Flames 4 - 5 Lightning
Final - OT
  for this game

Stamkos pushes Lightning past Flames in OT

Dec 16, 2011 - 5:12 AM Tampa, FL (Sports Network) - Steven Stamkos jammed home the game-winner 30 seconds into overtime, lifting the Lightning to a 5-4 win over the Flames.

Tampa Bay wasted a two-goal lead in the third period, but tic-tac-toe passing between the trio of Steve Downie, Eric Brewer and Stamkos early in the extra session resulted in the latter re-directing Brewer's cross-ice feed into the back of the net.

"When you're struggling to get wins, you take them any way you can get them," said Stamkos, whose club had lost seven of eight coming in. "Hopefully this is the start of something good."

Tom Pyatt, Ryan Malone and Nate Thompson each scored in the second period to give the Lightning a 4-2 lead, only to have Rene Bourque and Olli Jokinen score in the third period to salvage a point for Calgary, which has dropped two straight.

Miikka Kiprusoff gave up all five goals on 34 shots, while Mathieu Garon earned the win with a 23-save effort.

Lightning forward Teddy Purcell scored a power-play goal from the left goal line by bouncing it off Flames' defenseman Chris Butler at the 5:11 mark of the opening period.

Matt Stajan scored his first goal of the season in the final minute of the first off a nice backhand feed from Tom Kostopoulos, and Jarome Iginla netted a one-timer just as a power play expired 1:57 into the second to give the Flames a lead they quickly relinquished.

Pyatt put in a rebound at the midway point of the second, Malone one-timed a Stamkos pass at the 12:05 mark and Thompson made it 4-2 by banking in another off Butler with 33.4 seconds left in the stanza.

"The second period is where we lost control of the game with some turnovers," Flames head coach Brent Sutter said.

Bourque pulled the Flames within one in the opening minute of the third when he came in alone on Garon and snuck one between his pads.

Jokinen's power-play tally, a re-redirect of Alex Tanguay's point shot, tied things with 3:12 remaining in regulation.

Game Notes

The Lightning had only one power-play chance...Calgary went 1-for-3 on the man advantage...Downie and Victor Hedman each had two assists for Tampa Bay...Derek Smith was credited with two assists for the Flames.






Related News