Pens one win from advancing in playoffs

Photo by: Chris O'Meara

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Photo

Pittsburgh Penguins left wing James Neal (18) shoots around Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mike Lundin (39) during the second period in Game 4 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff series Wednesday, April 20, 2011 in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

Since the regular season ended, Tampa Bay Lightning coach Guy Boucher has preached that desperation is what wins playoff series.

Boucher doesn’t need to tell his team that anymore. Now, the Lightning have no choice but to be desperate.

If Boucher was attempting to motivate his team to play as if every game in the series was do-or-die, Tampa Bay faces a literal must-win in Game 5 at noon on Saturday in Pittsburgh. The Lightning trail the best-of-seven series 3-1.

“We have to move forward,” Tampa Bay captain Vincent Lecavalier said after James Neal’s double-overtime goal gave Pittsburgh a 3-2 Game 4 win in Tampa on Wednesday.

“That’s part of the playoffs, and we talked before the series how it was going to be an emotional rollercoaster. You have to make sure you handle it the right way. There’s nothing we can do now, just make sure we’re ready to go and get a win in their building.”

Tampa Bay has already done that once in this series, responding from a 3-0 loss in Game 1 by taking a 3-0 first-period lead and cruising to a 5-1 win at Consol Energy Center in Game 2.

Afterward, some Pittsburgh players indicated that the Penguins perhaps took too much from the Game 1 victory and were taking the Lightning too lightly. This is Tampa Bay’s first playoff appearance in four years and the Penguins have played in two of the past three Stanley Cup finals, winning the Cup in 2009.

Pittsburgh answered its only loss of the series by winning consecutive road games, out-shooting and out-playing Tampa Bay in both.

“In Game 2, we didn’t have that [attention to detail] and lost a little bit of focus,” Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said. “We lost that opportunity to go up 2-0. We learned from that situation a little bit and learned and understood what we didn’t do well in Game 2. We’ve talked about that for 3 and 4, and we’ll certainly talk about that again going into Game 5.”

The eventual winning team has scored the first two goals in each of the games in the series. The Penguins had 2-0 leads during both Game 3 and Game 4 in Tampa only to have the Lightning come back to tie it before Pittsburgh won each by 3-2 scores.

In what might seem counterintuitive with the home crowds in loud buildings, the visiting teams have generally controlled the first periods during the series, outscoring the home team 7-1 and holding a 46-35 advantage in shots.

Other than Game 2, Tampa Bay has not held a lead at any point in the series and has been behind at the end of the first in each of the past two games.

“I know there are a lot of emotions flying up and down, but we have to be better in the first,” veteran defenseman Pavel Kubina said. “That’s how you win games.”