Gonchar caps Penguins rally over Lightning

Hockey Betting Lines

03/14/2010 - Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sergei Gonchar notched the game-winning score early in the third period, as Pittsburgh clipped Tampa Bay, 2-1, at St. Pete Times Forum.

Pascal Dupuis also tallied for the Penguins, who snapped a two-game slide and have won five of their last seven.

Marc-Andre Fleury made 21 saves for Pittsburgh, which moved four points ahead of idle New Jersey (87-83) in the race for the Atlantic Division crown.

Vincent Lecavalier provided the lone strike for the Lightning, who slid to their eighth loss in 10 games.

Antero Niittymaki was solid in defeat, stopping 37-of-39 shots for Tampa Bay, which remained in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, three points behind the Rangers.

Dupuis knotted the game 2:20 into the third, when he followed a strange carom off the back boards from Jordan Staal's deflected chance and slipped the puck into an open net past a diving Niittymaki.

Gonchar put the Penguins ahead at 5:17 on a power play, when his blistering point shot clanged off the right post and in through a screen.

Fleury came up with four big stops -- all but one of the Lightning's total shots in the third -- on a Tampa power play with 3:40 left in regulation to keep it a one-goal margin, including a sprawling right-pad stop on Lecavalier from the right side.

Niitymaki wasn't able to head to the bench for an extra skater until 46 seconds remained, and the home team didn't threaten in the Penguins' end.

Niittymaki was good on all 13 shots he faced in the first period, and Fleury was equal to his 10 shots faced.

Lecavalier snapped a scoreless tie at 8:09 of the second period, and Pittsburgh came up empty on 11 shots in the middle 20 minutes.

Game Notes

Pittsburgh has won two of three this season over Tampa Bay and five of the last seven meetings...Fleury has won four of his last five starts...The Penguins continue their five-game road trip on Wednesday at New Jersey, and the Lightning host Phoenix on Tuesday.

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Josh Johnson won't be ready when the season starts April 2.

Grapefruit League action starts Wednesday, but Johnson, penciled in as the No. 2 starter, hasn't even thrown off a mound at full speed since September. He's experienced some soreness in his right forearm.

MySportsbook.com have the Marlins listed with baseball betting lines at +800 to win the NL East this season .

''You guys know the math. If he's not on the hill then he becomes an opening day roster issue,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said Saturday. ''We're borderline now.''

Johnson, who finished 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 2007, was supposed to throw on flat ground Saturday. That was canceled when he woke up with pain.

He played catch on Wednesday with no pain but felt discomfort in a throwing session on Thursday. He's expected to try again Sunday.

''Like we always said from the very beginning, we're going to take it easy on him,'' Gonzalez said. ''He didn't feel right, so we shut him down. We're going to take it back to step one and see where we're at.''

Among the candidates to take Johnson's spot in the rotation are left-hander Chris George and right-handers Yusmeiro Petit and Jose Garcia.

Right-hander Sergio Mitre, who missed most of last season with arm and shoulder problems, also is behind.

With Johnson's status doubtful, Gonzalez said right-hander Ricky Nolasco will stay in the rotation and no longer will be considered a candidate for closer.

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