Stanley Cup Finals: Game 3

As I said, consistency is key, and the Lightning can't seem to manage one bit of it. Not only have the last ten games for Tampa been a continuation of a win-loss pattern, but the team that played the first and third periods last night didn't show up for the second, strangely enough.

The Lightning came out strong in the first period, but Mikka Kiprusoff made some fantastic saves to keep the Flames alive. Khabibulin had some great saves too, but a goal via a scramble in front of the net broke him down as Calgary scored twice in the second. Kippur deserved the shutout he got, as he robbed Tampa on numerous occasions.

I just don't get why Tampa seems to become so out of it when Calgary scores. It's like they give up all hope.

One of the high points of the game included a fight between Vinny and Iginla, two team leaders and two superstars. For those of you who don't watch much hockey, fights are quite rare in the Stanley Cup Finals, and even more rare is two big-name players scrapping at it. Vinny does amateur boxing in the offseason, so it was nice to see his scrapping skills on display.

While the fight might have temporarily pumped up the Bolts, it wasn't enough.

Take heart. If the last 10 games are any suggestion, the Lightning should come back strong for game 4.