By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Three stars
DWAYNE ROLOSON: The Lightning goalie improved to 6-0 in elimination games with another great performance, racking up 36 saves, including 15 in a first period in which the Penguins dominated play and had two power plays.
SEAN BERGENHEIM: The Lightning wing once again came up with a big goal, scoring the only one of the game 5:41 into the second period. All three of his goals this series either tied the score or put Tampa Bay ahead.
KRIS LETANG: The Penguins defenseman played his typically solid defense while being a major playmaker, helping set up several of the Penguins' scoring chances and tying for a team high with six shots.
Round 2 tickets
Tickets for Eastern Conference semifinal games against the Capitals at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday via Ticketmaster (outlets, ticketmaster.com, toll-free 1-800-745-300). Prices are $27-$120.
Up next | Eastern Conference semis, Lightning vs. Capitals
Game 1: at Washington, 7 Friday
Game 2: at Washington, 7 Sunday
Game 3: at Tampa Bay, TBD Tuesday
Game 4: at Tampa Bay, 7 May 4
Game 5: at Washington, 12:30 May 7*
Game 6: at Tampa Bay, TBD May 9*
Game 7: at Washington, TBD May 11*
*—if necessary
TV/radio: Game 5 Ch. 8; rest TBD
Battle of Pennsylvania
As a former Flyers player, Simon Gagne was very familiar with "the battle of Pennsylvania," as he called it, and Mellon Arena (the Igloo), which the Penguins called home from 1967 until this season, when they moved into the Consol Energy Center. Where the Igloo had narrow, dark hallways leading to the locker rooms, the CEC's are wide and spacious. "I'm just happy we play in the new building," the Lightning left wing said. "Just going into (the Igloo), the visitors' locker was awful. It was almost depressing going into that building."
Quote to note
"It's fun. It turns you into more of a fan. It shows that hockey is getting better and better every year, and that there is better balance around the league. You never know what can happen."
LW Simon Gagne, on all the hotly contested first-round series
Live and learn
Former Lightning coach Rick Tocchet said his only regret about his time with Tampa Bay is how his clash with then-GM Brian Lawton affected the players. "You try as best you can as a coach to put a cocoon around the locker room," said Tocchet, who, with Lawton, was fired after the 2009-10 season. "But these guys aren't stupid. That can only go so far." Tocchet, a former Penguins star who still lives in Pittsburgh, also said, "I let certain things get to me." Such as when Lawton unilaterally fired assistant coach Wes Walz and replaced him with Jim Johnson, a move that publicized the rift between the coach and GM. "A coach and general manager don't always have to see eye to eye, but there has to be that respect factor," Tocchet said. "It was unfortunate."