Game Preview: TB vs. FLA
From Yahoo Sports:
With less than two weeks to go in the regular season, the Tampa Bay Lightning could easily win their division or miss the playoffs entirely.
The Lightning look to regroup following a disheartening loss and resume their push for the postseason when they host the Florida Panthers on Tuesday.
With 86 points, Tampa Bay (41-31-4) is only two behind Southeast Division-leading Atlanta. The Lightning are 5-2-0 against the Thrashers this season, and the division title may not be decided until the teams meet in Atlanta for their regular season finale April 7.
Although the Lightning are fighting for their third division title in the franchise's 14-year history, they are hardly playoff locks. They're in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, just ahead of the New York Islanders, Carolina and Montreal, who are tied for eighth with 84 points.
Tampa Bay won the first two games of its four-game homestand, but fell 7-2 to Ottawa on Saturday in its most lopsided home loss of the season.
"This game is done," Lightning coach John Tortorella said. "We're already by it. There's no sense in looking back."
Dan Boyle scored both goals Saturday, while Vincent Lecavalier added two assists to become the first Tampa Bay player to reach 100 points in a season.
Lecavalier has eight goals and eight assists in 11 games this month, and two goals and four assists in six games against the Panthers (31-30-14) this season.
Right wing Martin St. Louis is three points away from becoming the second Lightning player with 100 points. He has four goals and four assists in his last five contests against Florida.
Tampa Bay is 3-2-1 against the Panthers this season, winning both games at the St. Pete Times Forum.
Goaltender Marc Denis started both of the home games against Florida, allowing just three goals in those contests, while Johan Holmqvist is 1-1-1 with a 4.53 GAA in four starts against the Panthers in 2006-07.
Denis, though, allowed five goals on 23 shots in 42 minutes before being pulled Saturday. He's just 1-3-0 with a 3.90 goals-against average in his last five games.
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