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Lightning use big second period to beat Devils

Feb 11, 2007 - 11:48 PM EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Ticker) -- The Tampa Bay Lightning again made the second period their own.

Nick Tarnasky and Vincent Lecavalier scored 48 seconds apart to cap a three-goal second period as the Lightning bounced back with a 4-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils, who had a four-game winning streak snapped.

Coming off Friday's 5-0 loss to the New York Rangers that ended a team-record seven-game road winning streak, Tampa Bay fell behind early on a fluke goal by Scott Gomez. But the Lightning roared back in the second period, which has been their most successful this season.

"The last five, six, seven shifts of the first period, we played a lot better. It snowballed in the second period and we got some momentum," Lecavalier said. "We started going up and down the ice as a unit of five, and it really paid off, especially against a team like New Jersey."

Vaclav Prospal tied it just 44 seconds into the middle stanza when he whipped a shot past Martin Brodeur off Lecavalier's backhanded pass from behind the net.

Tarnasky broke the deadlock at 17:24 with his first goal in more than a month. After carrying down the right side, he lost the puck behind the net, then fished it out of the skates of Devils defenseman Brad Lukowich and surprised Brodeur by tucking a shot between the near goalpost and the goaltender's right skate.

"That's a big goal," Lightning coach John Tortorella said. "I'm not exactly sure what happened behind the net, and I'm not sure (Tarnasky) is, either. ... For him to chip in a goal, it's important. We're trying to get goals from someone other than our top guys."

One of those top guys came through less than a minute later. With a delayed penalty signaled on New Jersey, Lecavalier got a feed from Prospal high in the left faceoff circle and beat Brodeur with a wrister for his league-leading 35th goal.

Defenseman Dan Boyle made it three goals on as many shots for Tampa Bay in the opening minute of the third period. With Devils defenseman Brian Rafalski serving a hooking penalty and the Lightning on their third power play, Boyle blasted a slap shot from just inside the blue line that beat Brodeur to the glove side.

Lecavalier and Brad Richards each had a pair of assists for Tampa Bay, which moved into seventh place in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of idle Carolina.

"I don't think we played a horrible game (against the Rangers). The score looks bad, but today we played a lot better," said Lecavalier, who has points in 15 of his last 17 games.

The loss was just the third in regulation in the last 21 games (15-3-3) for New Jersey, which remained six points behind Buffalo for the top spot in the conference.

"It's going to happen," said Brodeur, who leads the NHL with 10 shutouts but has given up at least four goals in three of his last six games. "I think the effort needs to be there 100 percent. Tonight, we were on and off. We didn't play 60 minutes at all. When you don't play well, it's not fun to lose."

The afternoon started well enough for the Devils, who went on the power play just 98 seconds into the game and took the lead moments later. Gomez tried a centering pass from the goal line, but the puck hit Lightning defenseman Cory Sarich and deflected past goalie Johan Holmqvist.

But that was all New Jersey could manage against Holmqvist, who made 21 saves for his 10th win in 12 games.

The Devils survived a scare late in the first period when center John Madden took a deflected slap shot to the face off the stick of Tampa Bay's Eric Perrin. Madden missed the final 6 1/2 minutes of the period but was back out for the second.

"I've seen guys take a lot worse shots than this and go back out there," he said. "That's just the way this game is."