ECQF Game 5 recap: Tampa Bay Lightning (5) at Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

by Cassie McClellan on Apr 23, 2011 4:09 PM EDT in Game Recaps

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The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 5 by a score of 8-2...in Pittsburgh.

So...the touchdown was good. The Lightning went for the extra two points, and they managed to get those as well. But they gave up a safety to the Penguins at the end. Oh well, what can you do, right? [End American football analogy....]

The game started out very tentative for the Lightning, and it really looked like this might be the end of the season for them. Then Simon Gagne got the first goal of the game, which was huge. Then when Steven Stamkos finally broke out of his goal-scoring drought, that was even bigger. The team really seemed to have fed off of Stamkos scoring again.

They steam-rolled the Penguins from that time on, until Pittsburgh got their first goal in the third period. After that, it was a little shaky for them - despite still being up by six. They finally pulled themselves together when Dominic Moore scored that final eighth goal to.

And it helped that the Lightning scored on four of the seven power plays they got, too.

Three players - Gagne, Stamkos, and Pavel Kubina - had two goals each. Teddy Purcell had three assists, Adam Hall was 6 of 9 in the faceoff circle (67% win percentage), and Victor Hedman had five blocked shots. Vincent Lecavalier had the game-winning goal. The biggest stat of all is that the Lightning had 14 players with at least a point. All in all, it was a complete team effort.

There are two statistics that everyone should be aware of at this point. The first comes from EJ Hradek of ESPN. He put this up on Twitter:

@EJHradek_ESPN: In these Cup playoffs, road teams rule! The visitors have now won 22 of the first 36 first round games.

Which is awesome for Game 5, but not so great for Game 6 when the Penguins return to Tampa on Monday. The Lightning will be on the other side of that stat for the next game. And that's another game they must win.

The other statistic that you need to keep in mind is that a Dan Bylsma-coached Penguins team is now 0-5 when clinching a playoff series at home. So what does that tell you? It tells you that if the Lightning can win in Game 6, they may be able to win this series if it goes back to Pittsburgh.

I'll leave you thinking about what this Tampa Bay Lightning writer had to say on Twitter today:

@MikeCorcoranNHL: Going to be honest, this feels like it could be a series changer.

Lightning vs Penguins coverage

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Comments

Was this game actually on Versus?

I saw that listed a day or 2 ago on another site and then see it on here today. I live in the local area (St. Pete) ..so was expecting a possible blackout on sunshine or sunsports or whatever it is now. However, this was not the case.. that I know of anyways. As we watched the game on Sun(network). Flipped over to Versus a few times to check, but didn’t see any hockey. Am I just an idiot and the black-out works the other way?

Not that any of this matters of course… as long as it was on TV and long as we WON!!
Just curious I guess. Good recap btw.

A.K.A.- "DetroitALLtheWay09" ...Was time for a new name, to better represent BOTH my teams!! Plus that was my OG name from the '09 Play-Off run.. which didn't end so well. IN YZERMAN WE TRUST!! LET'S DO THIS!!

by Let's JOE WINGS-BOLTS on Apr 23, 2011 4:40 PM EDT reply actions

Correct

In the first two rounds of the playoffs, games on Versus are televised throughout the country except in the markets involving the two teams.

So today’s game was broadcast everywhere except in the Pittsburgh and TB markets.

by FloridaownsFSU on Apr 23, 2011 5:06 PM EDT up reply actions

Gotcha

Same thing happened last night(game 6)… after watching the game on Sun Network, swtiched over to Versus where they were doing the post game. So guessing it was same situation. I still shutter most anytime national broadcasts talk about the Bolts… no respect. Well, not enough anyways. However I think last night helped that a bit.

Either way.. If I had the choice.. I’d still go with SunSports. Just because it almost always how we watch the Bolt games and why ruin a good thing, especially with Rick, Chief, Dinger, Kennedy, etc. Gotta love it, haha.

by Let's JOE WINGS-BOLTS on Apr 26, 2011 9:43 AM EDT up reply actions

Thanks!

The ways of Jedi Master Yzerman are not the ways of others.
Raw Charge, an SBN Tampa Bay Lightning community. Follow me on Twitter: @dagmar27.

by Cassie McClellan on Apr 23, 2011 6:02 PM EDT up reply actions

14 players with a point

awesome.

The Pens coach Bwhatever is 5-1 trying to close things out on the road, so let’s go ahead and make it 5-2.

Also, recheck Hall’s faceoff stats.

by Incipient_Senescence on Apr 23, 2011 5:23 PM EDT reply actions

Hall won six and lost three faceoffs. So I guess that makes it 6 out of 9, huh? Thanks. :o)

The ways of Jedi Master Yzerman are not the ways of others.
Raw Charge, an SBN Tampa Bay Lightning community. Follow me on Twitter: @dagmar27.

by Cassie McClellan on Apr 23, 2011 6:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Throttleburg

Nice win by the Bolts and just ecstatic to see Stamkos, Gagne, Kubina and Purcell all get back on track in the same game. I’m sure MSL has to be the happiest Bolt with a load of teammates off his back. I was volunteering today and only got home in time to watch the second half of the 3rd period. Bergeron and Lundin seemed badly overmatched out there, is there still an issue with Jones and if so why not give Smaby a shot as he can handle the physical pounding and still make plays to dis-posess the other team of the puck. The Pens will come out like the walls are on fire in Tampa and Bergeron and Lundin are both supceptible to being physically overwelmed.

Don in St Pete

by Don in St Pete on Apr 23, 2011 8:06 PM EDT reply actions

Thought MAB played a great game..

And no doubt had a huge impact on the outcome. Not to mention, he has playoff experience.. which is also a huge plus.

by Let's JOE WINGS-BOLTS on Apr 26, 2011 9:46 AM EDT up reply actions

As I pointed out in the Game Thread, if I knew Stamkos would respond this way, I would have written my “Scratch Stamkos” piece after the Carolina game.

Seriously, though it was a great game, and I’m glad we get to see them at home at least one more time before the off-season.

I still marvel at Teddy’s game tonight—he’s my unsung hero of the game. My fear is he’s played well enough to price himself off the team for next season though…

by MTBoltFan on Apr 23, 2011 11:44 PM EDT reply actions