Lightning Finish Fourth in Traverse City

Matt Butcher had a pair of goals and James Wright tied the game midway through the third period. However, the Tampa Bay Lightning fell to the Carolina Hurricanes, 4-3, in double-overtime on Wednesday night at Centre Ice Arena. The Lightning finished the 2010 Traverse City NHL prospects tournament in fourth place.

For the fourth time in the four games of the tournament, the Lightning scored the first goal of the game. Just 5:42 into the match, Tim Marks sent a pass from behind the net toward the bottom of the right circle. Butcher one-timed the puck past the left leg of Carolina goaltender Troy Passingham for his first goal of the tournament.

The Hurricanes tied the game with a power play goal at 16:07. Matt Kennedy found a rebound in the crease and slipped the puck under the legs of Tampa Bay goaltender Jaroslav Janus.

Tampa Bay re-claimed the lead 3:14 into the second stanza on Butcher’s second goal of the contest. Adam Janosik spotted Butcher with a pass in the high slot and Butcher sent a wrist shot over the right shoulder of Passingham for a power play goal.

However, Carolina once again tied the game with a late-period goal. This time, Matt Caria carried the puck into the Lightning zone along the left wing on and odd-man rush. He sent a backhand pass across the slot and Justin Shugg redirected the feed into the net past the left leg of Janus at 18:27.

The Hurricanes took their first lead of the game midway through the third period. Jared Staal scored an unassisted goal at 7:47 to put Carolina up 3-2.

Tampa Bay leveled the score at three goals apiece less than four minutes later. Brett Connolly took the puck through the slot and sent a shot on goal that ended up spinning in the crease. Wright poked home the loose puck for his third goal of the tournament at 15:33.

After a scoreless four-minute, four-on-four overtime period, the teams skated three-on-three for the second overtime period. Jeff Skinner scored on a wrist shot from the right circle 2:36 into the second overtime to give the Hurricanes the victory and third place in the tournament.