Bruins vs. Lightning: LIVE!

We're live with Andy, Jack and Naoko in Tampa Bay as the Bruins look to rebound from last night's 2-0 loss to the very physical Panthers. The Bruins have taken points in three of their last six, but closer inspection shows that they've lost five of those six.

It appears as if Jack and Andy called each other this morning to coordinate their suits and ties. Good job, boys.

Ooh, Manny Fernandez is in net tonight. Things could get adventurous.

First Period

18:22 GOAL! 1-0 Bruins - Bruins on a quick break after Aaron Ward blocks a shot. Quick movement, Savard gets it to Phil Kessel who beats Ramo blocker side. The start the Bruins were looking for tonight.

16:31 - They finally make the goal announcement. A lot of cheers, a lot of Bruins fans. Probably the same people who are Sox fans that overtake Tampa Bay Rays home games.

15:16 GOAL! 1-1 - A little triangle offense in front of the net, Jeff Halpern finds the seam in the slot, Pettinger finds him there, a quick little forehand wrister and it's evened up.

15:01 GOAL! 2-1 Lightning - WOW! Tampa chips it down into the corner off the face off, Adam Hall gets behind the net, wraps it around and under Manny's pad. Things have gone sour for the Bruins fast.

First commercial break... without the commercials. Looks at the benches, an overlay for a segment being tested. Good stuff. The Bruins started out with a lot of energy and they've been dampened quickly by those first quick goals. The Bruins need to find some physicality. They're holding the puck fairly well, but they need to hit some people and truly take over. They're not out. Nothing to worry about yet.

Video Highlights Courtesy Of NHL.com


10:32 - FIGHT! And Shawn Thornton is rocked. David Koci gets him down onto the ice after a few good rights and it's a quick end to the battle. It's the Bruins first fighting major in seven games now. There's the physical play I was looking for. Good job Shawn.

7:53 - It's amazing to watch this team night in and night out and see them dominating in shots almost every time out. 8-4 at this point, and they're generally far and away creating more opportunities to score than their opponents, they just can't seem to capitalize.

6:01 - Andrew Ference rings the post and Wideman just misses it... wide, man. Ference is sent off for a trip. Getting dicey is Tampa can convert on this power play. Savard had nicely won the faceoff, Lucic cycled it through to Ference who had the lane, just centimeters away from a goal, really.

4:50 - Bruins effectively kill the penalty when Fernandez is sent head over heels and an interference is called. We'll see a brief Bruins power play shortly. The 0/1 certainly won't help the statistics.

3:18 GOAL! 2-2 Did I say 0/1? Andrew Ference has his first goal of the year! Beautiful rotational passing from the B's, cross-seam pass for Ference, right onto the tape and it beats Ramo through the five. Bruins kill the penalty strongly and make the most of their short power play!

2:53 - FIGHT! Gary Roberts and Mark Stuart! Haymakers from both men! Stuart missing over the top, Roberts swinging furiously and falls down on top of Stuart! What action! The old man showing he can still bring it!

:29.7 - Tampa Bay on a powerplay after Shawn Thornton received a double minor in the aftermath of the fight between Stuart and Roberts. David Krejci breaks down the left side drags it in close on Ramo who makes a terrific glove save.

End of the first period, the Bolts will have 2:37 left on a power play with a clean sheet of ice. Up and down through the first, looking on the up. Good physical play like they needed, creating some good shorthanded chances at the end of the first and generally looking excited and energized in this game.

Second Period

18:18 - The 'Ning miss a wonderful chance, Halpern alone in front, gets a weak wrister off of Fernandez's pad and cleared away from goal by Wideman. The Bruins effectively kill the double minor, conceding just two shots.

16:08 - Bruins powerplay as Malik gets set to the box for interference on Milan Lucic.

14:34 - Bruins struggling to keep the puck in Tampa Bay's zone. Martin St. Louis tries to clear, right onto the tap of PJ Axelsson, slaps it at Ramo, but a glove save. First real chance on the power play with :26 remaining on it.

12:33 - Ah, highlights of Zdeno Chara's October 2007 mauling of David Koci. Good stuff. I bet Koci isn't ready to see his face look like that anytime soon.

10:00 GOAL! 3-2 Lightning - It's another old-timer, Mark Recchi! The puck squirts by Chara, but he's able to recover, the wings never track back to help out, Josef Melichar takes a nice wirster and Recchi is able to beautifully redirect it in for the goal. Good chances at both ends, but the 'Ning are making 'em count.

8:24 - Artyukhin is sent to the box for tripping, oddly it seemed to occur moments after an offside whistle was blown. However, I'm sure the B's will take it.

6:24 - Tampa Bay kills the penalty. Why doesn't Claude Julien notice how much the B's top power play line struggles with Patrice Bergeron at the point? They struggle to create chances, Bergeron had a shot blocked. He works much better on the wing, not on the point. Wake up, Claude!

4:43 GOAL! 3-3 - Chuck Kobasew rushes up the right wing, crosses it into the slot for Zdeno Chara who beats Ramo with a wrister! The captain with an uncharacteristic goal to even the game and you can imagine the Bruins will play with more fire from here on out.

3:09 - David Krejci creates himself two or three chances in front of the net. Jack Edwards calls it "classic" David Krejci as if he's been playing in the league for fifteen years. Jack is blushing with a man crush.

2:08 - Chara has a word with Koci after Koci goes after Stephane Yelle. Perhaps Koci would like another broken face.

:18 - Phil Kessel rings the post as the Bruins are cycling the puck through the zone creating opportunities. The period ends with the Bruins looking stronger as the did after tying it near the end of the first. The physical tempo continues to increase for the Bruins and it can only mean good things. I can't emphasize this enough for the Bruins. If they're physical and intense, they'll win.

Bruins lead shots 28-14, still 2:1. They need to stay physical, tighten up the defense and good things will happen.

Third Period

17:21 - Stephane Yelle is going to the box after Artyukhin takes a stick to the face. No blood, it's a high stick, two minutes only. Lightning have been more likely to score early on in the third and the Bruins certainly don't want to go down a goal again.

17:16 - Ryan Malone kills the penalty for the Bruins, two minutes for hooking Chara. Tampa Bay is now 0/4 on the power play tonight.

16:17 - An offside call. Been a quiet night for Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos, eh?

14:23 - Shane Hnidy gets hard after an icing call, everybody congregates behind the net. Boarding call on Artyukhin for his not so intelligent play. Bruins are now on the power play. Let's see them capitalize. They know they need a win and they can win this game.

7:27 - The Bruins are certainly trying to make something happen offensively, but they just aren't. The puck is bouncing around a lot, making it difficult to get a stick on it, not to mention a few Bruins players have had to return to the locker room because of skate issues.

There hasn't been much going on in the third since the Lightning killed the Bruins power play. I sense overtime right now, but anything could happen.

5:01 - Ramo makes a pair of incredible saves on Phil Kessel. Savard skates into Tampa's zone and flicks to Kessel on the right, Kessel wrists it, Ramo saves, Kessel snaps the rebound and Tampa clears into the stands. Boston has been controlling the puck, showing they want it more at the moment. Ramo certainly standing tall.

Shots are 42-17 for the Bruins, 14-3 in the third. Continuing to put up huge swaths of shots on goal.

4:45 - Krejci lays Gary Roberts out and gets called for interference. He certainly got his two minutes worth with that hit.

The 'Ning are 0/4 on the power play with 6 shots tonight.

2:50 - Oh noes! Delay of game on Andrew Ference after he clears it out into the stands. Tampa will be two men up for five seconds and on the power play until just under a minute left. Very important span of time coming here.

1:33 GOAL! 4-3 Lightning - It's Vinny Prospal on the power play! Halpern spins nicely to give himself space to make a pass over to Prospal. Beating Fernandez high and glove side.

This is the third time tonight the Bruins have fallen behind tonight. Could it be too much to surmount with so little time to go?

1:04 - Fernandez is pulled and Tampa ices it. Bruins need to win this face off cleanly.

Thirteenth place Tampa Bay has beaten the Bruins 4-3 here in Tampa. The Bruins have now lost 6 of their last 7 and 4 of 5 on this road trip. They return home for Tuesday night to host the Panthers.

The physical play was nice, the compete-level was nice, the Bruins wanted this game, they should've taken something out of it and just weren't able to. Karri Ramo made 40 saves and a number of them were spectacular, saves that should have been Boston goals. The Lightning are hugely outshot by the Bruins yet come away with the win.

You've got the make the most of your chances. Tampa Bay did that, Boston did not.