Box Score (from Flyers.NHL.com)
You could argue that the biggest factor in the Lightning's win wasn't a usual suspect like Steven Stamkos or Martin St. Louis, but the goalpost.
The Flyers' scored two goals in another game that carried playoff implications, but hit the post on golden opportunities. It cost them in their 4-2 loss in Tampa Bay.
Jakub Voracek's shot hit the red with less than two seconds left in the first period, and Matt Read just missed the mark in the third when the Flyers were down a goal.
Ilya Bryzgalov made 23 saves in a solid goaltending performance, but could only do so much.
Tampa Bay's Ondrej Palat out a wrist shot by the goaltender 6:38 into the opening period, while Tom Pyatt and Teddy Purcell scored a goal each off tip-ins with three minutes let in the first and halfway through the third respectively.
Steven Stamkos, with three seconds left in the game, scored on an empty-netter for his 21st goal o the season and the 200th of his career.
Max Talbot scored his third goal in four games by making a move past Tampa's St. Louis and Purcell in the offensive zone, then putting a backhand shot past goaltender Anders Lindback.
Talbot scored with 6:05 let in the first period to tie the game at one for the Flyers.
In the second period, down 2-1, Claude Giroux received his own pass to score on a wristshot.
Giroux tried to send a pass over to Sean Couturier, but the Lightning's Cory Conacher broke up the pass, deflecting it back to Giroux in the process. The play worked in the Flyers' favor, as Giroux rifled a shot past Lindback to tie the game at two with under five minutes left in the period.
The tying goal came just under three minutes after Lindback made a glove save on another good shot by Giroux.
Scott Hartnell was benched then eventually demoted from the first line down to the fourth, after he was called for a blatant roughing penalty early in the second.
The loss has dropped the Flyers from 11th to 12th in the Eastern Conference, putting them five points behind the eighth and final playoff spot. The Rangers and Islanders remain ahead of the Flyers in ninth and tenth place, while the Lightning take over 11th place with their win.
The Flyers now have five days off until there next game. With how frustrating the loss to Tampa Bay was, it likely won't be a fun next few days or this team.
Extras: The Lightning congratulated Kimmo Timonen on playing his 1,000th game with a public address announcement. Later on, a video that featured current Flyer Ruslan Fedotenko was played on the jumbo-tron at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. Fedotenko gave a message to the fans as part of the Lightning's 20 anniversary. He played four seasons in Tampa, including the 2003-2004 Stanley Cup season.
(Image from NHL.com)
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