Lightning beat Wild in shootout
TAMPA, Fla. — Ryan Malone tied it with 14.7 seconds left in regulation, and Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos scored in the shootout to give the Tampa Bay Lightning a 4-3 comeback win over the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night.
Malone tied it 3 on a backhander during a power play with Lightning goalie Antero Niittymaki off the ice for an extra skater.
Stamkos scored his 13th goal of the season during regulation and added an assist. Steve Downie had the other Tampa Bay goal, coming at 9:17 of the third.
Benoit Pouliot, Kim Johnsson and Owen Nolan scored for Minnesota. Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom fell to 11-1-2, including 3-0-1 against Tampa Bay, in his career against the Southeast Division.
Tampa Bay lost its first four shootouts this season, failing to score on 14 shots.
Pouliot put the Wild ahead 1-0 at 16:53 of the first. James Sheppard set up the goal and stopped a personal 16-game points drought by skating down the slot and making a nifty pass toward the right circle to Pouliot.
Johnsson's power-play goal 3:47 into the second made it 2-0.
After Stamkos had a short-handed goal at 8:44 of the second, Nolan scored his fourth goal this season from the slot while being pulled down to give Minnesota a 3-1 advantage with 8:25 left in the period.
Nolan tied Ray Bourque for 76th place on the career goals list with 410.
NOTES: Lightning D Victor Hedman returned after missing a game because of a concussion. ... Minnesota D Nick Schultz assisted on Pouliot's goal for his first point in 11 games. ... Wild LW Derek Boogaard hasn't scored a goal in his last 175 games, dating to Jan. 7, 2006.










November 12, 2009 10:30 PM EST |