The Tampa Bay Lightning should be fortunate that Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal against the Pittsburgh Penguins is still scoreless after two periods. Pittsburgh dominated the period, outshooting Tampa Bay 18-7 and getting several outstanding scoring chances.
After killing off the Lightning’s first (and so far only) power play to start the period, the Penguins recorded seven shots on their own man advantage a few minutes later. Jordan Staal nearly got Pittsburgh on the board, but Lightning goalie Dwayne Roloson flashed across the crease to deny him a tap-in goal.
Martin St. Louis and Steve Downie both caught high sticks to the face in corner scrums during the second period. St. Louis lost a tooth and had blood coming out of his mouth, but both he and Downie quickly returned. Neither high stick was called by the officials, who seem to be allowing a lot of interference and body contact. This officiating style would favor the less skilled but more physical Penguins.
By the end of the period, the Lightning took a series of icing calls as they tried to hang on until the intermission. But this left their defenders stuck on the ice and coach Guy Boucher was forced to use his one timeout to get them some rest. With the game seemingly destined for a 1-0 finish, overtime, or both, that missing timeout could be a factor later.