The biggest stars for the Blackhawks and Lightning are looking to break out with the deadlocked series shifting to Chicago for Game 3 on Monday night.

Toews’ third-period assist in Chicago’s 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay on Saturday night was the 100th career playoff point for the captain – and his first of the final.

Kane, who played alongside Toews for much of the first two games, failed to register a shot on goal in Game 2. Stamkos, the captain of the Lightning, is scoreless in his last four games.

The winner of the series very well could be the team that gets one of those scorers going.

”I mean, as an offensive guy, you want to be helping produce, especially at this time of year,” Kane said. ”But, you know, we said all along with our team, we don’t really care where the goals come from, as long as they’re coming from our team.”

While Toews, Kane and Stamkos have been shut down so far, the big question hanging over the Stanley Cup on Sunday was which goalie would be in net for Tampa Bay in Game 3. Even coach Jon Cooper said he wasn’t sure.

Ben Bishop left midway through the third period of Game 2. He returned for a brief stretch and then left for good. Andrei Vasilevskiy made five saves to help close out the series-tying win.

There has been no word from the Lightning on why Bishop departed. Cooper said he could be available for Game 3.

”You’ll have a better indication, I guess, tomorrow at the skate,” Cooper said. ”Although our morning skates are all optional anyway. Bish, notoriously he goes on sometimes during them and sometimes he doesn’t. I’m sure you’ll get a clue then tomorrow.”

The 6-foot-7 Bishop had a franchise-record 40 wins this season. He is 12-9 with a 2.20 goals-against average in the playoffs.

Vasilevskiy, who turns 21 in July, has made 19 appearances this year, counting the playoffs, but Cooper and the Lightning insist they are comfortable with him in goal.

”If Bish can’t go tomorrow, is that a blow to us? Sure it is,” Cooper said. ”But do we think the series is lost because Vasilevskiy is going in? Not a chance.”

Tampa Bay’s revolving door in goal and the free-wheeling pace of Game 2 made Kane’s blank scoresheet all the more surprising. It was only the second time that he failed to record a shot on goal in 112 career playoff games, according to STATS.

”It’s not a stat you like to see, for sure,” said Kane, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2013 for playoff MVP. ”At the same time going into the next game, I’m not going to go in saying, `I need to get a shot here or there.’ I just go out and try to make the right play and worry about the results from there.”

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Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap

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That doesn’t mean the Lightning haven’t spent the past two days stewing about how to improve when the series continues in Game 2 on Saturday night.

The Chicago Blackhawks pulled out a 2-1 victory in the opener despite not scoring until the final seven minutes, extending their lengthy history of grit under pressure. Tampa Bay regretted giving that opportunity to the Hawks, who could take a 2-0 series lead back to Chicago unless the Lightning play every minute with urgency at Amalie Arena.

”I think we learned a lesson there,” Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos said Friday. ”We’ve got to continue to pressure. (The way) we look at it, maybe if we were able to generate a couple more chances to get that second goal, maybe it would have been a different game.”

The Lightning spent the past two days feeling largely good about the way they played – except in the third period. Such a tentative finish could haunt a young team with just one Stanley Cup champion on its roster, but the Lightning don’t seem to be that type of team.

Lightning veteran Brendan Morrow puts it this way: ”I can give my kid Froot Loops, and an hour later he’ll tell me he hasn’t had any yet, and he wants some Froot Loops. So yeah, that memory is a good thing when you can let it roll off your back, and we’re hoping that’s the case for us.”

Here are some more things to watch when Tampa Bay attempts to even the series, thereby earning at least one more home game:

ONE IS GOOD, TWO IS BETTER: The Lightning went 1-3 in Game 1 during this postseason. They are 3-0 in Game 2s, winning by a combined 17-5. Tampa Bay ascribes little importance to this quirk of scheduling, but it’s clear the Lightning know how to make adjustments, particularly after an extra day of rest and practice. ”Game 1 is definitely a feeling-out period, especially in this series when you haven’t played these teams very often,” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. ”Maybe we’ve got a little bit more panic since we were down in Game 1. I don’t know, there’s maybe some more focus in Game 2.”

BITE MARKS: Andrew Shaw won’t admit biting Victor Hedman in Game 1, even when asked direct yes-or-no questions about it. Hedman won’t talk about what certainly appeared to happen between them Game 1. We’ll soon see if their scuffle was a weird footnote or a harbinger of a more bad-tempered series.

TRIPLET TIME: Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov combined for just two shots and no points in Game 1. The Blackhawks did a solid job shutting down the line led by the 5-foot-8 Johnson, who still leads the postseason with 12 goals despite not getting any in the last five games. But after the so-called Triplets combined for 55 points and seven game-winning goals in the Eastern Conference bracket, the top-heavy Lightning expect big things from the youngsters soon. ”They’ve proven time and time again, they may be kept off the score sheet a game here, a game there, but you’re not going to keep them off for long,” Cooper said. ”Those kids will find a way.”

NO NEW D: The Blackhawks seem unlikely to change their Game 1 lineup despite two possibilities. Defenseman Trevor Van Riemsdyk hasn’t played since Nov. 16, but has been practicing with the club this week in anticipation of his NHL playoff debut. Coach Joel Quenneville still doesn’t appear ready to promote him into their little-used third defensive pairing, even though Kyle Cumiskey and David Rundblad barely played in the opener.

BICKELL’S HEALTH: Chicago also doesn’t appear to be getting Bryan Bickell back in the lineup. The forward is fighting an unclear ailment after apparently getting hurt in Game 7 of the last round in Anaheim, but he claims he passed the NHL’s concussion tests. Veteran Kris Versteeg still is likely to take his place again in Game 2.

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The Americans gave the defending champions their toughest test yet at this year’s tournament, leading 3-2 after two goals from captain Paul Stastny and a slapshot from the blue line by Matt Hunwick.

Russian defenseman Yevgeni Medvedev took a loose puck from in front of a crowded goal to put Russia ahead for good with 6:25 left, and Kirill Petrov then combined with Ilya Kovalchuk to set up Alexander Radulov for another score two minutes later.

Kovalchuk put in Russia’s second goal — his fifth of the tournament — and Anton Belov and Alexej Tereshenko also scored.

Ben Bishop finished with 25 saves for the U.S., while Ilya Bryzgalov had 19 for Russia.

“It was a good game,” Stastny said. “A good learning experience, a measure for us to see where we are. We have played better and better. This was one of the top teams in the tournament, and we played well against them. We were in it for 55 minutes, but when you play a team like that you have to be ready every shift. When you turn it over they’re so skilled that they can put the puck away.”

The U.S. (2-1) plays co-host Finland (3-0) on Wednesday.

“Finland is always good and plays with grit,” Stastny said. “They have the whole crowd in front of them, which makes it fun for us. It’s always fun to play for a big crowd. Like as the Russians were here today in a sold-out arena. We know how it’s going to be, but even harder.”

Steven Stamkos had a goal and three assists, and Taylor Hall scored twice for Canada. Matt Duchene and Claude Giroux each had one goal and one assist, while Andrew Ladd and Jeff Skinner also scored.

In other games Tuesday, Morten Green scored in overtime to give Denmark a 3-2 win over Slovenia and newcomer Austria beat Latvia 6-3. Denmark and Austria earned their first victories, while Slovenia and Latvia fell to 0-3.

Russia leads the Helsinki “H” group with nine points from three games. Finland has eight, and the U.S. and Slovakia six.

Switzerland surprisingly leads the Stockholm “S” group with eight points, with Canada (7) second. Sweden and Norway each have six, the Czech Republic and Belarus three, Denmark two and Slovenia one.

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And with the way goalie Tuukka Rask has played lately, the Bruins want to start the postseason as soon as possible.

Rask stopped 30 shots for Boston in a 2-0 win over Tampa Bay on Thursday night, shutting down the NHL’s top two scorers and keeping Boston in control of the tight race for the Northeast Division title.

It was the second shutout in as many starts for Rask, who seems comfortable and confident just when Boston needs it most.

“At the end of the day, a goaltender plays a big role in your success. In a game like tonight, if we don’t have good goaltending and we get a breakdown the puck will be in the back of your net,” Boston coach Claude Julien said. “You need a guy to stand tall and be good, and you need a guy that goes into the playoffs with confidence and hopefully that’s what Tuukka’s creating here.”

It hasn’t even been a week since Julien was openly critical of Rask after the Bruins 3-2′ loss to the Penguins in Boston on Saturday. The Penguins scored a pair of power-play goals over four minutes in the third period to break open what had been a 1-1 tie.

Rask was just as critical, saying he had cost the Bruins the game. He was back in the net Sunday and made 28 saves in a 3-0 win over Florida, although few of the Panthers’ shots appeared to be much of a challenge.

The Lightning were a much greater threat as Martin St. Louis entered the game leading the NHL with 58 points and teammate Steven Stamkos in a tie for second with 56.

Both had great scoring chances that Rask grabbed out of the air with his glove.

“You just kind of throw yourself out there,” Rask said. “For me, I get a better feeling when I’m just square and the puck hits me and I don’t give up rebounds. It’s pretty easy to get carried away when you make highlight saves, so you just try to stay calm after you make a save like that.”

Rask remained calm throughout and was the main reason Boston won the game despite being outshot by the Lightning 30-24.

“You think he doesn’t have it and his glove’s right there,” said Daniel Paille, whose goal late in the second period gave Boston a 2-0 lead that held through the third. “He read a lot of plays tonight and he talked all night. That was good to see.”

The Bruins and Canadiens are tied with 61 points, but Boston has two games remaining while Montreal has only one. The Canadiens finish their season at Toronto on Saturday. Boston plays at Washington on Saturday and finishes at home against Ottawa in the regular-season finale on Sunday.

Dennis Seidenberg also scored for the Bruins, breaking a scoreless tie early in the second period for his third goal of the season. Paille added a goal toward the end of the period and that was more than enough for Rask.

St. Louis had a chance to pull Tampa Bay within 2-1 with 4:33 left in the third with a sharp wrist shot that Rask stretched to grab with his glove. Rask caught a break a couple of minutes later when Tom Pyatt nearly beat him with a shot that clanged off the post and bounced back in front through Rask’s pads.

The puck could easily have rebounded right back into the net and given the Lightning a chance to tie in the closing minutes, but Rask’s luck held and he picked up his fifth shutout of the season.

“When a goalie starts getting confidence, good things can happen — especially in this league. I feel for our guys,” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. “I think, truthfully, we may have made less mistakes than the Bruins but we couldn’t bury our chances.”

Anders Lindback had 22 saves for the Lightning.

The Bruins were sluggish early and were outshot 9-4 in the first period, but Rask kept the Lightning out of the net, then Seidenberg scored 4:22 into the second period. Brad Marchand carried the puck up the ice, skated across the Lightning zone and fed Seidenberg for a slap shot from the point that Lindback couldn’t see through the traffic.

Paille put Boston up 2-0 on a one-timer off a circle-to-circle pass from Gregory Campbell that left Lindback helplessly lunging to get from one post to the other as Paille scored his 10th goal of the season.

Long since eliminated from playoff contention, the Lightning appeared determined not to leave Boston without getting in a few shots before the end of the season. Former Bruins forward Benoit Pouliot took on Boston defenseman Andrew Ference in an extended bout with six minutes remaining in the first period.

Next up were Boston’s Milan Lucic and Keith Aulie, who matched punches until Lucic landed three straight shots that sent Aulie slumping to the ice late in the second.

Game notes

The game was originally scheduled for Feb. 9, but postponed because of the blizzard that shut down the Northeast and left more than 2 feet of snow in some areas. … Tampa Bay’s only penalties in the first two periods were the fighting majors to Pouliot and Aulie. … The Bruins swept the three games against the Lightning in the lockout-shortened season.

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Tlusty scored twice, Semin had a goal and two assists and Staal chipped in with a pair of assists — all in the first period — to lead the Hurricanes to a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday night.

Dan Ellis stopped 34 shots to make a 3-0 lead stand up and help Carolina to its first win over Tampa Bay this season.

“We came out hard, and that was the difference in the first period,” Tlusty said. “We kept it going throughout the game.”

Semin scored for Carolina 16 seconds in, taking a feed in the slot from Staal and whipping it over the shoulder of Lightning goalie Anders Lindback.

Tlusty’s first goal came shortly after the Hurricanes failed to score on a power play when he dumped the puck on goal from inside the blue line and it bounced off of Lindback’s pads and into the back of the net.

Later in the period, Tlusty was stationed in front of the net and was in the perfect position to direct a deflection off of Staal’s shot past Lindback.

“I don’t know what the problem is with us in first periods,” said Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman. “We always battle back hard from being down in games, which is the good part, but we would rather be up a few goals in the first instead of behind.”

The Lightning, who lost their sixth straight game, got on the board with a power-play goal from Steven Stamkos in the second period — his 28th goal of the season.

Martin St. Louis added a third-period goal to narrow the deficit to 3-2 but Ellis turned away the final 12 shots he faced, including point-blank opportunities by Eric Brewer, Ryan Malone and B.J. Crombeen.

“(Ellis) stepped up and had a good, strong game,” Hurricanes coach Kirk Muller said. “That’s what you need from him. His performance was good.

“They’ve had our number recently, but I think it was just important to us because we had a tough game last night and the guys have been playing so hard through the stretch. We got off track last night and we wanted to get back on track tonight and do the right things and we did.”

With less than 20 seconds left, the Lightning pulled Lindback and created a lot of traffic in front of Ellis but could not tie the game.

“I have gotten lit up by this team forever so this was a good night,” Ellis said. “They play with a lot of pride and so do we. We are not pushing for playoff spots but we are pushing to honor our fans, honor the crest on our jersey.”

St. Louis got his league-leading 42nd assist on Stamkos’ goal and his 55 points are only one behind injured Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby for the league lead.

Game notes

Staal thought he had a goal in the second period but officials declared his shot deflected off Brewer’s skate but did not completely cross the goal line. A video review upheld the call. … In their previous four contests this season, the Lightning outscored the Hurricanes 18-4. … Semin has 31 assists this season. … The Lightning outshot the Hurricanes 16-4 in the third period.

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Pittsburgh, gearing for a run at the Stanley Cup, welcomed star forward Jarome Iginla to the lineup, but lost Sidney Crosby early in the first period after he was hit in the mouth with a puck.

Still, the Penguins managed to overcome the injury to Crosby on Saturday for their 15th straight victory as Matt Cooke and James Neal scored third-period goals during a 2-0 victory against the New York Islanders.

“It’s very tough to see that happen to anybody on the ice, but this is your teammate and Sid’s such a great player,” Iginla said. “It’s a very, very unfortunate play.”

Tomas Vokoun made 35 saves as Pittsburgh moved within two wins of the NHL record of 17 straight victories set by Mario Lemieux and the 1992-93 Penguins.

“The shutout is nice, but preserving the winning streak is even better,” Vokoun said. “It’s been great.”

It might be tough without Crosby.

Coach Dan Bylsma said Crosby lost several teeth and needed oral surgery. He did not know if Crosby would miss additional time and wasn’t sure if the injury affected his jaw.

“I just know he had some issues with his teeth,” Bylsma said. “Just from the replay I know that.”

Crosby, with 15 goals and 56 points, has enjoyed a resurgence this season, leading Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos by 10 points in the NHL scoring race.

Another head injury for Crosby, however, has to concern the Penguins.

Crosby has missed considerable time the past two years because of concussions. He was sidelined the final 41 games in 2011 and the Stanley Cup playoffs, and skipped most of the 2012 regular season as symptoms lingered.

“I think every time that type of thing happens to a player you think about it,” Bylsma said.

Crosby skated off the ice with a towel covering his mouth after a slap shot by teammate Brooks Orpik deflected off a stick and hit the NHL scoring leader in the face. Crosby, who immediately fell to the ice and tossed his stick in the air, did not return.

“When you see the replay, he had no chance to move,” Iginla said. “Guys were definitely checking to see how he was doing.”

Pittsburgh went 15-0-0 in March, the first perfect month in league history. The Penguins also won a franchise-best 12th straight at home.

The Penguins, with a win at home against Buffalo on Tuesday, will have a chance to tie the record of 17 straight wins the following night at Madison Square Garden against the Rangers.

As it stands, they’re tied with the 1981-82 Islanders for the second longest winning streak in NHL history.

“It’s exciting for our team, exciting for the players,” Neal said. “We want to keep the streak going.”

Iginla, a six-time All-Star, was acquired by the Penguins from Calgary early Thursday and he arrived in Pittsburgh on Friday night. He was in the lineup a game earlier than originally anticipated.

The move for Iginla, who waived his no-trade clause to come to Pittsburgh, was the Penguins’ third big deal in a week. Pittsburgh also obtained former Dallas Stars captain Brenden Morrow and defenseman Doug Murray from San Jose.

The record crowd at Consol Energy Center responded with a huge ovation when Iginla was announced as part of the starting lineup.

Iginla, who played right wing for most of his career in Calgary, skated the left side on a line with reigning NHL scoring champion Evgeni Malkin and Neal, an All-Star forward.

The excitement quickly turned to concern 1:28 into the game when Crosby left the ice.

Pittsburgh appeared stunned without its captain, and the Islanders took advantage, getting the first eight shots of the game, but came up empty against Vokoun.

Vokoun earned his second consecutive shutout. Vokoun who hasn’t been scored on in more than 162 minutes, relieved injured starter Marc-Andre Fleury during a 1-0 victory Tuesday against Montreal.

Vokoun’s biggest save came in the third period, stopping Islanders speedy forward Michael Grabner on a breakaway.

Cooke scored his sixth goal of the season at 8:10, picking up the rebound from defenseman Deryk Engelland’s shot at the top of the crease, and firing a spinning shot behind Islanders goaltender Evgeni Nabokov.

“I went to the net and the puck hit me in the stomach,” Cooke said. “I stayed with it, tried to settle it and get it on net.”

Neal scored at 13:04, firing a wrist shot past Nabokov. It was his 18th goal.

The Islanders entered Saturday’s game tied with the New York Rangers for eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

The Islanders, who handed Pittsburgh one of four losses on home ice, ended up losing for the third time during the Penguins’ 15-game winning streak.

“They’ve proven they can play without Crosby or Malkin, so it’s not so much that,” Islanders forward John Tavares said. “It’s more about us and executing and doing what we need to do to win hockey games.”

The Penguins received the biggest boost from their penalty kill.

Chris Kunitz, the team’s second-leading scorer, was assessed a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct late in the second period for checking Islanders center Josh Bailey from behind.

Bailey initiated contact, but Kunitz got the better of the play, sending Bailey dangerously into the boards. Bailey did not return.

“I saw the hit, I’m not going to comment on the hit,” Islanders coach Jack Capuano said. “Fortunately (Bailey) is OK, but obviously stiff.”

The major penalty turned into a two-man advantage for the Islanders three minutes later when Orpik was whistled for tripping, but Pittsburgh successfully killed off both penalties.

“We had blocked shots, clears, we won some battles at the net,” Bylsma said. “That’s a long time to kill a 5-on-3 against a really good power play team.”

“Every time we get a big kill, it’s the loudest our crowd has been,” Cooke said. “The crowd was intense and it definitely energized us.”

Game notes

The Penguins have allowed nine goals in their past 11 games. … Paul Martin will have surgery Sunday on a broken bone and will miss six weeks. The Penguins are already without Kris Letang, the NHL’s leading scorer among defenseman, who is out seven to 10 days with a broken toe. … Orpik appeared in his 621st career game, tying Ron Stackhouse for fifth on the team’s games played list and first among defensemen.

The post Sidney Crosby injured but Penguins cap perfect month of March appeared first on IdealCapper.

Now, it’s Crosby’s turn to return the favor.

Crosby had two goals and an assist to lead Pittsburgh past the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3 on Sunday night in the Penguins’ first game since reigning MVP Malkin was injured.

“They’re a dangerous team, so we wanted to make sure we played in their end as much as we could,” Crosby said. “They don’t need much room in order to create chances.”

Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said Malkin was diagnosed with a concussion after slamming back-first into the end boards during Friday night’s win over Florida.

Bylsma said Malkin, whose head snapped back when he hit the boards, initially suffered short-term memory loss, but he is improving. Still, Malkin will not join the team when it begins a three-game road swing Tuesday.

“He’s feeling fine and his memory is returning,” Bylsma said.

James Neal, Malkin’s regular linemate, played alongside Crosby and Chris Kunitz against the Lightning. Neal is tied for second in the league in goals.

Beau Bennett scored his first career goal on the power play to help Pittsburgh take over sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division. Matt Cooke and defenseman Paul Martin each had a goal and an assist for the Penguins, who have won five of six to tie Montreal for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

Steven Stamkos had a three-point night for Tampa Bay, with his 13th goal and two assists. Stamkos and John Tavares of the New York Islanders are tied for the NHL lead in goals.

Cory Conacher, the NHL’s leading scorer among rookies, and defenseman Eric Brewer also scored for the Lightning, who are tied with Carolina for first place in the Southeast Division.

Stamkos, with 29 points, is one ahead of Crosby for the NHL scoring lead.

“You can’t give a team like that a three-goal lead in the first,” Stamkos said. “We made a game of it, we did a lot of positive things, but we’re shooting ourselves in the foot.”

Marc-Andre Fleury, tied for first in the league with 10 wins, won his fifth straight game.

Anders Lindback started in goal for the Lightning and allowed three first-period goals on 10 shots before he was replaced at the start of the second by Mathieu Garon.

Tampa Bay, which outshot Pittsburgh 30-22, nearly crawled out of the 3-0 first-period hole with two goals early in the second period. The Lightning scored another in the third after the Penguins’ second-period power-play goal, cutting the deficit to 4-3, but Tampa Bay, which scored four goals in the third period during a 5-2 win one night earlier at Carolina, couldn’t complete the comeback.

“We’re the No. 1 team in the league for comebacks after two periods the last three years and we proved again why,” Lightning coach Guy Boucher said. “It’s just we can’t dig ourselves that big of a hole early, especially in a back-to-back.”

Crosby faced the Lightning for the first time since absorbing a check into the glass from Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman two years ago. It was a hit that contributed to the concussion problems that plagued the Penguins’ captain, forcing him to miss the final 41 games of the that regular season, the Stanley Cup playoffs, and most of last season as symptoms lingered.

Those days appear behind Crosby, who has 21 points in his last 12 games. The Penguins’ captain put his team ahead early with two goals less than 8 minutes into the game.

The first one came just 1:16 in. Crosby took a pass from Kunitz, skated alone down the left side and roofed a short-side wrist shot over Lindback’s shoulder from the faceoff dot.

Crosby’s second goal came 6 minutes later. Lindback had trouble trying to glove Martin’s shot from the point. Crosby got a stick on the puck, which bounced between Lindback’s legs and into the net after the Lightning goalie kicked it in.

Martin scored with 33 seconds left in the first period, tapping the rebound from Cooke’s initial shot into a partially empty net to give the Penguins a 3-0 lead.

The Lightning, after a dismal opening period, needed just 3:14 to score twice in the second.

Brewer got the first one 1:37 into the period on a tip-in from Stamkos, who followed it up by scoring the second — his fifth straight game with a goal — just 20 seconds into a two-man advantage.

Stamkos, with Pittsburgh’s Simon Despres and Craig Adams in the penalty box, wasted little time scoring on the power play, ripping a one-timer from the left side past Fleury to make it 3-2.

“They got right back into it and our three-goal lead evaporated,” Bylsma said. “I like how we stabilized the ship.”

The Penguins regained a two-goal lead, scoring on their own two-man advantage. It was the 11th straight game in which they scored a power-play goal, and the first time in five games Tampa Bay allowed a goal with the man advantage.

Kris Letang rushed to keep the puck in the zone at the blue line, sending a spinning pass to Crosby, who set up Bennett’s first NHL goal, a one-timer past Garon.

“Beau was in a good spot there,” Crosby said. “He’s a pretty gifted player, he has a lot of talent and he found the open lane.”

Conacher scored 3:15 into the third period, one-touching Hedman’s pass past Fleury to make it 4-3. But the Lightning, whose 32 third-period goals rank No. 1 in the NHL, couldn’t forge a tie despite Hedman’s near miss in the final minute.

“They’re a good team that has great offense and it’s going to bite you if you give them the puck, and that’s what happened tonight,” Boucher said.

Game notes

Crosby moved into third all-time in team history with 637 points, behind Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr. … Cooke got his 200th career assist on Martin’s goal. … Both teams play again Tuesday. Tampa Bay returns home to host Buffalo, while Pittsburgh opens a three-game road trip at Florida. In an odd scheduling quirk, the Penguins’ next home game is March 4 against Tampa Bay.

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Pouliot scored two goals, including the game-winner in overtime, lifting the Lightning to a 6-5 victory over the Florida Panthers on Saturday.

The Lightning ended a six-game losing streak and got their first victory since Feb. 1, against Winnipeg, after opening the season at 6-1.

On the winning score, the puck bounced off the end boards and out to Pouliot, who was open in front. His wrist shot went into the net 1:19 into overtime.

“I was surprised it came back in front,” Pouliot said. “I just put my head down and went to the net. It made a weird bounce and came back out to me and I just put it in. Coming out of here with a big win like this; it’s going to be huge for us.”

Steven Stamkos also scored twice, and Purcell and Alex Killorn each had a goal for the Lightning. Anders Lindback made 25 saves.

Purcell’s goal with 11 seconds left in regulation tied it 5-all as his shot from the slot hit off the post and into the net. Purcell was camped in front of the Panthers’ net as players scrambled for control of the puck while the final seconds of regulation ticked off, and was rewarded for his effort.

“I knew the puck was going to come out to the front,” Purcell said. “I was just trying to get a little space away from the defenders, and I was luckily uncovered and I was able to one-time it on net.”

Tomas Kopecky and Jonathan Huberdeau scored third-period goals to give the Panthers a lead they couldn’t hold. Jerred Smithson, Jack Skille, and Shawn Matthias also had goals for the Panthers and Jose Theodore stopped 30 shots. Mike Weaver had two assists and Matthias also had an assist.

Florida lost its fourth straight and third in a row in overtime.

“We’re not finishing,” Panthers coach Kevin Dineen said. “You’re not going to get in the playoffs with 48 points. You can’t try to get a point a game; it’s just not going to work. We’ve got to find a way a more complete effort and end up with two points.”

The Panthers got two goals early in the third to build a 5-3 lead.

The tiebreaking score came on the efforts of a couple of rookies as Drew Shore passed across the crease in front to Huberdeau, who redirected it into the net at 1:53 for his sixth goal of the season. Kopecky’s shot from the right side of the net put the Panthers ahead by two at 3:24.

Stamkos’ second goal came during a 4-on-3 power play and closed the score to 5-4. His slap shot from the left circle rifled past Theodore at 7:28. Stamkos has nine goals and three assists over a seven-game point streak against the Panthers.

“At that point of the game, you have to put teams away,” Smithson said. “You have to work to get that puck out, you have to do things the hard way. We obviously didn’t do it and let another point slip away.”

Trailing 3-2, Florida tied it in the waning seconds of the second period when Smithson poked in a rebound with 5 seconds left.

The Panthers tied it 2-all in the second on Skille’s goal at 2:27. The Lightning regained the lead quickly. Stamkos pounced on a rebound in front of the Panthers net and backhanded the puck past Theodore a little over a minute later to make it 3-2.

“We never quit. That’s never a question and never will be a question and we showed it again tonight,” Stamkos said. “We finally got a bounce our way on the overtime goal. Hopefully, this sparks some momentum and will help us moving forward.”

The Panthers, who were shut out in their last game, wasted no time changing that trend, taking a 1-0 lead 48 seconds in. Weaver took a shot from just inside the blue line on the right side. Matthias deflected the puck past Lindback.

The Lightning tied it at 1 on Pouliot’s first goal. Vincent Lecavalier passed the puck from behind the net out to Pouliot in front, who wristed in into the net at 4:48. The Lightning took a 2-1 lead on Killorn’s first career goal at 6:51 of the first.

“It felt really good. It was not a great shot or anything like that, but that’s usually how the first one goes in,” Killorn said. “I’m just happy that I was able to provide for the team.”

Game notes

Panthers W Kris Versteeg missed his second consecutive game with an upper body injury. … Lindback returned in net for Tampa Bay after missing Thursday’s game against Washington because of illness. … Lecavalier has recorded a point in four straight games.

The post Benoit Pouliot’s 2nd goal helps Lightning snap 6-game skid in OT appeared first on IdealCapper.

Tavares scored three goals and assisted on another Saturday night to lead the Islanders to a 5-1 win over the New Jersey Devils.

“I think any great player puts a lot of responsibility on (themselves) because they want to lead (their) team,” Islanders coach Jack Capuano said of the first overall pick in the 2009 draft. “To me, an elite player is someone you watch night in and night out, and your coaches prepare for in your pre-scout. You’re looking at 91 (Tavares).

“I’m sure teams are doing the same thing as we do with (Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven) Stamkos and some of the other players in the league.”

Matt Moulson had a goal and three assists, Michael Grabner scored with 35 seconds left, and Evgeni Nabokov made 30 saves for the Islanders, who beat the Rangers 4-3 in a shootout Thursday night.

“Just two games. Don’t want to blow it out of proportion,” Josh Bailey said. “Want to keep it rolling.”

Tavares, who notched his fourth career hat trick, has 20 points in 14 games. Moulson finished with four points, and Brad Boyes had two assists. Tavares is tied with Buffalo Sabres left wing Thomas Vanek and Pittsburgh Penguins left wing James Neal for the league lead with 11 goals.

“I think ever since I was a kid, my main attribute (has been to) be a goal scorer,” Tavares said. “Not that I go out there and think about leading the league in goals, but when I get my opportunities, I want to contribute. And I know offensively, that’s where I contribute the most. Just trying to, when I get my chances, put the puck in.”

The Devils’ lone goal was Marek Zidlicky’s power-play slap shot 8:47 into the third. Johan Hedberg made 28 saves for New Jersey, which has lost two of its last three.

“What, first place (in the Eastern Conference)?” New Jersey coach Pete DeBoer said sarcastically when he was asked if he was worried about the losses. “No one likes to lose, but you’re going to lose some games. There (are) no easy stretches this season and we’re going to bounce back Monday afternoon (at home against the Ottawa Senators).”

Tavares’ tap-in of Boyes’ rebound opened the scoring 16:46 into the second. Hedberg couldn’t control Boyes’ wrister and Tavares slammed the loose puck into the half-empty net.

Tavares doubled the lead to 2-0 1:23 later with his second of the game and 10th of the season. With New York on a power play, Tavares and Moulson played give-and-go, and the sequence ended with Tavares jamming a loose puck under Hedberg.

Moulson pushed the Islanders’ advantage to 3-0 57 seconds later with his seventh of the season. Tavares finished off his hat trick by zipping a power-play laser over Hedberg with 5:15 left in regulation.

It was a tightly contested goaltending showdown early. Hedberg robbed Boyes 1:06 into the game with a diving snare of an off-wing wrister. He also benefited from a bit of good fortune as Ullstrom’s backhand penalty shot attempt with 3:15 left in the first hit the crossbar.

“Heddy (played) an unbelievable game,” Devils captain Bryce Salvador said. “He comes out and does what he does. He gave us a chance to win. He made some big saves and we just kind of let down in front of him.”

Nabokov was every bit Hedberg’s counterpart’s equal. His most difficult save was a doorstep stuff attempt off the stick of Ryan Carter in the first period.

“I thought we had some breakdowns in the first period (and) he was there to close the door,” Capuano said of Nabakov. “He played extremely well. I don’t know a lot about that position, but I know he was aggressive tonight and his angles were good. He was square to the puck.”

New York went 3 for 6 on the power play, while New Jersey was 1 for 4 on the man advantage.

“Bottom line, our (penalty kill) wasn’t good enough. That’s the difference in the game,” Salvador said. “Our PK wasn’t sharp. Usually, PKs are our strength. They got a couple big power-play goals, bottom line. If our PK does the job, it’s a different game. The Islanders thrive on the special teams and our PK just wasn’t up to it tonight.

“In a game like tonight, our PK has to come out and do the job and we didn’t get it done.”

Game notes

The announced attendance was 15,488. … The teams have split the first four games of the regular-season series. They will meet once more this season, at the Prudential Center on April 1. … Tavares’ first goal ended Hedberg’s shutout streak against the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum this season at 96:46. … New Jersey scratched Mark Fayne, Peter Harrold and Stefan Matteau. Eric Boulton, Thomas Hickey and Marty Reasoner were New York’s scratches.

The post John Tavares keys Isles’ rout of Devils with hat trick appeared first on IdealCapper.

Philadelphia Flyers at Tampa Bay
When: 6:00 PM ET, Sunday, January 27, 2013
Where: Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tampa, Florida
TV: 6 p.m. ET, CSN (Philadelphia), SunSports (Tampa).
Prediction: Lightning 5, Flyers 3

Oddsmakers currently have the Lightning listed as 116-moneyline favorites versus the Flyers, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.

Philadelphia, which was second in the league in scoring a season ago, finally got its offense cranked up. Matt Read registered his first career hat trick and Ruslan Fedotenko had a goal and an assist for his first points in his second stint with the Flyers. Captain Claude Giroux is the go-to player for the Flyers and he delivered his first multiple-point game of the season with a pair of assists. Philadelphia can’t expect to produce seven goals every night. The Flyers will need their defense to come together. Blue-liner Luke Schenn had 11 hits against Florida and is plus-3 thus far. Ilya Bryzgalov has played every game this season.

Last time out for Philadelphia, they were a 7-1 winner as they battled the Panthers on the road. Moneyline bettors who got the Flyers at -108 were rewarded, while the 8 combined goals moved the game OVER for totals bettors.

Tampa Bay has outscored its opponents 16-2 in the first and third periods combined, while getting swamped in the second, 10-3. The Lightning have made a bad habit of getting away from their relentless style in the middle frame. The Lightning have also surrendered an average of 36.5 shots, close to the most in the league. Their key performers are putting up numbers, especially in the third – led by Steven Stamkos (two goals, six assists) and Martin St. Louis (three, four). Rookie Cory Conacher has at least a point in every game and seven in all. Anders Lindback (.900 save percentage) is expected back in net.

The Lightning were a 6-4 winner in their most recent outing at home against the Senators. That made winners of bettors who got Tampa Bay at -125 on the moneyline, while the total score (10) was good news for OVER bettors.

Tampa Bay:
Team record: 3-1-0 SU, ATS
Current streak: won 2 straight games.

is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of last 5 games at home

When playing on Sunday are 5-5
Before playing St. Louis are 3-7
After playing Ottawa are 4-6
After a win are 5-5

Philadelphia:
Team record: 2-3-0 SU, ATS
Current streak: won 2 straight games.

The total has gone OVER in 4 of last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of last 5 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 5 of last 7 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of last 6 games

When playing on Sunday are 1-9
Before playing Tampa Bay are 9-1
After playing Florida are 5-5
After a win are 4-6

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