Penguins at Lightning
THE STORY: The Pittsburgh Penguins breathed a sigh of
relief after snapping their six-game losing skid on Friday. The Tampa
Bay Lightning would love to experience that same feeling on Sunday -
ironically, at the expense of the Penguins. The Lightning will look to
end their current six-game losing streak when the two struggling clubs
will meet at Tampa Bay Times Forum. Not only did Pittsburgh put an end
to its skid with a 4-1 triumph over the Florida Panthers, goaltender
Marc-Andre secured his first victory since Dec. 27 after stopping 25
shots. "It’s a huge relief. It wasn’t fun for anybody,” Fleury said of
the losing streak. “It got frustrating, but everybody stuck together.
Our last game in Washington (a 1-0 loss) was a good game for a lot of
guys, but we couldn’t win that one. (Friday) again we played well,
offensively, defensively, and it paid off.” The same couldn't be said
for Tampa Bay, which dropped a 4-3 decision to the Capitals on Friday.
The Lightning now find themselves in the Southeast Division basement -
and just two points ahead of the New York Islanders in the cellar of the
Eastern Conference.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, NHLCA, ROOT
ABOUT THE PENGUINS (22-17-4): Although Sidney Crosby is
sidelined with concussion-like symptoms, the Penguins collectively
showed their support of their ailing captain. While a report in the
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review detailed that some members went so far as to
hold a private meeting to discuss naming a temporary captain, the
Penguins themselves showed solidarity by having every player wear a
symbolic "C" on their jerseys in practice. All-Star Evgeni Malkin
recorded his third goal in four games on Friday, but was held off the
scoresheet in a 4-1 loss to Tampa Bay on Nov. 17.
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (17-22-4): January has not been
kind to Tampa Bay, which is 0-5-1 in 2012. Perhaps the sight of the
Penguins will be the cure of all that ails the Lightning. Tampa Bay has
defeated Pittsburgh on four straight occasions - with the first three
helping the Lightning rally from a 3-1 deficit in last season's Eastern
Conference quarterfinals. Captain Vincent Lecavalier, who tallied twice
versus Pittsburgh on Nov. 17, has six goals in his last nine contests.
OVERTIME:
1. The first period has been particularly tough on the Lightning, who
have been outscored 11-3 during their six-game losing streak and 52-30
for the season.
2. While Tampa Bay is skidding, Steven Stamkos continues to roll. The
All-Star, who netted his NHL-leading 30th goal on Friday, has 14 tallies
in as many games.