Palat, Ondrej

Lindback deserved a better fate.

NYI-2
TB-0

Anders Lindback allowed 1 goal on 28 shots for the loss. He's starting to play his best hockey of the season now. If the Lightning salvage anything from this awful campaign, it might be Lindback surfacing as a more legitimate number one with work in the second half of the shortened season.

First Period
NO SCORING

Second Period
10:22 NYI Tavares (17), (Moulsen, Boyes)(PP)

Third Period
19:20 NYI Boyes (7), (Macdonald)(EN)

Lindback was the game's third star.

The Lightning slowly started to get their feet under them as the game progressed and didn't play all that poorly, but couldn't get pucks through a collapsing Islanders d, and when they did Nabokov was there. The only point of emphasis for improvement needs to be actually hitting the net when the Lightning shoot, particularly the big guy wearing #77.

Alex Killorn was -1 with 2 penalty minutes, 1 shot, 1 hit, and 1 blocked shot in 18:10.

Tyler Johnson was 33% on draws in 11:39. He was a bit of a non-factor.

Ondrej Palat had 2 hits in 9:05. Also a bit of a non-factor.

Radko Gudas had 2 shots, 6 hits, and 1 blocked shot in 18:56. Stud. He played like a flat out bona fide stud. He was sawing people in half and showing off some of those offensive abilities that he occasionally brings to bear, like his puck lugging skills, for instance. He looked darn good, which is reflected in the fact he got 50% more ice time than Keith Aulie. Two games and he already zipped by him on the depth chart. Not the first time Aulie has been pylonized, I reckon.

Pierre-Cedric Labrie had 1 shot and 3 hits in 8:37.

Cory Conacher had 1 hit in 14:45. He's become a chronic non-factor at this point in the season. Sad but true.

Box score and extended statistics from NHL.com.

Times like these, when we're down on our luck, it's important to remember there are still those who are even less fortunate... Panthers fans.

TB-3
FLA-2

Anders Lindback allowed 2 goals on 39 shots for the win. Stat line looks good. Second goal allowed was kind of ugly. But, he made the key stop on a late Third Period breakaway to preserve the win. For as much hand wringing as there is about Anders, he's got a winning record.

First Period
01:36 TB Lecavalier (7), (St. Louis, Killorn)
17:48 TB St. Louis (7), (Killorn, Lecavaler)

Second Period
00:13 FLA Versteeg (2), (Goc)
11:24 FLA Kopecky (11), (Skille)

Third Period
05:30 TB Stamkos (20), (Purcell, St. Louis)(PP)

Martin St. Louis, Steven Stamkos, and Lindback were the game's three stars.

The Lightning were outshot 39-13 (not a typo) in the contest, but still walked away with the win. Normally, I'd be outraged by that, but then imagine how Panthers Fan must feel like God truly hates him and his team. Then I laugh and feel a little better.

Alex Killorn had 2 assists and was +1 with 2 penalty minutes and 6 hits in 16:08.

Ondrej Palat was -1 with 4 hits in 13:04.

Radko Gudas had 2 hits and 3 blocked shots in 15:20 in his NHL debut. Moved well and didn't look out of place.

Cory Conacher was -1 with 1 shot and 3 hits in 14:18.

Box score and extended statistics from NHL.com.

Let the Nichushkin watch begin!

MTL-4
TB-3

Cedrick Desjardins allowed 4 goals on 29 shots for the victory. You hate to judge a guy on one start, but there's a reason the guy has bounced around the AHL, mostly.

First Period
NO SCORING

Second Period
05:30 TB Stamkos (19), (St. Louis, Hedman)
07:38 MTL Plekanec (11), (Markov)
08:15 TB Salo (2), (Crombeen, Thompson)
12:20 TB Malone (5), (Stamkos, St. Louis)(PP)

Third Period
03:48 MTL Gionta (8), (Ryder, Boullion)(PP)
07:33 MTL Emelin (2), (Gionta, Ryder)
12:03 MTL Gallagher (7), (Pacioretty)

Sami Salo was the game's third star.

No way the team should have lost that game heading into the Third with a 2 goal lead, and Montreal's comeback looked really easy. Way too easy. This is a really, really bad Lightning team right now and you can't help but wonder what fundamental changes are on the horizon. Specifically, I wonder how much longer Martin St. Louis is willing to devote to a team that will likely miss the playoffs two straight years in the twilight of his career. He's only got a few more productive years, and I don't know that he'll want to wet nurse another top-10 pick next year (possibly top-5 the way this is going) along with the likes of Connolly and all the kids from Syracuse. There's some sad days potentially coming, I'm afraid to say.

Alex Killorn was -1 with 1 shot, 3 hits, and 1 blocked shot in 19:26. One of his three hits helped create a goal. He's a very good all-around player.

Ondrej Palat was -1 with 1 shot and 1 blocked shot in 9:24.

Pierre-Cedric Labrie had 3 hits in 6:26.

Cory Conacher had 1 shot and 1 hit in 8:34. Less ice time than Palat? My eyebrow is raised.

Box score and extended statistics from NHL.com.

Season keeps slipping away.

WPG-2
TB-1

Anders Lindback allowed 2 goals on 28 shots, but the 2 goals were very soft. Hard to blame the goaltender when he only gets 1 goal of support, but he didn't help, that's for sure.

First Period
10:05 WPG Tangradi (1), (unassisted)

Second Period
NO SCORING

Third Period
06:57 TB Stamkos (18), (St. Louis, Malone)
15:52 WPG Little (4), (Ladd)

Steven Stamkos was the game's third star.

Frustrating game. The Lightning had well over 20 scoring chances against a backup netminder. Lots of power play chances. Against Winnipeg that should equal a pretty lopsided win for the Lightning. Games aren't played on paper, unfortunately.

Alex Killorn had 2 shots, 2 hits, and 1 blocked shot in 21:28. That's not a typo. Clearly the coaching staff believes in the young man.

Ondrej Palat was -1 with 2 hits in 11:31. Had the go-ahead goal off a feed from Conacher and slammed it off the post. Unfortunate.

Pierre-Cedric Labrie had 1 shot and 1 hit in 7:12.

Cory Conacher was -1 in 13:01. He's clearly been passed on the depth chart by Killorn at this point.

Box score and extended statistics from NHL.com.

Hoping for floodgates...

TB-5
NJ-2

Anders Lindback allowed 2 goals on 27 shots for the win. Little talked about fact: for as much negativity there is about the kid, Lindback's 8-5-1 this season.

First Period
17:04 TB Thompson (5), (Conacher, Palat)

Second Period
05:53 TB St. Louis (6), (Killorn, Lecavalier)
13:13 TB Killorn (4), (St. Louis, Lecavalier)

Third Period
08:36 TB Thompson (6), (Conacher, Salo)
13:44 NJ Henrique (6), (Carter)
15:15 NJ Elias (6), (Zajac, Kovalchuk)(PP)
18:40 TB Crombeen (1), (Hall, Thompson)(EN)

Nate Thompson, Lindback, and Martin St. Louis were the game's three stars.

The Lightning have to hope this opens the flood gates. If I view the glass half full, the team started to turn the corner against Pittsburgh. On paper I expected them to be blown out of that game so they exceeded expectations to carry a lead into the Third Period. To blow out a pretty good New Jersey team on the road is another hopeful sign. But, 1 win is just 1 win, and the Lightning need to string together several more in the next 2-3 weeks to get back to being viable as a playoff contender.

Oh, and with 1 goal and 4 assists on the night, the kids are still alright. Jon Cooper develops one heck of a good brand of young hockey player.

Alex Killorn had 1 goal and 1 assist and was +1 with 1 shot in 15:37. He's going to be a fixture in Tampa Bay for a long time, from the looks of it.

Ondrej Palat had an assist and was +2 with 3 shots in 12:33.

Pierre-Cedric Labrie had 7 penalty minutes, 1 shot, 1 hit, and 1 blocked shot in 8:26.

Cory Conacher rebounded from -3 ugliness against the Pens with 2 assists, a +2 rating, 1 shot, and 1 blocked shot in 11:49.

Box score and extended statistics from NHL.com.