for this game
Lightning crush Panthers
Dec 24, 2013 - 4:26 AMValtteri Filppula had one goal and assist and Victor Hedman had three helpers for the Lightning, winners in five straight.
Tyler Johnson and Alex Killorn added one goal apiece and Ben Bishop made 28 saves in the win.
Sean Bergenheim tallied the lone goal for the Panthers, who have dropped two straight on the heels of a five-game winning streak.
Scott Clemmensen made 30 saves, but allowed all six goals in the setback.
"It got worse as the game went on, obviously, and they didn't play with a lot of energy, a lot of conviction or resolve," Florida head coach Peter Horachek said of his squad. "We kind of left Clem (Clemmensen) there hanging quite a few times."
Bergenheim scored at 18:56 of the opening period, but Tampa Bay scored six unanswered to run away with the win.
Killorn scored 19 seconds later with his goal off a Filppula drop pass in front of the net.
Johnson Tipped in a Hedman pass at 3:22 of the middle session and Filppula added a goal at 8:01 to make it 3-1.
St. Louis' slapshot at 12:07 capped a three-goal second to make it 4-1.
"I don't know if we've had a better player over the last eight games than No. 26," Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper said of St. Louis.
Brown scored both of his goals in the final period. His first came off a wrister at 3:40 before tipping in a Nikita Kucherov pass at 13:36 to account for the final difference.
Game Notes
St. Louis has 16 goals and 36 points this season ... The Lightning were 1- for-4 on the power play ... Tampa Bay opens a brief two-game homestand with Montreal on Saturday and hosts New York on Sunday before embarking on a four- game road trip next week ... Florida was 1-for-3 on the power play ... The Panthers continue their five-game homestand with Detroit on Saturday ... Tampa Bay has won 10 of the last 12 meetings.
- TAMPA BAY: 6
FLORIDA: 1
Final
Dec 23 10:02 PM - Tampa Bay Goal - J.T. Brown (3), from Nikita Kucherov at 13:36.
Lightning 6, Panthers 1 3rd - 6:24Dec 23 9:51 PM - TAMPA BAY: 4
FLORIDA: 1
End of 2nd
Dec 23 9:10 PM - Tampa Bay Goal - Martin St. Louis (16), from Ondrej Palat at 12:07.
Lightning 4, Panthers 1 2nd - 7:53Dec 23 8:55 PM - Tampa Bay Power-Play Goal - Valtteri Filppula (13), at 8:01.
Lightning 3, Panthers 1 2nd - 11:59Dec 23 8:50 PM - TAMPA BAY: 1
FLORIDA: 1
End of 1st
Dec 23 8:15 PM - Tampa Bay Goal - Alex Killorn (9), from Valtteri Filppula and Andrej Sustr at 19:15.
Lightning 1, Panthers 1 1st - 0:45Dec 23 8:14 PM - Florida Power-Play Goal - Sean Bergenheim (5), from Aleksander Barkov at 18:56.
Lightning 0, Panthers 1 1st - 1:04Dec 23 8:13 PM - TAMPA BAY: 0
FLORIDA: 0
1st Period - 20:00
Dec 23 7:39 PM
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