The Tampa Bay Lightning secured a spot in the NHL playoffs for the first time in four years with a 2-1 win over a wasteful Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday.
"For us, it's been a long time coming, guys that have been here a few years," said Martin St Louis, who was a member of the 2004 Lightning team that lifted the Stanley Cup.
"It's a chance at the big prize again. We haven't played for that in a long time."
Steve Downie and St Louis staked Tampa Bay to a 2-0 lead in the first period before Pittsburgh's Mike Rupp halved the deficit early in the third but the Penguins were left to rue the fact they squandered five powerplay opportunities.
"It's a question of not getting behind 2-0," Penguins defenseman Kris Letang said. "And if the powerplay keeps going like this, it's going to be tough to win games."
Lightning netminder Dwayne Roloson was in spectacular form, especially over the final two periods as the Penguins outshot Tampa Bay 31-16 in the search for an equalizer.
Roloson made 36 saves for the win.
"I think it showed in the second and the third the way we can control a game and really press on a team," Penguins center Jordan Staal said. "If we start off like that and do that for three periods, it's tough for a team to face that."
Tampa Bay (42-24-11) have won three in a row and are fifth in the Eastern Conference on 95 points with five regular-season games left
"For us, it's been a long time coming, guys that have been here a few years," said Martin St Louis, who was a member of the 2004 Lightning team that lifted the Stanley Cup.
"It's a chance at the big prize again. We haven't played for that in a long time."
Steve Downie and St Louis staked Tampa Bay to a 2-0 lead in the first period before Pittsburgh's Mike Rupp halved the deficit early in the third but the Penguins were left to rue the fact they squandered five powerplay opportunities.
"It's a question of not getting behind 2-0," Penguins defenseman Kris Letang said. "And if the powerplay keeps going like this, it's going to be tough to win games."
Lightning netminder Dwayne Roloson was in spectacular form, especially over the final two periods as the Penguins outshot Tampa Bay 31-16 in the search for an equalizer.
Roloson made 36 saves for the win.
"I think it showed in the second and the third the way we can control a game and really press on a team," Penguins center Jordan Staal said. "If we start off like that and do that for three periods, it's tough for a team to face that."
Tampa Bay (42-24-11) have won three in a row and are fifth in the Eastern Conference on 95 points with five regular-season games left
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