As bad games go, this one was hell...I don't think the diehards stayed up to watch the debacle that the Lightning displayed on the ice last night. The San Jose Sharks emphatically showed why they are among the league's elite and the Lightning are with the dregs. 7-1 was the final, but it felt so much worse. With rumors swirling regarding the Bolts only true Superstar Vincent Lecavalier being on the trading block and playing backup goalie Kari Ramo against best team in hockey, it was a recipe for disaster.
The Sharks jumped on Tampa Bay quickly, scoring just 2:17 into the game. Joe Thorton made it 2-0 in the closing minutes of the first. Tampa Bay tried to rally, young Steven Stamkos scored for the first time since Phil Esposito was playing for the B's to cut the Sharks advantage to 2-1. That would be as close as Tampa Bay would get as Thorton would light the lamp again to make it 3-1, followed by Milan Michalek and Ryane Clowe to build a 5-1 lead going into second intermission.
San Jose added to the embarrasment of the Bolts with two more goals in the first two minutes of the third period, giving them the 7-1 margin. Tampa Bay is dealing with several injuries on the blue line and it showed with the likes of Kevin Quick playing for the Lightning. Ramo was blistered for 42 shots, saving 35.
"The guys tried back there, but it's tough," Tocchet told the Associated Press, "It's asking a lot of these guys to come up and play against Thornton and those guys. That's a tall order. When you give this team any momentum with their power play, you're done. We got it to 2-1, and for a five-minute stretch there I thought we could squeak something out there, but then we took a rash of penalties."
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