The Tampa Tribune - Stanley Cup Edition

[Jets GM]

THUNDERSTRUCK
Lightning rebound from 3-1 series deficit to advance to Cup final

TAMPA BAY(FL)- A pin drop could be heard in the St. Pete Times Forum after a game 4 overtime loss in the Eastern conference final to the Bruins, and there wasn't much else being said in the Lightning dressing room afterwards. "There wasn't much said to be honest, everyone was obviously really disappointed with what happened. I think everyone realized the situation we were now in, and it wasn't a good one" recalls team captain Vincent Lecavalier. Now down 3-1 in the series and heading back to Boston, the dream of getting a chance to play for the Stanley Cup was quickly fading. "A best of 7 series happens really fast, you give a away a game like we did in game 3, and then maybe the bounces don't go your way the next game you can find yourself in a tough spot. The important thing is when stuff like that starts to happen you can't get frustrated and you don't give up."

Along with not giving up, game 5 brought some changes to the Lightning that raised some eyebrows of onlookers. The Finnish Flash Teemu Selänne and his 30 regular season goals found himself in the pressbox watching the game after struggling all post season, Steve Downie who played all of 3 regular season games was in and Mattias Öhlund was swapped with Paul Ranger to bring more offense to Tampa's top D pairing. The Lightnings top line of Tanguay-Lecavlier-St. Louis was broken up, and twenty year old Steven Stamkos took over as the teams number one guy down the middle. Most importantly, the offensive minded Lightning got away from there cute tic-tac-toe passing plays for a more physical defensive minded system. "We played like that on the road the whole year, and when we got home we played a more loose open style.....maybe trying to score more goals for our fans. Against weaker teams in the regular season you can get away with being more offensive minded, a team like Boston is going to make you pay for your mistakes" commented head coach Rick Tocchet.

The result, a 4-2 road win which started only the second 3-1 deficit comeback in a conference final in EHEC/NHL history. After the game, hat trick hero Steve Stamkos was asked if there was any "Herb Brooks" like pre game speech that inspired his dominant performance "Not really....the biggest thing that was said that stuck with me throughout the game was Jagrbomb (Jaromir Jagr) stood up right before the pre game skate and said in 40 years when my career is long over, I'm not going to remember the times I lost big games. The losses don't stick with you, its the times you don't try your best, that feeling of I could of done more....regret....that's what stays with you. After that the fear of losing and the season being over kinda just went away, I just focused on playing then".

A game 6 win sent the series back the Beantown and while most players and coaches say momentum ends after each game you couldn't help but wonder if the Bruins, after being up 3-1 with home ice now were starting to experience a quicksand like effect heading into the decisive game 7. The Lightning had found new life, and what seemed next to impossible a few days prior now was one win away from coming to fruition. An important first goal from Steven Stamkos, his 11th (tied for first in playoffs) silenced the Boston crowd, Patrice Bergeron was able to respond early in the 2nd frame for Boston on the power play but a end to end rush by Mattias Öhlund less the two minutes after the tieing goal zapped any momentum it had created. A late empty netter from David Clarkson, the forgotten man in the Martin Brodeur blockbuster sealed it. The comeback was complete, the Lightning were going to the Stanley Cup.

"Its awseome, its incredible....we never gave up and to comeback after almost losing the chance....its something special. Were not done yet though, the goal was 16 wins and we still need another 4." remarked Paul Ranger. Ranger has quietly had a breakout season, and is putting up insane defensive numbers in the post season with 61 takeaways, 64 hits and 15 shot blocks. "You need guys to elevate there game in the playoffs, Paul's taken that to a whole other level. He's a workhouse out there" responded Zdeno Chara when asked about his former defensive partners play. Ranger was paired with hard hitting Brooks Orpik in games 5,6 and 7 to form a viscous second defensive pairing. Game 1 against the cinderella story Nashvile Predators is on Saturday, who are no stranger to game 7's themselves. Nashville eliminated the #1 ranked Los Angeles Kings and the Vancouver Canucks in the Western conference final both in the same manner.