 0-4-1 road trip.

Speaking of a resurgence, Vinny Prospal scored on a power play for his sixth goal, one more than all last season, and had two assists. Juha Ylonen scored as Tampa Bay tallied twice in the second period to forge a tie.

And Martin St. Louis, who also played on that line and had not gotten a point in his last five games, had an assist.

Paul Kariya scored twice for Anaheim, which has lost four straight.

"To battle back and get on top at the end when it counted is pretty big for our team," Clymer said.

Now if it could just do a little better out of the gate. Tampa Bay has been outscored 17-10 in the first period.

Kariya, who had not scored in five games, got Anaheim's first goal 1:17 into the game, when he pounced on a rebound allowed by goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin.

The second goal deflected in off the ankle of Lightning defenseman Stan Neckar. It was Kariya's eighth goal and came on the power play, which had scored just twice on the road all season and had not scored in 28 previous chances.

"We didn't have a lot of intensity in that first period," Tortorella said.

But he gave his team credit for keeping its composure.

"They regrouped," he said. "There wasn't a panic in the room. The guys kept their patience. We had 40 minutes to chip back into it and we did an excellent job."

And took advantage of a mistake when Mike Leclerc was called for hooking in the offensive zone with 3:28 left.

"We got the puck moving around and Vinny (Prospal) faked a shot and made a great move to get their top guy out on him," Clymer said.

Prospal slid the puck to Clymer, who fired and threw is hands in the air when the puck got past goalie Steve Shields. With Khabibulin making 27 saves, including 21 in a row to end the game, the lead was safe.

In the penalty box, Leclerc steamed, not only at what he considered a bad penalty call, but at a chance the Mighty Ducks missed.

"We have to learn how to win these games," he said. "We can't ease up when we have teams down. You have to kick them again."

It's a lesson the Lightning seems to be learning.

"The team held together and didn't panic and found a way to win," Tortorella said.

And that deserves to be noticed.

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