(Reuters) - The Tampa Bay Lightning finished a rebuilding season just one game short of a spot in the Stanley Cup finals, leaving first-year head coach Guy Boucher with a bitter-sweet feeling."We have to be proud of our players. We put everything on the ice. It gives you hope for the future," Boucher, the former coach of minor league Hamilton Bulldogs, told reporters.
Boucher admitted the wanted to win for Wayne Fleming, its assistant coach, who underwent surgery for a malignant brain tumor on May 3.
"Every win that we got put a smile on his face, and that was really important to us," he said. "It's too bad that we couldn't put a smile on his face tonight."
The Lightning faced relentless pressure from Boston and were outshot 38 to 24.
The Bruins' only goal, Nathan Horton's deft deflection of a David Krejci pass, came with less than eight minutes to play in the third period.
After Tampa's 6-5 victory in a free-wheeling game six on Wednesday, Friday's decider was a total contrast.
"It was in overtime the entire game, or that's how it felt. It was about who was going to make that one mistake, and it was us," said Boucher.
"I've looked at the clip five times now and it's hard to look at. It's one little defensive mistake."
The lopsided shooting early in the game wore down Tampa Bay, said Boucher.
"Boston was coming hard and we could feel our energy level going down, even at the end of the first period," he said. "But Rollie (goal-tender Dwayne Roloson) was quite outstanding."
Roloson, 41, who joined Tampa Bay mid-season from the New York Islanders, was philosophic.
"It was just one of those nights," he said. "I give our guys a lot of credit. They have battled through adversity ever since I have been here."
Lightning center Steven Stamkos sustained a sickening blow to the face early in the second period when he took a powerful shot from Boston's Johnny Boychuck that was deflected off teammate Martin St. Louis's stick.
But in true hockey fashion Stamkos was back on the ice just minutes after skating to the dressing room, hand over his face.
"I have broken my nose before ... Nothing was going to keep anyone in this dressing room to stay out of this game," Stamkos said.
"Stammer (Stamkos) is a warrior," Tampa Bay forward Ryan Malone said of his teammate. "It is stick on puck, and you take one in the face and that could be the difference."
Boucher admitted the wanted to win for Wayne Fleming, its assistant coach, who underwent surgery for a malignant brain tumor on May 3.
"Every win that we got put a smile on his face, and that was really important to us," he said. "It's too bad that we couldn't put a smile on his face tonight."
The Lightning faced relentless pressure from Boston and were outshot 38 to 24.
The Bruins' only goal, Nathan Horton's deft deflection of a David Krejci pass, came with less than eight minutes to play in the third period.
After Tampa's 6-5 victory in a free-wheeling game six on Wednesday, Friday's decider was a total contrast.
"It was in overtime the entire game, or that's how it felt. It was about who was going to make that one mistake, and it was us," said Boucher.
"I've looked at the clip five times now and it's hard to look at. It's one little defensive mistake."
The lopsided shooting early in the game wore down Tampa Bay, said Boucher.
"Boston was coming hard and we could feel our energy level going down, even at the end of the first period," he said. "But Rollie (goal-tender Dwayne Roloson) was quite outstanding."
Roloson, 41, who joined Tampa Bay mid-season from the New York Islanders, was philosophic.
"It was just one of those nights," he said. "I give our guys a lot of credit. They have battled through adversity ever since I have been here."
Lightning center Steven Stamkos sustained a sickening blow to the face early in the second period when he took a powerful shot from Boston's Johnny Boychuck that was deflected off teammate Martin St. Louis's stick.
But in true hockey fashion Stamkos was back on the ice just minutes after skating to the dressing room, hand over his face.
"I have broken my nose before ... Nothing was going to keep anyone in this dressing room to stay out of this game," Stamkos said.
"Stammer (Stamkos) is a warrior," Tampa Bay forward Ryan Malone said of his teammate. "It is stick on puck, and you take one in the face and that could be the difference."
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire