Two nights in a row, both the Lightning and the Hurricanes hit peaks and valleys during regulation. Unfortunately for the Bolts, their valleys were in the 3rd period and the Hurricanes tied the game with the dynamics of Cory Stillman and Matt Cullen on each of Carolina’s goals.

Brad Richards and Fredrick Modin both scored to give the Lightning a 2-0 lead… Richards goal came in the first while Modin’s rocket was scored early in the third period. John Grahame made 25 saves on 27 shots while Martin Gerber, playing his second straight game, made 29 saves on 32 shots.

I’m not even going to acknowledge the refs tonight because they were inconsistent at best. That’s not forgiving the crying game from Bobby Taylor but there is a problem with rule enforcement in the NHL and someone has got to find a legit solution to this.

Yet if this game — if this SERIES — is foreshadowing a Lightning/Hurricanes battle in the playoffs, we’re all in for one hell of a show.

Martin St. Louis scores the winner late in Overtime to give the Lightning a much needed victory and making a bold step closer to the playoffs.

Going into the first intermission, 1-0 Lightning…

At any rate… Bobby, listen… We all love you here in Tampa but could you do everyone a favor and shut up about refs? Either referees aren’t calling penalties on infractions you point out or referees (in the case of tonight) are calling everything they see… You complain about both to no end and can’t be satisfied either way.

Do us all a favor and talk about the game — there are too many dynamics that the viewers aren’t informed about on a game-by-game basis and instead — we’re fed your homerish play-by-play.

No offense, Bobby, this is constructive criticism. We all have our problems with one dynamic or another but your constant ridicule of referees is coming off hypocritical as well as beating a dead horse.

Hope your Saturday wasn’t taxing…

Speaking of tough filing… Can the Lightning file away a playoff berth?