TORONTO SHOOTOUT GOALS DOWN LIGHTNING, 4-3

TORONTO – Paul Ranger scored a late goal to send the Tampa Bay Lightning to overtime on Tuesday night, but a pair of Toronto Maple Leafs shootout goals proved to be the difference maker in the contest.  Playing in their second and final meeting at Toronto this season, the Lightning dropped a 4-3 shootout loss to the Maple Leafs.

Andreas Karlsson and Martin St. Louis added goals for Tampa Bay, and Vincent Lecavalier and Vaclav Prospal posted two assists each as the club began a season-high four-game road trip with a game at Toronto.

Making his fifth start of the season, his second against the Maple Leafs, Karri Ramo opened the contest by stopping a left point shot by Hal Gill.

At the opposite end of the ice Jan Hlavac flicked a shot on net against Toronto goaltender Scott Clemmensen before Karlsson opened the scoring.  Posting his first goal of the season, Karlsson gave the Lightning a 1-0 lead skating into the second period.

After Andre Roy made a pass across the blueline Shane O’Brien shot the puck towards the net.  Although Clemmensen made the initial save, Hlavac got the puck to Karlsson at the right of the crease.  Karlsson banged the puck into the open side of the net behind Clemmensen for the score.

Holding off the Maple Leafs, Ramo gloved a shorthanded slapshot by Alexander Steen from the right point before denying Jason Blake.  Smothering the shot in his crest Ramo stopped an attempt by Blake after the Toronto winger held on to the puck before firing a wrist shot from the right faceoff circle.

Despite the saves, Blake tied the game at one less than four minutes into the second period.  Following up a Pavel Kubina shot towards the net, Mats Sundin deflected the puck to the right side of the crease.  Sliding the puck into the net from an odd angle at the goal line, Blake posted his sixth goal of the season.

Sundin went on to score his 18th goal of the season at 9:39 of the period, giving the Maple Leafs their first lead of the night.  Taking advantage of an odd-man rush, Sundin faked a slap shot from the bottom of the right faceoff circle to beat Ramp through the glove side.

The Lightning were quick to respond however, as St. Louis connected 29 seconds after Sundin to tie the game at two.  After Lecavalier won a faceoff across to

Martin St. Louis (26) is congratulated by teammates after scoring on Tuesday night. The Lightning lost, 4-3, in overtime to the Toronto Maple Leafs and have won just once in their last nine games. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn)

Prospal at the left side boards, the Tampa Bay winger moved the puck to St. Louis at the hash marks.  St. Louis snapped a shot to the left glove side for his 14th goal.

As the period wound down Brad Lukowich skated up into the zone to pressure Clemmensen in front of the net.  Making a pass as he made his way to the back of the net, Brad Richards found Lukowich deep in the slot.  Lukowich switched to his backhand to put the puck on net, but Clemmensen covered the shot for the save.

Ramo responded for the Lightning with a save on a partial breakaway by Steen.  As Steen tried to swat a shot from the slot, Ramo came out of his net to play the puck and make a poke save.

Hal Gill went on to score a late goal for the Maple Leafs to send his team into the third with a 3-2 lead.  Firing a one-timed slapshot off a pass by Blake, Gill beat Ramo for his second goal of the season.

At the beginning of the final frame Ramo held off Jiri Tlusty as he skated down the left wing. 

Karri Ramo (right) and Toronto Maple Leafs center Alex Steen tumble during a collision in the second period. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn)

Ramo made a pad save on Tlusty’s wrist shot from the left faceoff circle before the clubs skated 4-on-4 for two minutes.

Tampa Bay put strong chances on Toronto as Nik Antropov and O’Brien served matching minors early in the third.  Clemmensen gloved a strong Lecavalier wrist shot from the left point before holding on to a Mike Lundin slap shot from the middle of the blue line.

With the penalties winding down Lecavalier fed a pass to the front of the net.  Ranger jumped into the play to redirect the puck, but Clemmensen made a pad save to keep his club in the lead by one.

Late in the period Clemmensen held off Richards as he tried to tip a St. Louis slap shot from the blue line.  As play quickly moved to the opposite end of the ice Ian White put a shot on net and Alexei Ponikarovsky looked for the rebound, but Ramo held on to the puck for the save.

Looking to tie the game the Lightning skated with the empty net and the man advantage when Ranger connected for Tampa Bay with 40.3 seconds remaining in regulation.  With Jason Ward creating a screen in front of Clemmensen, Ranger’s slap shot from the blue line deflected off Stajan to beat the Toronto goalie high to the stick side.  The goal stood as Ranger’s seventh of the season.

In overtime Ramo made a glove save on a shot by Blake in the bottom of the slot, before Clemmensen held off Lecavalier.  Gathering an up-ice pass by Ranger, Lecavalier paused at the left faceoff dot as Carlo Colaiacovo dropped to block the shot.  Lecavalier fired the puck, but Clemmensen made a glove save on the deflection as it bounced towards the crease.

Although Lecavalier went on to score in the shootout with a wrist shot high to the glove side against Clemmensen, Kaberle and Sundin scored to give Toronto the victory.

Tampa Bay out-shot Toronto 33-29 as Blake led all skaters with nine shots for the Maple Leafs.  Blake finished the contest with one goal and two assists.

With his assist in the contest O’Brien set a new career high for points in a season.  Eclipsing his previous high of 14 points set through 62 games in 2006-07, O’Brien notched his 15th point (four goals, 11 assists) in his 40th game of the season.

The Lightning continue on to their second game of their current trip on Thursday, January 3 (7:30p.m., Sun Sports, 620 WDAE).  Tampa Bay will face off against the Montreal Canadiens for the third of four meetings between the clubs this season.