OVERTIME: Lightning 3 – Islanders 2
Three times this season the Islanders have lost to the Lightning, and three times those games have been decided late by the craftiness of Martin St. Louis, the same player who also scored in overtime in the last season’s playoffs to eliminate the Isles from the opening round of the tournament.
Last night, St. Louis was at it again, deflecting a game-tying goal past Rick DiPietro with 1:12 remaining in the third period to force overtime. Then, with less than a minute remaining in OT, St. Louis assisted on Vincent Lecavalier’s game-winning breakaway to send the Isles to a 3-2 loss.
“It plagued us quite a bit earlier on in the season and cost us a lot of games, a lot of points,” DiPietro said of blowing the game with less than two minutes remaining in regulation, a trend the Isles fought through in the first two months of the season. “And it cost us again tonight.”
Up until St. Louis’ deflection goal, which DiPietro said he never even saw, the Isles were poised to take two points from Tampa, two points that would have moved the Isles four behind No. 8 Toronto for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Jason Blake and Mike York scored for the Isles, who overcame a 1-0 deficit when Tampa scored on its first shot of the game, an extremely savable chip from the left post.
But because they could not contain St. Louis and then because they allowed Lecavalier to break in all alone for the winner following two glorious chances at the other end, the Islanders wake up this morning five points and four teams out.
“We let one slip away,” DiPietro said, “and we have two more big games to go.”
The Islanders play at Philadelphia tomorrow and then at the Devils on Saturday to close the pre-Olympic schedule.
St. Louis scored the winner against the Isles with 1:43 left in the third period Nov. 17, and again shorthanded Jan. 2 against the Isles with 4:57 left in the game. Last night he knotted it with goalie Sean Burke pulled for an extra attacker.
“They have firepower. They have a player in St. Louis that we don’t have many guys that can skate with,” Islander coach Brad Shaw said.
“That’s kind of the way it’s gone. We make a mistake and we pay for it dearly.”
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Scouts from several teams, including Minnesota, Philadelphia and Atlanta, attended the game with an expected flurry of trade activity to take place before the March 9 deadline. …
Garth Snow, out since Jan. 4 with a pair of sprained knees, was activated and was DiPietro’s backup last night. …
Wade Dubielewicz and Jeremy Colliton were sent to Bridgeport, and Wyatt Smith was recalled. … Mattias Weinhandl was a healthy scratch, and Alexei Zhitnik (ankle) missed his third straight.