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You can call it a rivalry again

Tampa Bay gets off a two-season winless streak as Florida puts two pucks in its own net.

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO

© St. Petersburg Times, published November 25, 2000

[Times photo: Brendan Fitterer] Lightning defenseman Jassen Cullimore checks Florida's Olli Jokinen in the first period.

TAMPA -- Mike Johnson was just talking off the top of his head, mind you, but the Lightning right wing estimated he and his teammates have knocked "four or five" pucks into their own net this season.

So when Panthers defenseman Brad Ference put two pucks past Florida goaltender Trevor Kidd Friday night -- the only goals the Lightning "scored" in a 2-1 victory in front of an announced 19,424 at the Ice Palace -- Johnson saw it as poetic justice.

"It's nice to get the breaks go our way," he said. "You put pucks at the net and good things are going to happen."

What happen was the Lightning beat the Panthers for the first time since March 21, 1998, to break an 11-game winless streak (0-9-2).

Tampa Bay also improved to 6-2-1 in its past nine games, guaranteeing its first non-losing month since February 1998, and to 4-0-0-1 against Southeast Division opponents.

One down note for the Lightning: Defenseman Petr Svoboda suffered a pinched nerve in his neck midway through the third period during a collision with Florida's Peter Worrell. Medical trainer Dave Boyer said Svoboda will not accompany the team to Sunrise for tonight's rematch.

Johnson and Cory Sarich got credit for Ference's own goals. Both came in the second period and helped Tampa Bay overcome a 1-0 deficit.

"Ference just killed us," Kidd said. "Take those two away and they wouldn't have anything."

Lightning goaltender Kevin Weekes was outstanding in making 20 saves. How he stopped Rob Niedermayer, who stood alone in front of the net, with 8 minutes, 12 seconds left, is still under investigation.

"Very lucky," Weekes said.

"Unbelievable," coach Steve Ludzik said. "I don't think this team has ever seen goaltending like that."

The Panthers, however, had a bone to pick: a hooking penalty at 10:39 of the third on Lightning defenseman Jassen Cullimore, who got tangled with Florida's Greg Adams, as Adams bore down on Weekes.

Florida was adamant that referee Paul Stewart or Kevin Pollock should have called a penalty shot.

"You're working hard for a break in a one-goal game. Adams has it," Panthers coach Terry Murray said. "It's absolutely disgusting that's not called a penalty shot."

"Your just getting the shot and my arm got pulled back and he got the puck," said Adams, who put the Panthers ahead 47 seconds into the second period.

Cullimore said the Panthers had to be kidding.

"I didn't even think it should have been a penalty," he said. "I touched him and he fell down five minutes later."

Ference's first miscue came at 3:54 of the second when Johnson threw a shot at the goal from Kidd's right. The puck hit Ference's stick and deflected past the goaltender.

At 12:06, Sarich launched a missile from the point that Kidd stopped. The rebound bounced to Ference, who tried to gather the puck, but fumbled it past Kidd.

"I was turning around and it came off his pads pretty quickly," Ference said. "It was right on my stick. I was going to go the corner with it and it got away from me."

Not exactly the way Sarich figured he would score his first NHL goal, but he'll take it.

"Hey, that's the way it goes sometimes," he said. "What goes around comes around. It's nice to see it happening in our favor."

Especially in two victories after Monday night's 6-2 loss to the Stars.

"It's not just getting the win here," Johnson said. "It's avoiding the downward streak that we've had the last couple of years. There's a confidence in the room. We believe in ourselves. We believe if we come out and work, we can be in every game."

No matter who does the scoring.

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