By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
BOSTON — Lightning goalie Dwayne Roloson has been tough enough to beat this postseason.
But the Bruins are finding out, like the Penguins and Capitals did before them, that it's even a challenge to get a shot through to the 41-year-old goaltender.
The Lightning entered Tuesday's Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final ranked second in the playoffs in blocked shots with 250. The players have sacrificed and thrown their bodies every which way. Center Steven Stamkos said it's been their team identity in the postseason.
"I think they're unbelievable at blocking shots," Bruins wing Brad Marchand said. "There's ways around it, even if you shoot wide and go for the rebounds. There's a lot of ways to get around it; you just have to see the play."
Tampa Bay has four of the top five playoff leaders in blocked shots. Defenseman Eric Brewer is No. 1 with 43, followed by Mattias Ohlund, defenseman Victor Hedman in fourth and Brett Clark fifth.
But the Lightning's stars have also gotten into the mix, including Marty St. Louis and Stamkos, who dove onto the ice to block a shot in front of his net in the first period of Game 1 on Saturday.
"To me, blocking a shot is just as good as scoring a goal," coach Guy Boucher said, "because you've prevented one and created an atmosphere and you've created standards that everybody has to follow. When it starts with your skill guys blocking shots, it trickles down real quick to everybody else. As a coach, there's nothing more inspiring than those guys doing that kind of job."
Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference said Tampa Bay's ability to block shots shouldn't keep Boston from trying to shoot at certain times because the deflections can sometimes work in the attacking team's favor.
"If you spend all night looking for a perfect (shooting) lane, you're going to be waiting a long time," Ference said. "I've seen just as many (pucks) go in off pads, or where (defensemen) end up screening their own goalie. Blocking shots, a lot is made of it when a team does it a lot, and it can help, but it can also hurt. If you're the team that's getting a lot blocked, if you stop shooting, you take away all those chances of those deflections and dirty goals and rebounds that can happen when (the puck is) hitting guys in front of the net.
"You fire away. It's the playoffs. There's not a whole lot of pretty goals."