TAMPA, Florida (Ticker) -- After regaining home-ice advantage
from the Calgary Flames, the Tampa Bay Lightning try to move
within one victory of their first Stanley Cup championship when
they meet Thursday at the St. Pete Times Forum.
On Monday, the Lightning blanked the Flames, 1-0, to even the
best-of-seven series at two wins apiece.
Nikolai Khabibulin stopped 29 shots and made Brad Richards'
early power-play goal stand up for Tampa Bay, which has not lost
consecutive games in the postseason. Khabibulin, who tied
Calgary's Miikka Kiprusoff for the league lead with his fifth
playoff shutout, is 6-0 with a 0.83 goals-against average
following the Lightning's six postseason defeats.
Richards' goal was his 10th of the posteason and NHL-record
seventh game-winner. The Lightning are 8-0 in the playoffs and
30-0-2 dating to the regular season when he scores.
The Lightning were without All-Star defenseman Pavel Kubina and
leading goal-scorer Ruslan Fedotenko, both of whom were injured
in Game Three.
Calgary will be without winder Ville Nieminen, who was handed a
one-game suspension for his hit on Lightning center Vincent
Lecavalier head-first into the boards late in Game Four.
Nieminen also was suspended for a game in the Western Conference
semifinals for slashing Detroit goaltender Curtis Joseph.
Who's Hot:
Tampa Bay - C Brad Richards has two goals and two assists
through the first four games of the series.
Calgary - RW Jarome Iginla has at least one point in 11 of his
last 14 playoff games and a goal in five of his last seven.
Who's Not:
Tampa Bay - C Lecavalier has not scored in his last five games.
Calgary - LW Oleg Saprykin has not scored in his last 17 games.
STREAKS: The Flames had scored on the power play in each of its
previous four games until getting blanked in Game Four.
HISTORY: The Flames are two wins away from their first Stanley
Cup since 1989. The Lightning have never won the Cup.
LEADERS:
Tampa Bay - Richards and Fedotenko, 10 goals; LW Martin St.
Louis, 14 assists; Richards and St. Louis, 21 points.
