Canucks 3 - 4 Lightning
Final
  for this game

Palat guides Tampa over Vancouver

Mar 18, 2014 - 3:55 AM Tampa, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Ondrej Palat continued his five-game point streak with a goal and an assist as the Tampa Bay Lightning held on to defeat the Vancouver Canucks, 4-3, on Monday.

Steven Stamkos also registered a goal and an assist in the Lightning's third straight victory. Valtteri Filppula and Tom Pyatt also scored while goaltender Ben Bishop made 25 stops in the win.

"We've got points in five straight games at a time when we really need them," Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper remarked. "Hopefully this is good momentum for us going on the road."

Alexandre Burrows tallied two goals and an assist and Jannik Hansen had a shorthanded goal as Vancouver has dropped two of its last three. Eddie Lack allowed all four goals on 30 shots in defeat.

"Goals are nice, but we need to win games," Burrows said. "I'd rather win 1-0 than lose 4-3 and score goals."

Tampa Bay opened the scoring on the power play with 2:04 to go in the opening stanza. Ryan Callahan fought for the puck down low and Palat came up with it. He dished the puck to a wide-open Stamkos, who finished off the play with his 16th of the season.

Palat tried to send a cross-ice pass to the right side of the net, but the pass went off sliding Vancouver defenseman Ryan Stanton and past Lack for a 2-0 Lightning lead nearly seven minutes into the second

The Lightning had a three-goal cushion after Filppula's shot deflected off Stanton and past Lack with nine seconds left in the second.

Eight seconds after Pyatt entered the box for goaltender interference, Burrows got the Canucks on the board less than six minutes into the third. Kevin Bieksa released a shot from the point that Burrows gathered and backhanded past Bishop.

Pyatt made up for his penalty by beating Lack with a wrister three minutes later.

Down by three again, Vancouver did not go away. Burrows scored his second of the night by deflecting Nicklas Jensen's back-handed offering from the left circle with 8:16 to go.

Hansen got the Canucks within one after his wrist shot found twine while on the penalty kill with less than five minutes remaining. Vancouver pulled Lack with over a minute to go, but Tampa Bay held on for the win.

Game Notes

The Lightning honored their 2003-04 Stanley Cup championship team prior to the game ... Tampa Bay has gone 3-0-1 against Vancouver at home over their last four meetings ... Filppula recorded his 300th point ... Each team scored on the power play with the Lightning going 1-for-4 while the Canucks converted once in three opportunities.






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