Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning are starting to feed off the home cooking and are looking more and more like a team that will get the opportunity to defend their Cup in the postseason.

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John Grahame stopped 30 of 32 shot faced as the Lightning's goaltending situation is beginning to go into a stretch of being settled down. Ryan Craig had a pair of assists on goals by Pavel Kubina and Vincent Lecavalier. I'd have to check the numbers, but it feels like Craig is scoring at a points per game clip that is actually greater than what he was doing in the minors. Paul Ranger was -1 in 17:50 of ice time with two hits and two blocked shots. Ryan Craig was +1 in 14:55 with 0 shots on goal, 3 hits and 1 blocked shot. Big Evgeny Artyukhin was -1 in 8:52 with 1 shot on goal and 3 hits.

Tonight was Ryan Craig's 34th NHL game, 7 away from graduation under Bolt Prospects criteria.

Game sheet from NHL.com.

It's official Philadelphia, we own you.

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John Grahame stopped 28 of 31 for the win. Ryan Craig led the way with a pair of power play deflection goals. Paul Ranger played 18:10 and was -1 with 1 shot and 1 hit. Craig played 13:40 with 2 shots and 1 hit. Evgeny Artyukhin played 6:18 with 1 hit.

Game sheet from NHL.com.

That's a bitter, bitter pill to swallow.

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The Lightning blow a two goal lead allowing a goal late in the second period and then Daniel Alfredsson's game winning goal with 7 seconds left in regulation. A win would've put the Lightning into a tie for 6th in the conference with New Jersey. How quickly fortunes change.

John Grahame stopped 27 of 31 shots faced in the loss. Evgeny Artyukhin got his 13th assist of the season on a Dimitry Afanasenkov goal.

Ryan Craig played 16:30 of even hockey with 1 shot on goal and 2 hits. Paul Ranger played 14:36 and was +1. Evgeny Artyukhin was +1 in 10:53 of ice time with 1 shot and 2 hits. Nick Tarnasky remained out of the lineup with an injury.

Game sheet from NHL.com.

Old man Burke gives an old skool lesson to Les Canadiens.

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Sean Burke stopped 31 of 32 shots he faced. Ryan Craig was even in 15:13 with 3 shots on goal, 2 hits and 3 blocked shots. Paul Ranger played 15:09 with 1 shot on goal, 1 hit and 2 blocked shots. Evgeny Artyukhin laid out 5 hits in 9:10.

If ever a team needed a win, the Lightning needed this one.

Game sheet from NHL.com.

"And with the 14th pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft the Tampa Bay Lightning select..."

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Sean Burke actually played well the first two period before the flood gates opened. He allowed 5 goals on 30 shots in total. Honestly, I don't know what more there is to say right now. The cavalry isn't coming. The deadline's passed and Coleman, Boutin, O'Brien and Dicaire are probably too green to help shore up this club. What's worse than the defense and goaltending though is that the Lightning's forwards are showing themselves to again be incapable of scoring timely goals. Completely incapable. And if you're defense isn't going to be solid every night, you'd better get those timely goals.

70 points with 18 games left and a 4 point lead on 9th place. Is anybody going to step up?

Game sheey from NHL.com.