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Lightning-Panthers Preview

Mar 21, 2010 - 4:36 AM By BRETT HUSTON STATS Writer

Tampa Bay (28-30-12) at Florida (28-30-11), 5:00 p.m. EDT

The Eastern Conference's final playoff spot isn't completely out of reach for the Tampa Bay Lightning or the Florida Panthers, but given the way the Southeast Division rivals are currently playing, the conference cellar appears a more realistic destination.

Tampa Bay looks for solace on the road Sunday after closing a four-game homestand without a win, while the Panthers hope their home dominance of the Lightning can keep them from avoiding the same fate.

The struggles of eighth-place Boston have kept hope alive for the teams below the Bruins in the East standings, but neither Tampa Bay (28-31-12) nor Florida (28-31-11) has been taking advantage.

The Lightning (68) and Panthers (67) are six and seven points, respectively, behind the Bruins. They're also just barely ahead of improving Toronto (64) for last place.

If one of the Southeast rivals can figure out how to beat the other, it might have a shot at making a late push. The teams also play a home-and-home on the final weekend of the regular season.

Both teams have been facing some of the league's top competition lately, consistently coming up short. The Lightning scored a total of four goals in dropping the first three games of their homestand against Pittsburgh, Phoenix and Buffalo, then managed one goal on 34 shots Saturday in a 3-1 loss to Washington.

"It's hard. In life this is where you test your character and bounce back," Tampa Bay coach Rick Tocchet said. "I don't know what else to say. The guys worked hard."

Bouncing back at the BankAtlantic Center could be quite a challenge. The Panthers are 12-2-2 at home against the Lightning over the past five seasons, including a 5-2 victory Jan. 16 behind two goals apiece from Cory Stillman and Rostislav Olesz.

Florida, however, has hardly felt at home on its own ice lately. The Panthers lost to Washington and Phoenix earlier in the week, then fell 3-1 to Buffalo on Saturday. Goaltender Tomas Vokoun was pulled for ineffectiveness in two of the three games, including during Saturday's second period after Florida was outshot 18-5 in the first.

"I didn't think that he was good enough. ... It wasn't a good enough first period by anybody, including our goaltender," coach Pete DeBoer said.

Tampa Bay needs to find a consistent scoring source other than Vincent Lecavalier. The former No.1 overall draft pick has four goals in his last five games, equaling the output of his teammates. Steven Stamkos - third in the league with 42 goals - hasn't scored in that stretch.

Lecavalier doesn't have a goal in three games against Florida this season, but has five assists.

It's unclear who will be in net for the Panthers on Sunday, but Vokoun's recent track record against Tampa Bay indicates he might be the choice. He's 3-1-1 with a 2.11 goals-against average in his last five starts in the series.

No matter how Vokoun performs, offense is key for the Panthers. Florida is 13-28-10 when it scores three goals or fewer, compared with a 15-3-1 mark when it tallies four or more.