SB Nation Tampa Bay - This Week's Lightning Action: Stamkos Provides Offense, Bolts Beat Montreal 4-1

Final Score:Tampa Bay Lightning 4, Montreal Canadiens 1

2010-12-31T03:58:17Z

Tampa, FL (Sports Network) – Steven Stamkos registered two goals and two assists as Tampa Bay scored four unanswered goals to defeat Montreal, 4-1, at St. Pete Times Forum.

Martin St. Louis posted a goal and an assist for the Lightning, who have won seven of their last nine games. Pavel Kubina added a goal, while Cedrick Desjardins made 27 saves in his NHL debut.

Max Pacioretty notched the lone goal for the Canadiens, who are 1-5-0 during a season-high seven-game road trip that ends Friday against the Panthers.

Carey Price stopped just 16 of the 20 shots he faced before getting benched in the third. Alex Auld came on in relief and turned aside all three shots he faced.

Montreal took a 1-0 lead only 58 seconds into the game, when Pacioretty raced down the left boards and sent a shot toward the net that clipped a Lightning player’s skate before heading into the net.

But the Canadiens didn’t score again, and the Lightning rallied for four straight goals during the final two periods.

Tampa Bay tied the game 2:48 into the second period during a 5-on-3 power- play. St. Louis held the puck deep in the zone until he finally found an open slot above Price’s shoulder, and sent it into the net on a sharp angle.

The Lightning took their first lead of the game with 7:29 left in the middle frame, when Kubina centered the puck from behind the net. The disc deflected off Montreal’s Jaroslav Spacek, who had fallen to the ice while wrestling for position.

Stamkos made it a two-goal cushion 1:46 into the final period by scoring on a penalty shot. He then added an even strength goal at the 4:40 mark, forcing a Habs goaltender change.

Meanwhile, Desjardins stopped 15 third-period shots to make the large lead stand.

Game Notes

Montreal fell to 8-11-0 on the road this season…The Lightning were 1-for-6 on the power play, while the Canadiens were 0-for-5.

12/30 22:57:57 ET

Final Score: Boston 4, Lightning 3

2010-12-29T03:43:00Z

Tampa, FL (Sports Network) – Marc Recchi’s power play goal with 19.7 seconds left in the game lifted Boston to a 4-3 win over Tampa Bay at St. Pete Times Forum.

Michael Ryder and Brad Marchand tallied for the Bruins, who also got Steven Kampfer’s first career goal in their third straight victory and fourth win in five games.

Tim Thomas turned away 31 shots to earn the win for the Bruins, who have won two of three meetings between the teams this season.

The Big Three of Steven Stamkos, Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis notched goals for the Lightning, who had won two in a row and six out of seven coming into the contest.

Dan Ellis made 25 saves in defeat.

With 1:50 to play in the game, Marchand and Sean Bergenheim went off for matching roughing minors and Stamkos was assessed a boarding minor to create the man-advantage for the visitors.

“Not a penalty. Shoulder-to-shoulder hit. I’ve seen the video replay a dozen times and I still don’t see what they (on- ice officials) saw to make that call. This is a tough one to swallow.” — Lightning head coach Guy Boucher

Recchi took a pass from Patrice Bergeron and beat Ellis to the far side from in between the circles for his seventh goal of the season.

Marchand backhanded a rebound past a sprawling Ellis three minutes into the final period to put the Bruins back in the lead at 3-2 before the Bolts forged the third tie of the game just under eight minutes later.

Stamkos threw a backhand pass from behind the net that caromed off a Boston skate to St. Louis, who was stationed at the left door step and wristed the loose disc past Thomas with 9:10 left to play.

Ryder got the scoring started just 28 seconds into the game with a power play wrister that beat Ellis.

Stamkos tied the game with his league-leading 13th power play goal when he rammed home a rebound from the left side when Thomas wound up on his back after making the initial save.

The Bruins cashed in on the power play for the second time when Kampfer took a cross ice feed from Marc Savard at the bottom of the right circle and wristed it past Ellis at 3:27 of the middle session.

Lecavalier’s wraparound goal got the game even with just under six minutes left in the period.

Game Notes

Recchi also recorded an assist and has 1,506 career points, good for 13th place all-time…Savard’s assist was the 700th point of his career…Thomas is 18-4-3 in 26 career games against Tampa Bay…The Bruins have scored first in nine of their last 13 games…Boston is 9-4-0 versus the Southeast Division while the Lightning dropped to 6-2-0 against the Northeast Division…Pavel Kubina had two assists in the defeat…The last five games between the teams in Florida have been decided by two goals or less…Tampa Bay had recorded a point in eight straight games before Tuesday, its longest since an 18-game streak in 2004.

12/28 22:36:33 ET

Boston Takes Late Lead On Power Play Goal

2010-12-29T03:09:40Z

Boston Power-Play Goal – Mark Recchi (7), unassisted at 19:40. :20 Remaining, 3rd period.
Boston 4, LIGHTNING 3..

St. Louis Ties It Up For The Lightning, Now 3-3

2010-12-29T02:54:03Z

Tampa Bay Goal – Martin St. Louis (15), from Steven Stamkos and Pavel Kubina at 10:50. 9:10 Remaining, 3rd period.
LIGHTNING 3, Boston 3.

Boston Back On Top Again, 3-2, Early In The 3rd

2010-12-29T02:36:43Z

Boston Goal – Brad Marchand (5), from Shawn Thornton and Gregory Campbell at 3:00. 17:00 Remaining, 3rd period.
Bostion 3, LIGHTNING 2.

Lecavalier Wrap-Around Goal Ties It Up For The Lightning

2010-12-29T02:05:33Z

CORRECTION: After a review, assists were credited to Sean Bergenheim and Pavel Kubina.

Tampa Bay Goal – Vincent Lecavalier (7), unassisted at 14:02. 5:58 Remaining, 2nd period.
LIGHTNING 2, Boston 2.

Boston Re-Takes The Lead 2-1

2010-12-29T01:44:47Z

Boston Goal – Steven Kampfer, from Marc Savard and Nathan Horton at 3:27. 16:33 Remaining, 2nd period.
Boston 2, LIGHTNING 1.

Stamkos Scores On The Power Play To Tie It Up

2010-12-29T01:34:30Z

CORRECTION: After a review, the assists went to Malone and Brett Clark, not Purcell.

Tampa Bay Power-Play Goal – Steven Stamkos (29), from Ryan Malone and Tedy Purcell 7:10. 12:50 Remaining, 1st period.
LIGHTNING 1, Boston 1.