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Lightning ignored skeptics after falling down 0-2 in series

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- The Tampa Bay Lightning are enjoying making the Washington Capitals squirm under pressure.

All but counted out of the first-round playoff series after losing the first two games at home, the Lightning rebounded to win twice in Washington and even the best-of-seven series at 2-2.

Game 5 is Friday night. And despite regaining home-ice advantage, the third-seeded Lightning insist the heat is still on the talented, but sixth-seeded Capitals to advance to the second round.

Washington has blown two-game leads in series three times since 1992, and Tampa Bay coach John Tortorella has used the Capitals' history of postseason collapses as motivation for a team making its first playoff appearance in seven years.

"You go up 2-0 in a series, the pressure is on to close it out," Tortorella said. "We are just going to continue to play."

The Lightning have played more disciplined since being outscored 6-1 in the first two games, and the offense has been helped by Tortorella's decision to add Martin St. Louis to the line centered by Vincent Lecavalier.

The young Tampa Bay stars have three goals apiece in the past two games.

"We don't really care what other people think," Lecavalier said. "When you're down two to nothing, people expect you to lose. We didn't listen to that."

St. Louis scored twice in Wednesday night's 3-1 victory, including a short-handed goal that proved to be the game-winner. Lecavalier scored early in the third period for a two-goal lead.

"They've played well," Tortorella said. "I thought for part of the game that Washington played well against them, but they found a way, scored some big goals and again you're just looking to find a way to get a goal. They've been doing it the last couple of nights."

Now, it's Washington turn to show it is resilient, too, Capitals goaltender Olaf Kolzig said.

"The momentum's switched to their side," Kolzig said. "We've got to get back to the way we were playing down there, really frustrating them, eliminating a lot of good chances. They were hungry and determined the last two nights."

For the first time, Tortorella conceded after Game 4 that opening the series at home might have hurt the Lightning.

A majority of his players lacked previous playoff experience, and the coach felt that starting on the road would have given the team a chance to get acclimated before having to deal with the added pressure of home-ice expectations.

Lecavalier, who had two goals in Game 3 and one in Game 4, said there's no excuse to not be ready Friday night.

"It's not playing in Tampa that made us nervous," he said. "It was just the first two games. We want to play the same way. We need to work just as hard."

The new line featuring St. Louis and Lecavalier has accounted for all seven of Tampa Bay's goals in the past two games.

One of the keys to the rest of the series figures to be whether Jeff Halpern's usually effective checking line does a better job against the Lightning duo.

"They're a shutdown line, they take pride in it," coach Bruce Cassidy said. "This is the time of year you can make a name for yourself in that regard.

"I hope they are up to the challenge. They can't beat themselves up because their guys got the best of them for a couple of nights."

 

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