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	<channel>		<title>RUWT? News</title>
		<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com</link>
		<description>RUWT? News for Tampa Bay Lightning</description>
		<language>en-us</language>
		<copyright>Copyright 2006-2007 areyouwatchingthis.com</copyright>
		<lastBuildDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 07:34:35 GMT</lastBuildDate>
		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 07:34:35 GMT</pubDate>
		<generator>RUWT?</generator>

		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Lightning-Thrashers Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ANDY LEFKOWITZ
STATS Editor

Tampa Bay (8-4-7) at Atlanta (10-6-2), 5:00 p.m. EDT

It's not immediately known who Tampa Bay Lightning coach Rick
Tocchet will start in goal Sunday. He may want to give a long
look to Antero Niittymaki.

Should the backup be tabbed to face Atlanta, Niittymaki will try
to extend his winning streak over the Thrashers to an incredible
14 games.

Niittymaki helped Finland win the silver medal at the 2006
Olympics, but managed only 62 wins in five seasons with
Philadelphia before joining the Lightning via free agency in
July.

So far, the move has paid off handsomely for Tampa Bay. In 10
games, Niittymaki is 5-1-3 with a 1.93 goals-against average
while Mike Smith continues to struggle - 3-4-4 with a 3.36 GAA.

Niittymaki's success against the Thrashers is nothing short of
amazing, as he's 13-0-0 with a 1.78 GAA. Nine of those wins have
come in Atlanta, where he's posted a 1.47 GAA.

Regardless of who starts in net, Tampa Bay comes in having lost
eight of its last nine (1-5-3) visits to Philips Arena.

This is the second meeting of the season for these Southeast
Division foes. After failing to make the playoffs in 2008-09,
Atlanta opened this season Oct. 3 with a 6-3 home win over Tampa
Bay.

Rich Peverley and Ilya Kovalchuk each scored twice and rookie
Ondrej Pavelec made 36 saves in place of Kari Lehtonen, who's
recovering from offseason back surgery and has yet to play.

Tampa Bay, which finished last season with an NHL-low 66 points,
got two goals from Martin St. Louis.

Now, Atlanta (10-7-2) and Tampa Bay (8-5-7) are in the middle of
the pack in the Southeast. The Lightning are in second place,
eight points behind Washington, while Atlanta is one point in
back of Tampa Bay and tied with fourth-place Florida.

Both clubs are coming off losses Saturday.

The Thrashers spotted Pittsburgh a three-goal lead before
falling 3-2. Chris Thorburn scored short-handed midway through
the third period and Maxim Afinogenov got Atlanta within one in
the final minute.

Johan Hedberg stopped 31 shots, drawing praise from Thorburn.

"We could have been down 4-0 in the second period but Moose
(Hedberg) kept us in it," he said.

While Peverley and Kovalchuk remain Atlanta's top two scorers
with 23 and 21 points, respectively, Afinogenov has been surging
with six goals in a five-game streak to give him 19 points.

The Lightning got an early goal from St. Louis but lost their
eighth straight road game to Carolina, 3-1. That also ended
Tampa Bay's seven-game run of picking up at least one point
(4-0-3).

"I am a little disappointed in some of the top guys," Tocchet
said. "I think Martin St. Louis played well, but some of our
other top guys just didn't show up tonight."

One of those top guys Tocchet called out may be captain Vincent
Lecavalier, who has only four goals after averaging more than 40
over the past three seasons.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/136264-Lightning-Thrashers-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/136264-Lightning-Thrashers-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:47:20 GMT</pubDate>
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			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Hurricanes beat Lightning 3-1]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[RALEIGH, N.C.(AP) -- There haven't been too many choices for the
Carolina Hurricanes' best overall game of the season.

The way Carolina's players and coaches talked after their 3-1
victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, the team's
most recent effort would be the unanimous pick.

Jussi Jokinen scored the winner, and Tuomo Ruutu and Chad LaRose
had goals to give Carolina its third win in its last four games.
Manny Legace made 20 saves for the Hurricanes, who have earned
points in their last five.

"I think this is the closest we've played to 60 minutes all
year," Jokinen said.

It was the first time in 15 games Carolina hadn't allowed at
least three goals.

"It was just beautiful to watch," Legace said about the
Hurricanes' defensive effort. "I had a good front-row seat
tonight."

Martin St. Louis scored for the Lightning, and Mike Smith made
24 saves. Tampa Bay entered the game 4-0-3 in its previous
seven.

"I am a little disappointed in some of the top guys," Tampa Bay
coach Rick Tocchet said. "I think Martin St. Louis played well,
but some of our other top guys just didn't show up tonight."

The winner came late in the second period when Jokinen,
stationed in front of the net, tipped Joe Corvo's slow-moving
shot through Smith's legs.

The Hurricanes had tied the score on the power play earlier in
the period when Joni Pitkanen made a nice play to keep the puck
in at the blue line. Pitkanen then fed Ray Whitney, who sent a
perfect cross-ice pass to Ruutu. Ruutu one-timed it past Smith's
glove for his ninth point in his last six games.

Tampa Bay opened the scoring late in the first.

With Tom Kostopoulos in the penalty box, Kurtis Foster took a
shot from the point that deflected off the stick of Carolina's
Matt Cullen. Off-balance, Legace couldn't control the rebound,
and the puck dribbled out to St. Louis, who converted from a
sharp angle.

"He hit it off my butt and into the net," Legace said. "My
butt's so big."

Tampa Bay, which played Thursday night in Anaheim before taking
a cross-country flight Friday, couldn't muster many scoring
chances the rest of the way, allowing the Hurricanes to take
control.

"I don't know how good Tampa was tonight," Corvo said. "They
didn't seem to have the jump they usually have."

Carolina has won eight consecutive games at home against the
Lightning.

With their improved play, the Hurricanes seem to be slowly
recovering from their recent 14-game winless streak.

"The mood in the room in the last week has been better, and
we've been moving toward something much better," Corvo said.
"Everybody's just a little more confident and feels better."

NOTES: Pitkanen returned to the lineup after missing two games
because of a lower-body injury. ... St. Louis has four points in
three games against Carolina this season. ... Tampa Bay left
wing Ryan Malone's points streak was snapped at five games.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/136194-Hurricanes-beat-Lightning-3-1</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/136194-Hurricanes-beat-Lightning-3-1</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:29:20 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Lightning-Hurricanes Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ALAN FERGUSON
STATS Writer

Tampa Bay (8-4-7) at Carolina (4-12-5), 7:00 p.m. EDT

A loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning last month started the
Carolina Hurricanes on their franchise-record 14-game slide.

When the Hurricanes face the visiting Lightning again Saturday
night, they'll be searching for their third win in four games
and attempting to earn back-to-back victories for the second
time this season.

After advancing to last season's Eastern Conference finals,
Carolina split its first four games, including a 2-1 shootout
win over Tampa Bay on Oct. 6.

The Lightning, however, snapped their eight-game losing streak
to the Hurricanes four days later with a 5-2 home victory. That
loss began Carolina's 0-10-4 skid that ended with Sunday's 5-4
shootout win over Minnesota, and the Hurricanes (4-12-5) earned
another two points Thursday night by rallying for a 6-5 shootout
victory against Toronto.

Carolina rallied from a three-goal first-period deficit and
forced overtime on a goal by Erik Cole with 2.9 seconds left in
regulation. Tuomo Ruutu and Jussi Jokinen then converted both of
Carolina's attempts in the shootout.

"We've got a lot of disappointment in there for where we're at,
but they haven't splintered and they haven't quit on each
other," coach Paul Maurice said. "The players still fight. The
players still believe, and they compete."

Maurice's club hasn't earned consecutive victories since beating
the Lightning and Florida at home Oct. 6 and 9, and it could use
better play from veteran goaltender Manny Legace, who was signed
Nov. 9 to replace an injured Cam Ward.

Legace is 1-1-2 with a 3.71 goals-against average in his five
games for the Hurricanes and won Thursday despite giving up a
season-high five goals.

"I was absolutely awful," Legace said. "And the boys just bailed
me out."

As he tries to extend Carolina's seven-game home win streak over
Tampa Bay, Legace will face a challenge in an improved Lightning
team that's 4-0-3 since Nov. 3. The Hurricanes goaltender has
also never beaten Tampa Bay in five career starts and gave up
five goals in his previous matchup, a 5-4 loss for St. Louis on
Feb. 5, 2008.

Tampa Bay (8-4-7) also rallied from a three-goal deficit
Thursday but fell 4-3 in overtime at Anaheim.

"Down 3-0 on the road and you get a point, that's pretty good,"
forward Martin St. Louis said.

Ryan Malone, who is on a five-game point streak, had his third
career hat trick in the Oct. 10 win over Carolina, and he has
six goals and an assist in his last seven games against the
Hurricanes.

Malone has three goals and six assists in the past five games.

After giving Mike Smith consecutive starts, Tampa Bay could look
to Antero Niittymaki, who is among the league leaders with a
1.93 GAA. Niittymaki is searching for his fifth straight win
over Carolina since the beginning of last season and stopped 24
shots in the Oct. 10 win over the Hurricanes.

Smith, meanwhile, is 0-4-3 with a 3.34 GAA lifetime versus
Carolina.

Tampa Bay hasn't won at the RBC Center since Nov. 8, 2007.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135693-Lightning-Hurricanes-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135693-Lightning-Hurricanes-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:39:28 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Niedermayer's OT goal lifts Ducks]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[ANAHEIM, Calif.(AP) -- After blowing a three-goal lead, the
Anaheim Ducks needed someone to come to the rescue.

Captain Scott Niedermayer came through when it counted most,
scoring a power-play goal 52 seconds into overtime to give the
Ducks a 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday
night.

Niedermayer scored his 13th career OT goal, an NHL record for
defenseman, to snap the Ducks' four-game losing streak.

"The last one was a big-time shot by a big-time player," coach
Randy Carlyle said. "The guy that made the play was Corey Perry
in front of the net with a screen."

Perry didn't get an assist on Niedermayer's 38th career winning
goal, but did extend his career-best point streak to 13 games
with a power-play goal and two assists. Ryan Getzlaf and Teemu
Selanne also had a goal and two assists each for the Ducks in
the opener of a seven-game homestand that will go a long way in
determining if Anaheim can salvage a playoff spot after a 6-10-3
start.

"We stuck with it, kept working and got rewarded for it,"
Niedermayer said. "The win is important. It eluded us on the
road trip. To get back into that column and start building the
wins is important for us."

Ryan Malone was sent off for cross-checking Getzlaf just 11
seconds into overtime, and Niedermayer got a drop pass from
Getzlaf in the high slot before snapping off a 45-footer that
beat Mike Smith high to the glove side.

Jeff Halpern, Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis scored for the
Lightning, and Malone and Steve Downie each had two assists.

Anaheim's Todd Marchant got a tripping penalty with a second
left in the second period after upending Halpern, and St. Louis
cashed in 1:38 after the intermission on a power play for the
equalizer. He got the puck at the left point from Downie, moved
laterally with it and took a slap shot that whizzed past Petteri
Nokelainen and beat a screened Jonas Hiller to the glove side.

Ryan gave the Ducks a 3-0 lead at 6:52 of the second period,
scoring on a wrist shot to the glove side after Joffrey Lupul
barely kept the puck from sliding back over the Tampa Bay blue
line. Ryan's ninth of the season came after David Hale cut him
with a high stick and received a double-minor.

"Down 3-0 on the road and you get a point, that's pretty good,"
St. Louis said.

Just 49 seconds after Ryan scored, it was suddenly 3-2 as the
Lightning struck twice in a span of 18 seconds. Downie had the
puck behind the net and was tripped from behind by Sheldon
Brookbank, but still managed to throw it out in front and
Halpern converted the pass for his second goal of the season.

"When a team's down 3-0, they're going to push hard,"
Niedermayer said. "I think just made a couple of mistakes where
we jumped behind the net and created openings, and they got
their first two goals that way."

Stamkos added his 14th of the season, taking a swipe at the puck
while falling down and tipping it past Hiller's glove after he
was stopped on a one-timer from about 10 feet. At that point,
Carlyle burned his only timeout to settle his club.

"We showed some resiliency," Ryan said. "In the past, we would
have let those three goals really go to our heart and that would
have been a time of self-destruction for us. But tonight we
pulled together and grinded out the two points."

Smith received an interference penalty at 4:22 of the first
period after he tried to play the puck behind the net, lost it
on a poke-check by Perry and then pinned him against the boards.
The Ducks opened the scoring just 3 seconds after Alex Tanguay
finished serving Smith's penalty, with Selanne converting
Getzlaf's pass through the crease for his 11th goal and 590th of
his career.

Getzlaf made it 2-0 at 18:12 of the first.

"We moved the puck effectively and found the open man," Carlyle
said. "We didn't panic with it in the zone, and we seemed to be
under a lot of control with it."

NOTES: Anaheim D James Wisniewski, playing in his 200th NHL
game, left the ice for good with a bruised right foot after
blocking a shot by Paul Szczechura before the midway point of
the first period. ... Stamkos has three goals in his last seven
games, following a six-game goal streak in which he scored eight
times. ... Ducks C MacGregor Sharp made his NHL debut.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135588-Niedermayers-OT-goal-lifts-Ducks</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135588-Niedermayers-OT-goal-lifts-Ducks</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:54:22 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Lightning-Ducks Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By TOM CASTRO
STATS Senior Editor

Tampa Bay (8-4-6) at Anaheim (6-10-3), 10:00 p.m. EDT

The Tampa Bay Lightning got right back on the winning track
after a loss in their previous game. They will try to continue
their surge when they face the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, losers of
four in a row.

Continuing a four-game road trip, the Lightning look to extend
their point streak to seven games Thursday night as they take on
the Ducks for the first time this season.

Tampa Bay (8-4-6) had won two in a row before suffering a 2-1
shootout loss to Los Angeles on Saturday. The Lightning bounced
back behind Vincent Lecavalier, who had two goals and an assist
in a 4-1 victory over Phoenix on Monday night.

Lecavalier had gone eight games with only one goal, but broke
out as his team won for the fourth time in six games (4-0-2).

"They weren't beautiful goals at all, just shots on net going
in," said Lecavalier, who has four goals on the season. "They've
been tough to get this year."

Alex Tanguay added a goal and two assists and Martin St. Louis
also scored for the Lightning, who got 30 saves from backup Mike
Smith.

"We're getting some pretty good goaltending on this hockey
club," coach Rick Tocchet said. "Good goaltending makes anything
look better."

Tocchet starting Smith gave a night off to the red-hot Antero
Niittymaki, who is likely to be back in net Thursday.
Niittymaki, 5-1-3 with a 1.93 goals-against average, has never
faced Anaheim.

He will take on a sinking Ducks club that lost 5-2 to Pittsburgh
on Monday to wrap up a winless four-game trip. Anaheim (6-10-3),
owner of the worst record in the Western Conference, was coming
off a 7-4 defeat to Detroit on Saturday in which it allowed five
goals in the third period.

Coach Randy Carlyle held a team meeting after the game Monday.

"I've been on teams like this before and it's never easy,"
forward Todd Marchant said. "It's almost seems like there's
never light at the end of the tunnel, but there is. There is
time, time to turn this around. We have the personnel, we have
the talent, we have the work ethic, we have the character in
this room to do it."

Ryan Getzlaf saw his 11-game point streak end, but Corey Perry
stretched his to 12 by assisting on Marchant's goal in the first
period.

Tanguay has three goals and five assists in his last six games.

The Ducks are opening a season high-tying seven-game homestand.
The Lightning visit Carolina on Saturday before concluding their
trip Sunday in Atlanta.

Anaheim had won three straight in the series before Tampa Bay
took the latest matchup, 4-3 on Jan. 9 at Honda Center.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135039-Lightning-Ducks-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135039-Lightning-Ducks-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:26:29 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Lecavalier leads Lightning to 4-1 win over Coyotes]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[GLENDALE, Ariz.(AP) -- After going eight games with only one goal,
Vincent Lecavalier will take a score however it comes.

Lecavalier had two goals and an assist and Mike Smith made 30
saves as the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Phoenix Coyotes 4-1
Monday night.

"They weren't beautiful goals at all, just shots on net going
in," Lecavalier said. "They've been tough to get this year."

Alex Tanguay had a goal and two assists and Martin St. Louis
also scored for the Lightning, who have recorded points in six
straight games - four wins and two overtime losses.

Adrian Aucoin scored the lone goal for the Coyotes, who have
dropped five of their past seven.

Phoenix's already thin defensive corps took an additional hit
with 3:35 left in the first period when Jim Vandermeer was
whistled for a 5-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for
running Kurtis Foster into the right half boards.

"You're certainly disappointed to lose a guy, especially a
veteran guy, but you play the hand you're dealt," said Coyotes
coach Dave Tippett. "You can't fault our guys with effort. We
had a lot of guys try real hard."

Lecavalier gave the Lightning a 1-0 lead at 5:59 of the first
period, beating Jason LaBarbera on a soft backhand shot from the
right faceoff circle.

Tanguay made it 2-0 with the Lightning on a 5-on-3 power play,
scoring on a quick rebound from the right edge of the crease
after LaBarbera stopped Ryan Malone's original shot.

"We're always prepared to kill penalties but especially in the
last few games it seems like we're taking penalties early in the
game," Aucoin said. "We're a group that needs everyone to play
well and when you go a man short and only certain guys are
getting on the ice, the other guys stiffen up and it's really
hard to get a good rotation."

Aucoin pulled the Coyotes within a goal on a blast from the
point with 40 seconds left in the opening period, but St. Louis
restored the Lightning's two-goal lead when he put home his own
rebound at 4:30 of the second.

"Those guys are the backbone of this team," Smith said. "When
they're contributing offensively it's tough for this team to
lose."

Lecavalier capped the scoring with 8:14 left with a shot that
bounced off the inside of LaBarbera's right pad and the goalie's
left skate before going into the net.

That was more than enough for Smith, who made his first start
since allowing five goals on 18 shots against Philadelphia on
Nov. 2.

"His temperament before the game, there was a good coolness and
confidence from him," Lightning coach Rick Tocchet said. "We're
getting some pretty good goaltending on this hockey club. Good
goaltending makes anything look better."

Phoenix center Peter Mueller left the game with 24.2 seconds to
go in the second period after sustaining an apparent lower-body
injury and did not return.

NOTES: Lecavalier had only one goal in his previous eight games.
... The Coyotes already were without defensemen Zbynek Michalek,
Kurt Sauer and Ed Jovanovski. Sauer and Michalek are on injured
reserve and Jovanovski missed his fourth straight game with a
lower-body injury. Phoenix center Matthew Lombardi was a
game-time scratch with a lower-body injury. ... NHL commissioner
Gary Bettman met with officials from the city of Glendale
earlier Monday to discuss the state of the league's attempt to
sell the Coyotes to an owner committed to keeping the team in
the Phoenix area. The NHL purchased the team on November 2 to
end the franchise's summer-long saga in bankruptcy court. ...
The announced crowd was 9,503, ending a three-game streak of
five-figure attendance.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134655-Lecavalier-leads-Lightning-to-4-1-win-over-Coyotes</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134655-Lecavalier-leads-Lightning-to-4-1-win-over-Coyotes</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:41:07 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Lightning-Coyotes Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By KATE HEDLIN
STATS Writer

Tampa Bay (7-4-6) at Phoenix (11-8-0), 9:00 p.m. EDT

The Tampa Bay Lightning were dismal on the road earlier this
season, but they showed signs of improvement away from home
recently, due in large part to the goaltending of Antero
Niittymaki.

Niittymaki and the Lightning seek to earn at least a point for
the sixth straight game Monday when they begin a four-game road
trip with a matchup against the Phoenix Coyotes.

Tampa Bay (7-4-6) got outscored 25-9 while losing its first five
road games, but went 2-0-1 to conclude a four-game trip the
first week of November.

Niittymaki was in net for all three of those contests, allowing
a total of five goals on 107 shots. He's yielded just one goal
in four of his last six starts, and his 1.93 goals-against
average ranks second in the NHL behind Buffalo's Ryan Miller
(1.77).

Niittymaki made 29 saves in regulation and overtime at home
Saturday, but gave up the deciding goal in a shootout to Anze
Kopitar as the Lightning fell 2-1 to Los Angeles.

Tampa Bay winger Ryan Malone tied the game in the third period,
and it appeared the Lightning had won after Paul Szczechura's
apparent goal with 1:40 left in overtime. Officials disallowed
that tally due to goaltender interference, although it appeared
Szczechura might have been pushed into the Kings' Jon Quick by a
Los Angeles player.

"There's nothing you can do. It happens," Tampa Bay coach Rick
Tocchet said. "We had a couple chances in overtime, but it's a
tough one."

Tocchet's team did earn at least point for the fifth straight
game (3-0-2). The Lightning now take to the road to play four
games in seven days, traveling cross country to visit the
Coyotes and Anaheim, before returning east to face Southeast
Division rivals Carolina and Atlanta.

If Niittymaki makes his sixth consecutive start Monday, it will
be the first time he's ever faced the Coyotes. Backup Mike Smith
has lost his last two starts against Phoenix.

Phoenix (11-8-0) closes its three-game homestand after splitting
the first two games. The Coyotes are looking to build off a 3-2
win over Dallas on Saturday in which goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov,
whose 2.04 GAA ranks immediately behind Niittymaki's, made 26
saves.

He helped Phoenix bounce back after losing four of its previous
five, giving up 18 goals in that span.

"It's a huge win to get out of that funk there," said defenseman
David Schlemko, who broke a 1-1 tie when he scored with 23.3
seconds remaining in the second period.

The Coyotes killed five of Dallas' six power plays despite
missing defenseman Ed Jovanovski and Zbynek Michalek, who have
missed the last two games because of lower-body injuries.
Michalek is considered week-to-week while Jovanovski is
day-to-day, although according to the team's Web site, he isn't
expected to play until the weekend.

Phoenix beat Tampa Bay 3-2 at home Jan. 8 in their only meeting
of last season and first since Feb. 13, 2007. The Coyotes had
lost six of the previous seven matchups in the series.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134417-Lightning-Coyotes-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134417-Lightning-Coyotes-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:04:14 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Kopitar scores lone shootout goal in L.A. win]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[TAMPA, Fla.(AP) -- Jonathan Quick and the Los Angeles Kings
rebounded quickly from a one-sided loss.

Anze Kopitar scored the lone shootout goal as the Kings beat the
Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on Saturday night. Quick stopped 28
shots, helping Los Angeles win one day after the Kings were
routed 7-0 by the Atlanta Thrashers.

"That felt great," Quick said. "(Friday's) game was a rough one,
so it was great to see the way the team battled back the night
after on the road. Everyone just dug in deep and played a great
game."

Drew Doughty scored in regulation for the Kings, who won for the
second time in five games.

The Lightning got a goal from Ryan Malone, and Antero Niittymaki
made 29 saves for Tampa Bay, 5-0-4 at home.

Doughty put the Kings ahead 1-0 from the high slot during a
power play at 7:20 of the third. Malone tied it at 1 on a
rebound wraparound goal with 8:21 left in the period.

Tampa Bay had a goal with 1:40 left in overtime disallowed
because of goaltender interference. It appeared that Tampa Bay
forward Paul Szczechura might have been pushed into Quick by a
Kings player during Andrej Meszaros' shot from the blue line.

"I was going to the net to try and get into the goalie's eyes
there with a screen," Szczechura said. "I got pushed in there."

Tampa Bay coach Rick Tocchet believed it should have been a
goal.

"There's nothing you can do. It happens," Tocchet said. "We had
a couple chances in overtime, but it's a tough one."

The call by referee Frederick L'Ecuyer wasn't allowed to be
reviewed by video replay.

"In the eyes of the referee, the goaltender was clearly
interfered with by the attacking player," NHL referee supervisor
Don Koharski said.

Quick stopped all eight first-period shots he faced, including
an in-close chance by Vincent Lecavalier. He was pulled in the
second period of the loss at Atlanta.

"I think it's a huge lift for him, personally," Los Angeles
captain Dustin Brown said.

Niittymaki made a nifty glove save on a shot by NHL points
leader Kopitar from near the crease just over a minute into the
second. Kopitar assisted on Doughty's goal for his 17th assist
and 31st point.

"I think everybody was just competing a lot harder," Kopitar
said. "We were winning loose puck battles and everybody played
for each other."

Both teams had 18 shots through two scoreless periods.

"The biggest thing is just moving forward and building off this
win here," Quick said.

NOTES: Slovakia national team GM Peter Bondra and coach Jan Filc
were at the game. Kings C Michal Handzus is a candidate for the
country's 2010 Olympic team. Meszaros was on the 2006 squad and
could play again in February. ... Los Angeles D Rob Scuderi left
in the first because of a lower body injury. ... Malone has
scored a goal in three straight games.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134076-Kopitar-scores-lone-shootout-goal-in-LA-win</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134076-Kopitar-scores-lone-shootout-goal-in-LA-win</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:33:51 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Kings-Lightning Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MATT BEARDMORE
STATS Writer

Los Angeles (11-6-2) at Tampa Bay (7-4-5), 7:30 p.m. EDT

After finally winning a shootout, the Tampa Bay Lightning get a
chance to do something Saturday night they haven't accomplished
since January - win three games in a row.

The Lightning get that opportunity at St. Pete Times Forum,
where they'll go for their fourth straight victory over the Los
Angeles Kings, who are coming off their worst defeat in two
seasons.

Tampa Bay (7-4-5) had dropped six straight shootouts since a 4-3
win at Florida on March 14, but rallied from a two-goal,
third-period deficit Thursday to defeat Minnesota 4-3 in a
shootout.

Steven Stamkos and Vincent Lecavalier each scored in the
tiebreaker for Tampa Bay, which had missed all 14 attempts
during four previous shootouts in 2009-10.

"It seemed like we didn't put our heads down going into the
shootout," said Stamkos, who also scored a short-handed goal -
his team-leading 13th tally - and assisted on Ryan Malone's
game-tying score with 14.7 seconds left in regulation. "It just
seemed different. We were confident."

The Lightning look for their first three-game winning streak
since a 3-0-0 stretch Jan. 19-27.

Taking on the Kings, whom they haven't lost to in regulation in
more than a decade, could help them achieve that mark. Tampa Bay
is 7-0-1 with a tie versus Los Angeles since Dec. 16, 2000.

The Kings' last regulation win in this series was a 5-2 victory
Oct. 7, 1999.

In the teams' last meeting, Tampa Bay won 3-1 at Staples Center
on Jan. 12. Lecavalier had a goal and an assist in that matchup,
while Stamkos and Martin St. Louis both added assists.

St. Louis, who had 30 goals in 2008-09, has not found the back
of the net in the last 11 games but is among the league leaders
with 15 assists.

He has four goals and seven assists in 10 career games versus
Los Angeles.

Before St. Louis and the Lightning open a four-game trip Monday,
they'll take on a Kings team that lost 7-0 at Atlanta on Friday.

It was Los Angeles' worst defeat since a 7-0 loss against
Nashville on Jan. 8, 2008.

The Kings (11-7-2), losers of three of four, will try to bounce
back from their first shutout of the season as they continue
their five-game trip.

Center Anze Kopitar, the NHL's leading scorer with 30 points,
had his five-game point streak snapped Friday. He had an assist
in the Jan. 11 matchup with the Lightning.

Kings goaltender Jon Quick made 15 saves in that game after
replacing Erik Ersberg, who allowed three goals on seven shots.
Neither fared well Friday, with Quick giving up three goals
before Ersberg surrendered four more on seven attempts.

"It stunk," Ersberg said. "I can't do anything about it now. You
can't worry about it too long. I think we are the better team."

Lightning goaltender Antero Niittymaki made 31 saves Thursday.
He is 1-0-1 with a 1.93 goals-against average lifetime against
Los Angeles.

Coach Rick Tocchet could also give the start to Mike Smith, who
is 5-0-0 with a 1.60 GAA in his career versus the Kings.

Los Angeles' last victory over Tampa Bay was 1-0 in overtime on
Nov. 6, 2003.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133723-Kings-Lightning-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133723-Kings-Lightning-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 14 Nov 2009 05:05:37 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Lightning beat Wild in shootout]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[TAMPA, Fla.(AP) -- Tampa Bay coach Rick Tocchet hopes his team
learned an important lesson.

Ryan Malone tied it with 14.7 seconds left in regulation, and
Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos scored in the shootout to
give the Lightning a 4-3 comeback win over the Minnesota Wild on
Thursday night.

"We were flat," Tocchet said. "You've got to keep grinding. Good
teams win games that maybe they shouldn't. You go home and think
about it, we got a little lucky here, but let's not have the
same trend."

Malone tied it at 3 on a backhander during a power play with
Lightning goalie Antero Niittymaki off the ice for an extra
skater.

"They're all disappointed," Minnesota coach Todd Richards said.
"That's an emotion you want from them, that we didn't get win.
You just tell them that we deserved a better fate."

Stamkos scored his 13th goal of the season during regulation and
added an assist. Steve Downie had the other Tampa Bay goal,
coming at 9:17 of the third.

Benoit Pouliot, Kim Johnsson and Owen Nolan scored for
Minnesota. Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom fell to 11-1-2,
including 3-0-1 against Tampa Bay, in his career against the
Southeast Division.

"It's frustrating," Backstrom said. "We can't take penalties
every night. Today we didn't get away with it. That's probably a
lesson learned."

Tampa Bay lost its first four shootouts this season, failing to
score on 14 shots.

"It seemed like we didn't put our heads down going into the
shootout," Stamkos said. "It just seemed different. We were
confident."

Tampa Bay opted to let the Wild have the first scoring
opportunity during the shootout, which is not the team's normal
plan.

"Bucking every trend that was possible," Tocchet said.

Pouliot put the Wild ahead 1-0 at 16:53 of the first. James
Sheppard set up the goal and stopped a personal 16-game points
drought by skating down the slot and making a nifty pass toward
the right circle to Pouliot.

Johnsson's power-play goal 3:47 into the second made it 2-0.

"It doesn't matter how we lost," Wild center Mikko Koivu said.
"It's a loss, but we got one point. That's about it."

After Stamkos had a short-handed goal at 8:44 of the second,
Nolan scored his fourth goal this season from the slot while
being pulled down to give Minnesota a 3-1 advantage with 8:25
left in the period.

Nolan tied Ray Bourque for 76th place on the career goals list
with 410.

NOTES: Lightning D Victor Hedman returned after missing a game
because of a concussion. ... Minnesota D Nick Schultz assisted
on Pouliot's goal for his first point in 11 games. ... Wild LW
Derek Boogaard hasn't scored a goal in his last 175 games,
dating to Jan. 7, 2006.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133355-Lightning-beat-Wild-in-shootout</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133355-Lightning-beat-Wild-in-shootout</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:16:50 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Wild-Lightning Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ALAN FERGUSON
STATS Writer

Minnesota (7-10-0) at Tampa Bay (6-4-5), 7:30 p.m. EDT

The Minnesota Wild have rebounded from a slow start, thanks in
large part to their success against the Eastern Conference.

As they continue a four-game trip versus East teams, the Wild
try to maintain their perfect record against the conference and
earn their fourth straight win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on
Thursday night.

Minnesota (7-10-0) has won four of five with three of those
victories coming over East opponents, the most recent a 5-2 win
versus Toronto on Tuesday night.

Mikko Koivu had a goal and two assists, and four other Wild
scored as Minnesota set a season high for goals while improving
to 4-0 against the East.

The Wild went 2 for 4 on the power play to snap an 0-for-14
skid, while Niklas Backstrom tied a season high with 37 saves to
win back-to-back games for the second time this season.

"We were an opportunistic group," coach Todd Richards said. "You
get on the power play, especially a 5-on-3, you have to score
and we were able to score."

Richards lost nine of his first 12 games as Wild coach and
didn't earn a road victory until a 2-1 win over Pittsburgh on
Oct. 31.

Minnesota has a chance to get out of the Northwest Division
cellar if it continues its strong play against East opponents.
The Wild face teams from that conference in five of the next six
games.

That includes a Lightning club against which they have had
plenty of success since joining the NHL in 2000. Minnesota is
7-2-0 with one tie in the all-time series and 3-1-1 at Tampa,
winning there once in each of the last two seasons.

Backstrom and Lightning counterpart Mike Smith didn't allow a
goal through overtime at the St. Pete Times Forum last Oct. 18,
with Antti Miettinen giving the Wild a 1-0 shootout victory in
the third round.

Backstrom also bested Smith in his two other career games
against the Lightning and has a 1.30 goals-against average
versus Tampa Bay, giving the Wild three consecutive wins in the
series.

Backstrom and Minnesota, however, will face an improved Tampa
Bay team that is one of two clubs without a regulation home loss
at 4-0-3. Behind goaltender Antero Niittymaki, the Lightning
(6-4-5) won two of three to conclude a recent four-game trip.

Niittymaki, who began the season as Smith's backup after signing
with Tampa Bay in July, stopped 36 shots in his third straight
start, a 3-1 win over Montreal on Saturday. Alex Tanguay and
Ryan Malone each had a goal and an assist.

Niittymaki is among the league leaders with a 1.95 GAA and .940
save percentage. He is 2-0-0 with a 1.51 GAA against Minnesota.

"He's really solid," coach Rick Tocchet said. "He's seeing the
puck and he's square and he's really given us a chance to win."

While Smith has lost three straight to the Wild, he also
recorded two of his eight career shutouts against them.

Tanguay, with seven points in his last six games, recorded 11 in
his previous 10 matchups with Minnesota.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133017-Wild-Lightning-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133017-Wild-Lightning-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:30:53 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Tampa Bay ends trip with 3-1 win over Canadiens]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[MONTREAL(AP) -- The Tampa Bay Lightning celebrated as though they
had scored a key goal. And after further review, they had.

Ryan Malone and Alex Tanguay each had a goal and an assist to
lead Tampa Bay to a 3-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on
Saturday night.

James Wright also scored for the Lightning, which went 2-0-1
after dropping the opener of a four-game road trip at
Philadelphia on Monday.

Wright restored the Lightning's two-goal lead late in the second
when he got credit for his second goal of the season on a goal
mouth scramble that required a video review.

Despite the fact that the red light never went on, Tampa Bay
celebrated after the puck went off Montreal defenseman Josh
Gorges and crossed the goal line while the net was being
dislodged. "If you're going to sell it you might as well do it
the whole way, right? You go line up at center ice, too," Wright
said.

Referee Dennis LaRue barely pointed at the puck in the net
before making his way to the scorekeeper's bench. After
reviewing the play by phone with the NHL office in Toronto,
LaRue announced that his ruling stood.

"When he said, '... the ruling on the ice stands,' I didn't
think he had called it a goal so I thought he was calling it off
and I was a little bit down for a second," Wright said. "Then I
saw everybody on our bench standing up so I was celebrating,
too."

Antero Niittymaki made 36 saves in his third straight start for
the Lightning (6-4-5).

"He's really solid," coach Rick Tocchet said. "He's seeing the
puck and he's square and he's really given us a chance to win."

Brian Gionta scored his seventh goal for Montreal (8-9-0), which
has lost four of six.

"It was an inconsistent effort the first half of the game,"
Gionta said. "I thought our second period was good, the start of
the first was all right but we've given up goals late in
periods, two of them tonight. That hurts the momentum and we've
got to figure out a way to play better for 60 (minutes)."

Carey Price, who stopped 18 shots, fell to 3-7.

Malone opened the scoring with his 10th goal in 15 games on a
power play at 10:09.

Lightning captain Vincent Lecavalier recorded his second
straight assist when Tanguay's third goal of the season put
Tampa Bay up 2-0 with 46.3 seconds left in the first.

Tanguay, who signed a one-year deal with the Lightning after he
failed to receive an offer from Montreal, scored for the second
straight game when he flipped a rebound of Malone's shot from
the left side past Price for his third goal.

Gionta drew the Canadiens within 2-1 with a power-play goal
midway through the second.

The Lightning regained their two-goal margin after Wright got
credit for his second of the season at 18:02.

Limited to one point in his first seven games with Tampa Bay,
Tanguay earned an assist on Wright's goal for his seventh point
in six games.

"It's coming around," Tanguay said. "The last five or six games
I'm starting to pick up my game a little bit and starting to
skate a little better, and tonight I got a couple of bounces
coming my way."

NOTES: Rookie Lightning D Victor Hedman didn't play. Hedman,
chosen second overall by Tampa Bay in this year's draft, sat out
for precautionary reasons after a hit by Ottawa's Chris Neil
knocked him out of Thursday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Senators.
... Montreal C Kyle Chipchura and LW Gregory Stewart were
healthy scratches for a second straight game in favor of C Tom
Pyatt and RW Ryan White, who made their NHL debuts Thursday. ...
D Jay Leach, picked up by Montreal off waivers from New Jersey
on Friday, didn't play.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132221-Tampa-Bay-ends-trip-with-3-1-win-over-Canadiens</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132221-Tampa-Bay-ends-trip-with-3-1-win-over-Canadiens</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:12:59 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Lightning-Canadiens Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA
STATS Senior Writer

Tampa Bay (5-4-5) at Montreal (8-8-0), 7:00 p.m. EDT

Teams such as the Montreal Canadiens seem to thrive when a game
lasts past regulation. The Tampa Bay Lightning certainly haven't
been one of them.

Following their third shootout win of the season, the Canadiens
return home Saturday night to face a Lightning club that
continues to have a tough time late in games.

Montreal (8-8-0) has won two of three following consecutive
losses, earning both of those victories in shootouts. The
Canadiens beat Boston 2-1 on Thursday night, improving to 7-0-0
in games that have gone past regulation.

Tampa Bay is 1-0-5 in such contests, including a 3-2 overtime
loss to Ottawa on Thursday night. Two days earlier, though, the
Lightning beat Toronto 2-1 in OT.

Though Tampa Bay (5-4-5) has scored two goals or fewer in four
straight, captain Vincent Lecavalier thought the team's last
effort was a step in the right direction.

"I think it was a good game overall," he said.

The Lightning are 1-1-1 on a four-game stretch on the road,
where they are 1-4-2. Tampa Bay has scored two goals or fewer in
all of its games away from St. Pete Times Forum other than a 6-3
loss to Atlanta in its season opener Oct. 3.

Alex Tanguay, though, has been showing signs of improvement
following a poor start. The veteran winger, signed as a free
agent in September, has two goals and four assists in his last
seven games after registering one point - an assist versus the
Thrashers - in his first seven.

Steven Stamkos continues to impress. He scored a power-play goal
against the Senators after having an eight-game point streak
snapped Tuesday.

Stamkos, the first pick in the 2008 draft, already has 12 goals
after scoring 23 as a rookie last season. He had one assist in
four games against the Canadiens in 2008-09, as Tampa Bay went
2-0-2.

Antero Niittymaki has given up four goals or more in six of his
last seven games against Montreal. He stopped 26 shots versus
Ottawa in his second straight start.

Niittymaki is 3-1-2 with a 2.09 goals-against average. He's been
splitting time with Mike Smith, who is 2-3-3 with a 3.64 GAA.

Whoever is in goal won't have rookie defenseman Victor Hedman
helping them out on the blue line. Hedman, selected second
overall in this year's draft, is day to day after being leveled
by Ottawa's Chris Neil on a hit along the boards.

Montreal showed improvement defensively against Boston after
surrendering 18 goals in its previous four games. Carey Price
stopped 42 shots for his first win since beating Buffalo 2-1 on
the road Oct. 3.

Price is 3-6-0 with a 3.32 GAA.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131828-Lightning-Canadiens-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131828-Lightning-Canadiens-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:50:15 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Lightning rookie won't play against Canadiens]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[MONTREAL(AP) -- Tampa Bay Lightning rookie Victor Hedman will not
be in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Montreal
Canadiens following a body check that left him flattened on the
ice.

Hedman says he feels OK but will skip the game as a precaution.
The defenseman watched his teammates practice Friday and says he
does not want to risk anything this early in the season. He adds
that his status is day to day.

Hedman was rocked by a hit from Ottawa's Chris Neil during the
Senators 3-2' overtime win Thursday night. Neil took a long run
and smashed into Hedman. The 18-year-old player was helped off
ice and did not return to the game.

Hedman says it was a clean hit and he must learn to keep his
head up.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131855-Lightning-rookie-wont-play-against-Canadiens</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131855-Lightning-rookie-wont-play-against-Canadiens</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:44:39 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Spezza's OT goal lifts Senators past Lightning]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[OTTAWA(AP) -- Jason Spezza is glad he won't have to answer any
more questions about his early goal drought.

Spezza got his first goal of the season on a power play 4:17
into overtime to give the Ottawa Senators a 3-2 victory over the
Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night.

Sidelined the previous two games because of back pain, Spezza
drove a slap shot past Antero Niittymaki for his third point of
the game after Tampa Bay's Mattias Ohlund was sent off for
holding 3 minutes into overtime.

"I felt pretty good about my game going into tonight and I just
wasn't getting many bounces," said Spezza, a 30-goal scorer each
of the last three seasons. "It's nice to get one, though, to get
the monkey off a little bit."

Spezza also assisted on goals by Daniel Alfredsson and Mike
Fisher.

"He's a big part of our team," said Pascal Leclaire, who made 18
saves. "He's a presence. When he has the puck he can do so many
things. He makes the defense back up a little bit and keeps them
thinking so obviously you want him on your team and he played
great tonight."

Ottawa (7-4-2) won for the second time in three meetings between
the two teams this season, including a 5-2 loss in Tampa Bay one
week earlier.

Alex Tanguay and Steven Stamkos scored power-play goals for
Tampa Bay (5-4-5). The Lightning are 1-1-1 on a four-game trip
that included a 2-1 overtime win in Toronto on Tuesday night.
Stamkos has 12 goals this season.

Niittymaki stopped 26 shots in his second start in a row.

"Obviously we wanted to win but I think it was a good game,"
Lecavalier said. "It was a little bit like the game in Toronto,
high intensity, and both teams had their chances and the goalies
played well. I think it was a good game overall."

Rookie Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman left the game in the
second and did not return after he was leveled by Ottawa's Chris
Neil on a hit along the boards behind Tampa Bay's net.

"I saw it kind of quickly on the board," Lecavalier said. "A
couple of guys said it was dirty but I don't want to comment on
it. I didn't see it clearly."

Steve Downie was assessed an instigating minor, a major and a
misconduct at 14:12 when he came to his teammate's defense and
fought Neil, who wasn't surprised by Downie's reaction.

"You don't like to see your teammates get hit like that but it's
a clean hit, sometimes you can't do much about it," Neil said.

Stamkos drew the Lightning even at 2 when he drove a slap shot
past Pascal Leclaire 13:40 into the second for Tampa Bay's
second power-play goal of the game.

Referee Kerry Fraser waved off a pair of Ottawa goals with under
5 minutes remaining in the third, including Chris Kelly's
high-stick tip with 26.8 seconds left.

A brief video review confirmed Fraser's call.

The official drew the ire of the Scotiabank Place crowd moments
earlier when he waved off another apparent go-ahead goal by the
Senators with 4:09 remaining.

Fraser ruled that the Lightning gained possession while a
delayed penalty was signaled against Tampa Bay's Andrej Meszaros
before Filip Kuba put a backhand past Niittymaki.

Tanguay gave the Lightning a 1-0 lead 3:03 in with his second of
the season.

Alfredsson drew Ottawa even just under 2 minutes later with his
sixth goal.

Fisher scored on a power play 12 minutes into the second to give
the Senators a brief 2-1 lead.

NOTES: With thousands of Canadian military personnel on hand for
Armed Forces Appreciation Night, a moment of silence was
observed prior to the game in memory of the victims of the
shooting spree at Fort Hood. ... Tanguay has two goals and four
assists in his last seven games. He had one point in his first
seven games, an assist in the Lightning's 6-3 season-opening
loss in Atlanta on Oct. 3. ... Tampa Bay beat Ottawa 5-2 at home
one week earlier. Senators LW Milan Michalek had a hat trick in
a 7-1 win over the Lightning on Oct. 15.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131680-Spezzas-OT-goal-lifts-Senators-past-Lightning</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131680-Spezzas-OT-goal-lifts-Senators-past-Lightning</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:40:04 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Lightning-Senators Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JEFF MEZYDLO
STATS Senior Writer

Tampa Bay (5-4-4) at Ottawa (6-4-2), 7:30 p.m. EDT

The Ottawa Senators might need a boost to help end their current
rough stretch. The return of Jason Spezza could be it.

The Senators might have their star center back as they try to
avoid a third consecutive loss Thursday night against the
visiting Tampa Bay Lightning.

After missing Ottawa's past two games due to back pain, there's
a chance Spezza could return as the Senators (6-4-2) face Tampa
Bay for the third time this season.

Spezza took part in a full practice Wednesday, but his status
will likely be a game-time decision.

"I was pleasantly surprised with how I felt," Spezza told the
Senators' official Web site. "I thought I'd feel worse. But
we'll see how it goes. It's going to be more (about) how I
recover."

After scoring 100 goals the past three seasons, Spezza has eight
assists through 10 games, but no goals. Despite the drought, the
Senators missed Spezza while being outscored 8-3 in two losses
without him.

Spezza has nine goals and 17 assists in 21 games against Tampa
Bay.

Ottawa recorded a season-high 51 shots, but only Mike Fisher
scored on Atlanta goaltender Ondrej Pavelec in a 3-1 home loss
Saturday. Two nights earlier, the Senators had 23 shots in a 5-2
defeat at Tampa Bay.

"We did some good things and worked hard, but just didn't get
some of the breaks we needed to," said Fisher, who has five
goals after scoring 13 all of last season.

Even if Spezza is unable to play and despite the recent loss in
Tampa Bay (5-4-4), the Senators have dominated the Lightning at
home of late, outscoring them 12-3 during a three-game winning
streak at Scotiabank Place.

Milan Michalek had a hat trick and Daniel Alfredsson added three
assists in Ottawa's 7-1 home win over Tampa Bay on Oct. 15.
Alfredsson has seven assists in his last four games versus the
Lightning.

Pascal Leclaire faced 17 shots in the Oct. 15 win to improve to
2-0-0 with a 2.00 goals-against average against Tampa Bay.
Leclaire, 4-3-1 with a 2.76 GAA this season, is likely to be
back in net after making 18 saves Saturday against Atlanta.

Tampa Bay's Antero Niittymaki could earn a second straight start
after stopping 40 shots in a 2-1, overtime win at Toronto on
Tuesday.

After spending his previous five seasons with Philadelphia,
Niittymaki is 3-1-1 with a 1.95 GAA with his new club and making
a case to see more playing time ahead of Mike Smith.

Smith is 2-3-3 with a 3.64 GAA this season and 2-3-0 with a 2.98
GAA lifetime against Ottawa. Niittymaki is 5-5-2 with a 3.37 GAA
versus the Senators.

"There's nothing wrong with in-house competition," coach Rick
Tocchet told the Lightning's official Web site. "The good thing
is, those guys get along well with each other."

Vincent Lecavalier had a goal and Ryan Malone added his ninth
for the winner in overtime Tuesday to help the Lightning improve
to 1-4-1 on the road. Malone has two goals and two assists
against the Senators this season.

Lecavalier, who fell one short of a sixth straight 30-goal
season in 2008-09, has two goals through 13 games this season.
He's failed to find the back of the net in his last five games
against Ottawa.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131413-Lightning-Senators-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131413-Lightning-Senators-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:09:27 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Malone scores in OT to give Lightning win]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[TORONTO(AP) -- Antero Niittymaki shut the Maple Leafs down, and
Ryan Malone rewarded him with a win.

Malone scored at 2:21 of overtime, giving the Tampa Bay
Lightning a 2-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday
night.

"We really met the challenge tonight," coach Rick Tocchet said.
"We killed five, six penalties in a row. Guys really willed (the
win) and obviously Nittymaki played unbelievable for us."

Malone tapped in an awkward shot that bounced over Jonas
Gustavsson moments after John Mitchell nearly won it for the
Maple Leafs on a pretty rush, with the puck nearly taking
another funny hop into the goal.

Malone's goal stood up after a video review.

Niittymaki turned aside chance after chance while Vincent
Lecavalier opened the scoring for the Lightning (5-4-4), who won
their first road game of the season (1-4-1).

But Ian White scored a power-play goal at 5:04 of the third
period for the Maple Leafs (1-7-5), who have lost four straight
games in extra time and remained winless at home (0-4-2) in
front of a crowd of 19,301.

The Maple Leafs wasted their first six power-play opportunities,
including a two-man advantage for 49 seconds early in the second
and another in the final minutes.

"We have to persevere, we can't change what we're doing because
we're right there knocking on the door," Leafs coach Ron Wilson
said. "We've just got to find a way to knock the door completely
down."

One Leafs player that Niittymaki repeatedly turned aside was
Phil Kessel, playing his first game for Toronto since being
acquired in a September trade with Boston for two first-round
picks and a second-round selection. He had been sidelined while
recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.

The speedy 22-year-old looked strong on the puck and showed no
fear going into the corners when he had to. But Kessel took a
hard hit from Mattias Ohlund.

"You've got to give him a double thumbs up for taking a hit like
that, a massive hit and coming back and still being a dominant
player every shift," Wilson said.

In the second period, Gustavsson played a puck that might have
been icing behind his goal and fired it into the neutral zone,
where Ohlund picked it off.

The Swedish defenseman charged in and fired a slapshot that
Gustavsson kicked right to Lecavalier, who fired the rebound
into the empty net at 18:34 of the middle period for his second
of the season.

It was the 12th time in 13 games the Maple Leafs surrendered the
first goal.

The timing could not have been better for the Tampa Bay captain,
who is off to a poor start but showed some flashes of his old
brilliance with the entire Canadian Olympic team leadership in
attendance.

They were in town to also take a long look at young Steven
Stamkos, who has 11 goals and five assists in 13 games. Martin
St. Louis would also have been on Team Canada's radar screen.

Kessel, a candidate for the U.S. Olympic team, received a loud
ovation each time he touched the puck and often looked dangerous
once it was on his stick.

"I had a ton of chances let me tell you," Kessel said. "I've got
to find some way to get some of those to go in. First game, got
to get better.

Gustavsson and Niittymaki traded saves throughout the game,
keeping what could have been a high-scoring affair very tight.
Gustavsson set aside 30 shots and Niittymaki 40.

NOTES: With his fighting major, Niklas Hagman now has nine
penalty minutes this season. He had four all last year. ...
Kessel, who signed a $27 million, five-year deal, after he was
acquired, took Jiri Tlusty's spot in the lineup. Tlusty was
returned to the AHL Marlies on Monday. ... Forwards Jamal Mayers
and Jay Rosehill and defenseman Jeff Finger were healthy
scratches for the Maple Leafs, while defensemen Kurtis Foster,
Matt Smaby and Paul Ranger were the Lightning's scratches.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131155-Malone-scores-in-OT-to-give-Lightning-win</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131155-Malone-scores-in-OT-to-give-Lightning-win</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:44:30 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Lightning-Maple Leafs Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JEFF MEZYDLO
STATS Senior Writer

Tampa Bay (4-3-4) at Toronto (1-7-4), 7:30 p.m. EDT

Phil Kessel's return to the ice can't come soon enough for the
Toronto Maple Leafs.

The 22-year-old star could make his much-anticipated Toronto
debut earlier than expected Tuesday night when the struggling
Maple Leafs host the Tampa Bay Lightning.

It's been more than five months since Kessel saw NHL action and
two since Toronto (1-7-4) acquired him by sending a pair of
first-round picks and a second-rounder to Boston in September.
Though it seemed Kessel's recovery from offseason shoulder
surgery would keep him out until around Thanksgiving, he could
be ready as early as Tuesday.

According to the Maple Leafs' official Web site, Kessel skated
again Monday, and if cleared by doctors he could return to the
ice for the first time since finishing with a career highs of 36
goals and 24 assists last season.

"I'm pretty excited," Kessel told the team's official Web site.
"Six months is a long time."

The Maple Leafs, whose six points are the fewest in the NHL,
could certainly use Kessel as they try to find a spark. Toronto
is averaging 2.5 goals per contest, and at 0-4-1 is the only
team without a home win.

Kessel, though, hopes the Maple Leaf fan base won't expect him
to be the savior for a struggling franchise that hasn't been to
the playoffs since 2003-04. He signed a five-year, $27 million
deal with the Maple Leafs after totaling 66 goals in three
seasons with the Bruins.

"They have to temper their expectations," said Kessel, who has
six goals and four assists in 11 career games against Tampa Bay.
"I'm going to do what ever I can to help the team win."

Though Toronto is looking to end a three-game losing streak,
it's earned at least one point in four straight contests. That
still won't satisfy coach Ron Wilson after the Maple Leafs lost
5-4 in a shootout at Montreal on Saturday to conclude a 1-1-3
road trip.

"I could throw out all the cliches, but we still have to find a
way to win," Wilson said. "Which cliche do you want? We never
say die, blah, blah blah? We still need to win."

Their inability to win hasn't been because of the effort from
defenseman Tomas Kaberle, who had a goal and three assists
against the Canadiens. Kaberle, the team leader with 17 points,
had two goals and 11 assists on the five-game trip.

After missing five games with a knee injury, Toronto's Vesa
Toskala made 35 saves Saturday to fall to 0-2-2 with a 5.13
goals-against average. Toskala is 2-2-1 with a 2.65 GAA against
Tampa Bay, but he could give way to Jonas Gustavsson, who's
1-2-2 with a 3.22 GAA this season.

Though Toronto went 1-3-0 and dropped both home games against
Tampa Bay last season, the Lightning (4-4-4) are 0-4-1 on the
road after falling 6-2 at Philadelphia on Monday.

Steven Stamkos and Jeff Halpern scored for Tampa Bay, which has
been outscored 25-8 on the road.

"I'm not saying that we're letting this slide, but I think the
guys in this room are more than capable of handling it," Halpern
said.

After scoring 23 goals as a rookie last season, Stamkos is among
the league leaders with 11 through the first month of play. He
has two goals and two assists versus the Maple Leafs.

Mike Smith fell to 2-3-3 with a 3.64 GAA after allowing five
goals on 18 shots Monday. Though Smith is 2-0-0 with a 1.97 GAA
against Toronto, backup Antero Niittymaki could be in net
Tuesday after giving up a goal on 13 shots in relief Monday.

Niittymaki is 2-1-1 with a 2.17 GAA on the season, but he's
1-3-0 with a 2.54 GAA versus Toronto.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/130944-Lightning-Maple-Leafs-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/130944-Lightning-Maple-Leafs-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:54:23 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Richards, Carter score two each for Flyers in win]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[PHILADELPHIA(AP) -- Playing without Simon Gagne and Danny Briere,
the Flyers didn't back down. Instead, they became aggressive.

Mike Richards and Jeff Carter scored two goals apiece and rookie
David Laliberte and Scott Hartnell also tallied, leading
Philadelphia to a 6-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday
night.

The Flyers' excitement over their victory was offset by the news
that Gagne will miss six to eight weeks. He's scheduled to have
hernia and hip surgery on Tuesday. Briere has also missed the
past two games with an injured groin.

"There's always concern when they go out," Flyers head coach
John Stevens said. "But this is short term. Gagne and Briere are
always welcome in your lineup because they're going to score all
year long consistently, but it's great to see Laliberte and van
Riemsdyk and these guys take advantage of the extra ice time and
use it as an opportunity."

Without two of their better offensive players, the Flyers
peppered Lightning goalie Antero Niittymaki, scoring two goals
in the first period, three in the second and one in the third.
Carter and Arron Asham played despite having the flu.

Contributions will just have to come from other players.

"They're obviously big shoes to fill," Richards said. "We
stepped it up as a team and everyone contributed."

The Flyers (7-4-1) have scored 12 goals in the past two games,
and won for the fourth time in the past six. Goalie Ray Emery
stopped 26 shots.

Despite leading the team in goals this season, Richards had gone
six games without scoring. His first goal came off a feed from
Chris Pronger, who corralled a bouncing puck. Hartnell assisted
on Richards' second score. Carter had gone seven games without
scoring.

"We were getting chances. We just weren't scoring," Richards
said. "We have an emphasis on getting to the net and finishing
plays off."

Laliberte, recalled from the AHL Philadelphia Phantoms last week
to replace Gagne, become the first Flyer to score in his first
two NHL games since Eric Lindros on Oct. 6 and 9, 1992. He's the
fifth to do that in Flyers franchise history.

James van Riemsdyk contributed with three assists for the first
three-point night of his career - and leads all NHL rookies in
scoring.

Steven Stamkos and James Halpern scored for Tampa Bay. Stamkos
scored the first goal for Tampa Bay (4-4-4), capitalizing on a
Danny Syvret turnover. Halpern's came late in the third period.

"It's just tough to get anything positive out of it," Lightning
head coach Rick Tocchet said. "I honestly can't think of who
played good. Usually you have a couple of individuals, but they
were very light on their sticks and the Flyers were very strong.
We looked really weak out there tonight. It was a little
alarming."

The Lightning have lost three of four, and have started this
season 0-5 on the road. The rough stretch prompted a closed-door
meeting after the game.

"It stays in the room," Halpern said. "You saw the game tonight,
so you can imagine what it was about. I'm not saying that we're
letting this slide, but I think the guys in this room are more
than capable of handling it."

NOTES: The Flyers have scored the first goal in 10 of their past
12 games. ... Pronger has recorded at least one point in eight
straight games. ... Carter has played in 225 straight
regular-season games. ... Four Flyers recorded three-point
nights Monday: Carter, Richards, Hartnell and van Riemsdyk.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/130908-Richards-Carter-score-two-each-for-Flyers-in-win</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/130908-Richards-Carter-score-two-each-for-Flyers-in-win</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:05:09 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Lightning-Flyers Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ALAN FERGUSON
STATS Writer

Tampa Bay (4-3-4) at Philadelphia (6-4-1), 5:00 p.m. EDT

After dismal finishes the past two seasons, the Tampa Bay
Lightning have showed promise in 2009-10, although they are
struggling away from home once again.

The Lightning have had plenty of success on the road against the
inconsistent Philadelphia Flyers and will try to continue it
Monday night in the opener of a four-game trip.

Tampa Bay finished last in the Southeast Division for the second
straight season in 2008-09 and had one of the league's worst
road records at 12-22-7. The Lightning were an NHL-worst 11-24-6
away from home the previous season.

Following a slow start to 2009-10, Tampa Bay (4-3-4) went 4-0-2
on its just-completed homestand. The Lightning concluded the
stretch with a 2-1 shootout loss to New Jersey on Saturday.

Steven Stamkos tied it in the third period by scoring in his
fifth straight game, recording his team-leading 10th goal.
Martin St. Louis assisted for his 600th career point and
extended his season-opening point streak to 11 games.

Stamkos, however, was one of four shooters that failed to score
in the shootout. Tampa Bay has not scored in 14 attempts this
season and has suffered four shootout defeats.

One of those losses came in the season's second game at Carolina
and represented their best chance for a victory away from home.

Tampa Bay has been outscored 18-6 in going 0-3-1 on the road.
The Lightning had a franchise-worst 0-7-0 start away from home
in 2007-08.

"Shootout, what do you do?" Lightning coach Rick Tocchet said.
"I don't know."

After stopping 37 shots to help his team earn a point Saturday,
Antero Niittymaki could face his former team for the first time.
Tocchet could also turn to Mike Smith, who started all four
matchups last season against Philadelphia.

Smith helped Tampa Bay go 2-1-1 versus the Flyers by allowing
one goal apiece in the two victories, but he gave up 10 in the
two defeats. He is 3-2-1 with a 2.88 goals-against average
all-time against Philadelphia.

If Smith starts Monday, he will face a Flyers team that has been
up and down since a season-opening three-game win streak.

Philadelphia (6-4-1) followed that early run with three straight
losses but then defeated Boston and Florida at home. The Flyers
fell to San Jose and Washington in their next two games before
beating the Hurricanes 6-1 on Saturday.

With Simon Gagne and Danny Briere out with groin injuries,
Braydon Coburn recorded his first two-goal game in five years.
Scott Hartnell and Matt Carle each added a goal and two assists.

With his performance Saturday, Carle, who played 12 games last
season with Tampa Bay, tied Mike Richards for the team lead with
12 points.

Gagne is on injured reserve, while Briere remains day to day and
is doubtful for Monday.

"It shows what kind of depth we have as a team," Carle said.
"With the way we've played the last two home games, it was good
to get a win like that. Hopefully, it'll start something here
for us."

The teams have split their last 10 meetings, but Tampa Bay has
won nine of the last 11 in Philadelphia.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/130676-Lightning-Flyers-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/130676-Lightning-Flyers-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:31:18 GMT</pubDate>
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