Tyrell, Dana

The Lightning sacrifice a point in the standings for losing discipline a giving up odd man rushes in the second period.

TB-3
EDM-4 (SO)

Dan Ellis allowed 3 goals on 23 shots before allowed 2 of 3 shooters to convert for the shootout loss. The old man on the other end of the rink stopped 38 of 41 and 2 of 2 in the shootout. I might keep an eye on the old man at the other end of the rink as a potential deadline acquisition.

First Period
05:03 TB Jones (1), unassisted
11:37 EDM Paajarvi (3), Penner (9), Cogliano (5)
17:48 TB Malone (9), Purcell (14), Ohlund (3)(PP)

Second Period
05:46 EDM Hall (10), O'Marra (1)(PP)
16:30 EDM Gilbert (5), Omark (1), Paajarvi (9)(PP)

Third Period
11:33 TB Stamkos (22), St Louis (24), Kubina (7)

Overtime
NO SCORING

Shootout
TB- NONE
EDM- Eberle, Omark

Adam Hall was the game's third star.

Edmonton may finish dead last in the West, but they've got an entertaining array of youngsters. BoltProspects readers have been hearing about Linus Omark, who played with Harju for Lulea and Dynamo Moscow, for years. It isn't hot dogging if you can back it up.

The Lightning were way too loose defensively in the second period, and it ultimately cost them the victory. They dominated Edmonton 41-23 in shots and outchanced them, unofficially, a zillion to one but Edmonton had goaltending tonight and the Lightning gave up way too many 2-on-1's. You can't loose focus on defensive responsibilities even when you're tilting the rink in your favor. Can't do it.

Johan Harju had 1 shot and 1 hit in 8:26. Maybe he was upping the ante with Omark in the building, but he seemed more comfortable and more assertive tonight in his limited minutes.

Dana Tyrell had 1 shot in 12:10.

Box score and extended statistics from NHL.com.

The Lightning looked flat and unprepared to play in the first period.

TB-2
CGY-4

Dan Ellis allowed 4 goals on 19 shots on another night where his save percentage ends up being absolutely putrid.

First Period
07:21 CGY Sarich (1), Pardy (1), Morrison (13)
13:46 CGY Kostopoulos (2), Bourque (9), Giordano (11)

Second Period
04:43 CGY Bourque (12), Glencross (5), Backlund (3)
08:35 TB Harju (1), Kubina (6), Jones (7)
19:00 TB Malone (8), Thompson (7), Hedman (10)

Third Period
08:42 CGY Iginla (12), Bouwmeester (8), Bourque (10)(PP)

Ryan Malone was the game's third star.

It shouldn't take 5 goals to win a hockey game where you hold an opponent down to 19 shots, and allowing a long point shot from Cory Sarich to beat you might be grounds for an NHL goaltender to be fired. Halley's Comet visits more frequently than Sarich scores goals.

Mattias Ritola was +1 with 2 hits and 1 blocked shot in 13:28. I stand by my statement about the guy being soft along the wall. He's exceptionally bad on the forecheck for a guy who's otherwise fairly good in the defensive third.

Johan Harju dialed up a five-hole goal on Kiprusoff and was +1 with 1 shot and 1 hit in 8:41. The goal was Harju's first in the NHL. I think Kipper may have been baiting Harju to go five-hole and didn't realize Johan's got quite a quick release on his shot.

Dana Tyrell was +1 with 2 shots in 12:26. He worked himself into a shorthanded breakaway on one shift in the game. He still needs to work on his shot, but with his speed he will be a terror on the PK in the near future.

Box score and extended statistics from NHL.com.

Without goaltending, the Lightning keep winning the hard way.

COL-5
TB-6

Dan Ellis allowed 5 goals on 24 shots, but stopped just enough to get the win.

First Period
07:14 TB Thompson (4), Hall (4), Hedman (9)
15:53 COL Dupuis (3), M. Hunwick (3)

Second Period
01:52 TB St Louis (11), Gagne (2), Ohlund (2)
02:44 TB Ritola (2), Harju (1), Tyrell (3)
07:18 COL Duchene (8), Fleischmann (7), Liles (20)
11:07 TB Gagne (2), St Louis (22), Purcell (13)(PP)

Third Period
01:24 COL Stastny (10), Shattenkirk (9), Hejduk (20)
09:06 TB Malone (7), Gagne (3), St Louis (23)(PP)
15:55 TB Bergenheim (5), Lundin (6), Malone (13)
17:49 COL Yip (6), Winnik (4), Duchene (16)(PP)
18:54 COL Shattenkirk (5), Fleischmann (8), Hejduk (21)

Simon Gagne, Martin St. Louis, and Victor Hedman were the game's three stars. Gagne is playing superb since returning from injury. Like I've said, I'm hoping Lecavalier comes back just as strong after having had time away to clear off a mediocre start to the year.

I've officially lost faith in Dan Ellis now, too. Yes, there are some goals that are getting in on him that are taking screwy bounces. The problem is that screwy bounces have a strange way of happening to bad goaltenders. There's a black cloud over this goaltending tandem, and sooner rather than later Steve Yzerman needs to do something about it.

Mattias Ritola had a goal and was +1 with 1 shot in 8:53. The goal was BoltProspects' favorite of the season so far, for obvious reasons.

Johan Harju had his first NHL assist and 2 shots and 2 hits in 7:33. Congratulations Big Joe.

Dana Tyrell had an assist and a blocked shot in 10:37.

Box score and extended statistics from NHL.com.

Boston has always been hell for the Lightning.

TB-1
BOS-8

Mike Smith allowed 5 goals on 22 shots for the loss before giving way to Dan Ellis, who allowed 3 on 10 shots. Honest question: is Mike Smith damaged goods? Physically, mentally, and emotionally, is he damaged goods? He allowed a goal from outside the blueline by leaving soon on a shoot in and misplayed a puck behind his net that led to another goal. He was never mentally tough even before his concussion problems, often overreacting to bad breaks. Where is Smitty's psyche now?

First Period
10:52 BOS Krejci (3), Lucic (10), Ference (3)
19:40 BOS Seidenberg (1), Ryder (9)

Second Period
06:48 BOS Lucic (12), Krejci (12), Horton (11) 15:14
TB Hedman (2), Malone (12), Bergenheim (7)
17:30 BOS Thornton (5), Marchand (7), Thomas (1)

Third Period
00:34 BOS Krejci (4), unassisted
01:50 BOS Ryder (7), unassisted
07:28 BOS Recchi (5), Ryder (10), Chara (7)(PP)
13:55 BOS Wheeler (6), Recchi (12)

Dana Tyrell had 2 shots in 15:06. If you can finish even in a game where your team gets whipped 8-1, you've done alright as a lower liner, in my opinion.

Box score and extended statistics from NHL.com.

Gagne is back.

TB-4
TOR-3 (OT)

Dan Ellis allowed 3 goals on 25 shots tonight for the win. His rebound control was pretty poor tonight, and he didn't make the greatest decision on Toronto's third goal to leave his crease to try to play the puck. Fortunately, the boys in front of him picked him up.

First Period
01:25 TOR Versteeg (7), Bozak (4), Gunnarsson (2)

Second Period
05:18 TB Malone (6), Gagne (1)(PP)
11:51 TOR Kulemin (8), Kaberle (11), Versteeg (7)(PP)

Third Period
07:23 TOR Kulemin (9), Crabb (1), Komisarek (6)
08:25 TB St Louis (9), Downie (12)
19:51 TB St Louis (10), Stamkos (19), Moore (5)

Overtime
01:15 TB Gagne (1), Clark (6)

Simon Gagne and Martin St. Louis were the game's first and second stars. Gagne, in his first game back after missing almost a quarter of the season, scored the overtime winner, had a helper, and set a screen in front on the tying goal with less than ten seconds to go in regulation. I think I'd call that a successful return.

Credit to the Lightning for playing 60 minutes of hockey. Good teams find ways to win games like this when they don't have their best but they find ways to make plays to pull out the two points. Bad teams find ways to lose games like this, and Toronto is surely a bad team.

Mathieu Roy had 1 hit in 2:00. Nice work if you can get it.

Dana Tyrell was -1 with 1 shot in 12:06.

How close are the Lightning's prospects to graduation, you ask? Roy is 17 games off, based on the 82 career games rule. Tyrell is 19 games off. Ritola is 26 games off. B. Jones is 32 games off. Harju is 37 games off.

Box score and extended statistics from NHL.com.