By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
TAMPA — It appears possible the Lightning will have to stave off elimination tonight in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final without the playoffs' leading scorer, LW Sean Bergenheim.
Bergenheim didn't play the final two periods Monday night after suffering an undisclosed injury, which is believed to be lower-body. Coach Guy Boucher isn't sure whether Bergenheim will be ready tonight, but knew if the game were Tuesday, he definitely would not have been on the ice.
"We'll see (today)," Boucher said. "I'll go to church I think."
It would be a big loss to the Lightning, as Bergenheim — whose nine playoff goals lead the NHL — has been one of its better players, and a key part of a third line with Dominic Moore and Steve Downie. Boucher said he tried to find some chemistry on that line without Bergenheim Tuesday night, when the wing logged only 4 minutes and 19 seconds, and hasn't decided who would replace him.
"Bergie has been great," Moore said. "And again, though, it's the kind of thing where our team is all the pieces fit together and the way we've played all season long it's been everyone on the same page, and whether the lines change, we all play the same way."
But Boston knows it could be a break if Bergenheim's out.
"He's had a lot of goals in this postseason, and he's playing well for them," Bruins D Johnny Boychuk said. "It's one of those guys, if he's out, it'd be good for us, because he's been producing really well and playing really well. But if he's in, we've got to make sure to take care of him."
POWER OUTAGE: The Lighting power play, which had been strong in the first two rounds, has struggled in the Bruins series, going 2-for-18, including 0-for-4 (on just four shots) in Monday's loss.
RW Marty St. Louis said the power play was "disappointing" Monday, pointing out they could have pulled away by taking a two-goal lead, but didn't.
What needs to change?
"I just think a little more poise," St. Louis said. "Poise and shots to the net. But I think they come hand in hand. If we get a little poise, we're going to open some more shots. And we have to take those shots. Once we have the shots, we have to take them. We can't look for that other play."
Of course, the Bruins penalty kill has something to do with that, along with G Tim Thomas.
"That's something we've managed to do that was important to us," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "Because had we not done that, the series might be in a different place right now."
JOHNNY BE GOOD: Boychuk said he's fine and will play tonight after hitting his head into the boards Monday on a hit by Lightning RW Steve Downie, who was called for boarding.
Boychuk said he didn't see Downie coming, and was a little "foggy" afterward, but didn't say whether the hit deserved discipline.
"I saw the hit, if it's suspendable the league will do it," Boychuk said. "But I'm feeling fine and that's the main thing."
IN FRONT: The Bruins used their big D Zdeno Chara, a 6-foot-9, 255-pound captain, in front of the net on the power play Monday, and could do so again. "He's 260 pounds, try to move a guy that's as strong as him and as big as him — not too many guys can do that," Boychuk said.
FLASHBACK: Julien was asked how much of a lift great goaltending performances like G Tim Thomas on Monday could give, and he brought up the example of former Lightning G Nikolai Khabibulin in the 2004 Stanley Cup run.
"We're in Tampa right now, the year Tampa Bay won it had it not been for Khabibulin, I'm not sure they would have had a Stanley Cup, because he stood on his head in a lot of those games," Julien said. "They were a good team, but Khabibulin was a great goaltender for them. ... When you've got a hot goaltender, it makes you that much better."
Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@sptimes.com.