The Tampa Bay Lightning travel to Pittsburgh on Wednesday for a 7:30 game. Check back here for updates and recaps.
Race for the Rocket
Sidney Crosby-47 goals
Steven Stamkos-46 goals
Alex Ovechkin-46 goals
Third Period Recap: Pittsburgh falls to Tampa Bay, 2-0
The Penguins held the Lightning off the scoreboard in the third, but could not generate any offense of their own. Pittsburgh looked flat this game. Timing, decision making and the bounces were just off.
Check back for post-game coverage.
Second Period Recap
Steve Downie extended Tampa Bay’s lead early in the second period. Martin St. Louis was lugging the puck to the Pittsburgh net when Kris Letang stick checked the biscuit, and it ended up right on the stick of Downie, who ripped it past Marc-Andre Fleury. 0:29 Downie from St. Louis and Stamkos. 2-0, Tampa Bay.
Bill Guerin dropped the gloves with Zenon Konopka, trying to spark some life into the Penguins. Pittsburgh definitely looks "off" tonight, and will need to pull it together to comeback in the third period.
The Penguins will begin the third with 44 seconds of power-play time. But the Pittsburgh man-advantage has been frustrating to watch tonight.
The Penguins are still outshooting the Lightning, 18-12, despite spotty play.
First Period Recap
Steven Stamkos is inching closer to Sidney Crosby in the goal-scoring department, striking first for Tampa Bay and giving the Lightning a first period lead. While Tampa was working on the power play, Stamkos fired a shot from the top of the near circle past Marc-Andre Fleury. 17:00 Stamkos (PP) from St. Louis and Foster. 1-0, Tampa Bay.
The Penguins were given a long power-play opportunity in the first when Tampa defenseman Matt Lashoff drilled Ruslan Fedotenko into the boards face first. Lashoff, who was called up from the AHL today by the Lightning on an emergency basis, was given a major for boarding and a game misconduct. Fedotenko was down on the ice for several moments before being helped to the locker room. He later returned to finish out the first period.
The Penguins looked a little sloppy on the power play. They got a couple of chances, but had even more giveaways and missed shots.
Pittsburgh is outshooting Tampa Bay, 9-6.
Pregame
Scratched for Pittsburgh are Evgeni Malkin (foot), Sergei Gonchar (illness) and Eric Godard (healthy).
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Game Preview
The Lineup
The Penguins will once again be without their Russian contingent of Evgeni Malkin and Sergei Gonchar Wednesday against the Lightning.
Malkin has missed six of the Penguins' last seven games with a foot injury sustained in Pittsburgh's 2-1 win over Tampa Bay on March 14, when he took a shot to the skate from teammate Kris Letang, who just signed a new $14 million extension with the Penguins on Tuesday. Malkin will be out of the lineup Wednesday.
Read about the Letang deal here.
Gonchar revealed that he has been battling a severe case of strep throat, and that he was bedridden for several days prior to returning to practice. Gonchar has missed three games in a row and will be out of the lineup Wednesday night.
Both players appear to be close to returning. The Penguins are being wise not to rush either player back too quickly with the playoffs looming on the horizon. As for Malkin's "food" injury, his parents should be coming in for the postseason. Hopefully Mama Malkin can cook up some more of her Conn Smythe borscht for her son.
Projected Forward Lines:
Ponikarovsky-Crosby-Dupuis
Kunitz-Staal-Guerin
Cooke-Kennedy-Fedotenko
Rupp-Talbot-Adams
Projected Defensive Pairings:
Orpik-Letang
Eaton-Leopold
McKee-Goligoski
Goaltender: Marc-Andre Fleury
Race for the Rocket
Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin are locked in a fight for the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy for the top goal scorer in the NHL. But the "other" guy involved in this race is Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos. Going into Wednesday night's NHL action, Crosby sits at 47 goals, Ovechkin has 46 and Stamkos has 45.
Stamkos also has 41 assists to go along with his goals. And, at only 20 years old, hasn't gotten the attention he probably deserves. Playing on a shaky Lightning team has a lot to do with this.
Player to Watch: Kris Letang
Letang has no excuses. He now knows for sure that he is part of this club's future. And, even though his new contract doesn't kick in until next season, I'm looking for Letang to step up his game down the stretch and into the playoffs. There are no more free agency distractions for Letang. Now is the time for Letang to show Ray Shero, the team and the fans that he is worth $3.5 million a year.
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