Tampa Bay Lightning defeat Washington Capitals 5-3 - NHL Play-off Recap
Sean Bergenheim lit the lamp twice in the second period to help Tampa Bay Lightning to complete their second four-game sweep in post-season history with a 5-3 win against the Washington Capitals at St. Pete Times Forum on Wednesday night.
Ryan Malone and Marc-Andre Bergeron both hit the net on a power-play for Tampa Bay, which has won seven straight games since falling behind 3-1 in its first round series with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Martin St. Louis also added a goal and Dwayne Roloson
turned away 33 shots in the win.
Marco Sturm and John Erskine both found the back of the net for Capitals, who have not advanced past the second round since dropping to Detroit Red Wings in the 1998 Cup Finals. That was also the last time Washington was swept in the play-offs. John Carlson
also notched a goal and Michal Neuvirth was blitzed for all five goals on 37 shots in the losing effort.
"They just beat us in four straight so I think they were," said Washington head coach Bruce Boudreau on if the Lightning were the better team. "It wasn't by a big margin, but we're still done in four games, so I'd have to say they were better."
Tampa Bay got the scoring of the game started with about seven minutes left in the opening period, when Martin St. Louis passed the puck down low to the side of the net for Vincent Lecavalier, who then dished it through the crease to Malone, who had the
puck redirect home off his skate.
Washington knotted the game at 1-1 with a minute to play in the first period, scoring for only the second time in 17 power-play chances in the series. Jason Arnott and Alex Ovechkin each had an assist on Sturm's goal, that pin-balled in off Sturm's head.
Capitals failed to build on the momentum during the middle session in which they were out-shot 17-10. Bergenheim then gave Tampa Bay a two-goal edge 3-1, by scoring two straight goals in the second period.
Engaged in a battle outside the blue paint, Bergenheim succeeded to grab a loose puck and tip it over Neuvirth just less than five minutes into the second period. He struck again with about seven minutes left in the same period, jamming home the rebound
of a Dominic Moore’s shot that Neuvirth moved back with his right pad.
Erskine cut the deficit to 3-2 for the Capitals just a little over one minute later, blasting a shot from the boards near the outer edge of the left circle that beat Roloson for his first career play-off goal. Washington then killed off straight power-plays
late in the second period to keep it a one-goal game.
Bergeron doubled up Lightning’s advantage, 4-2 again just about five minutes into the final period, as he ripped a blast shot from the point while Sturm was in the penalty box for screening the goalie.
St. Louis pushed the lead to 5-2 with a little over three minutes left in the regulation, while Carlson accounted for the final scoring, 5-3 just one minute later.
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