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Fisher caps Senators' rally with game-winner

Jan 6, 2008 - 4:33 AM OTTAWA (Ticker) -- Mike Fisher scored late in overtime and assisted on another tally as the Ottawa Senators rallied from a pair of two-goal deficits to post a 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.

Dany Heatley tied the game early in the third period and Fisher scored the game-winner with 1:43 left in the extra session.

Fisher gathered a loose puck near the left wing boards and fired a wrist shot into the left side of the net past goaltender Johan Holmqvist for the deciding tally.

"I beat their defenseman at the left side," Fisher said. "I skated to the hash mark and saw (Daniel) Alfredsson. I faked to Alfredsson and was going to throw it at the short side. I missed my shot, but it found a hole hiding between his pads."

Randy Robitaille spearheaded the comeback by scoring a pair of goals for Ottawa, which got revenge against the last team to beat it during its seven-game losing streak early last month.

"It was nice that I could contribute," Robitaille said. "It's good to get key goals. It gives me more confidence. Hopefully, it doesn't go too long before I get another goal."

Ottawa lost, 4-3, in a shootout to Tampa Bay on December 4, and then snapped the losing streak the next night against Florida. But the Senators turned the tables in this one, handing the Lightning their seventh straight loss by rallying from two goals down twice.

Ray Emery stopped 16 shots for the Senators, who battled back from 2-0 and 3-1 deficits to post their second straight win.

Ottawa took advantage of a fortuitous bounce to tie the game at 3-3.

Holmqvist tried to clear the puck out of his zone, but it deflected off Kyle Wanvig, and Jason Spezza retrieved it at the left side of the net.

Spezza then sent a pass to Heatley, who was all alone in front. Heatley stopped the puck and fired a wrist shot over the right shoulder of Holmqvist just 4:26 into the third.

"It's part of the game where the puck hits a stick and the bounces go the other way," said Tampa Bay's Vincent Lecavalier, who scored a first-period goal. "We can't worry about it. We have to focus for (the New York Rangers) on Tuesday."

"That sums up the way it's going," Lightning right wing Martin St. Louis said. "We just have to find a way. I know it's frustrating, but we can't say it's a stick one night and something else another night. It's a big point in this building, but we gave up a point. It's a sour feeling."

Tampa Bay seemed intent on ending its six-game slide early as St. Louis and Lecavalier scored first-period tallies.

However, Robitaille got the Senators within one late in the session, when he one-timed a backhand feed from Fisher past Holmqvist's stick side with 39 seconds left.

Jan Hlavac restored Tampa Bay's two-goal bulge when he scored 3:38 into the second period. But Robitaille struck again, firing the puck over Holmqvist's left shoulder with just under four minutes remaining in the session to draw Ottawa within 3-2.

"Those two goals at the end of the periods are killers," St. Louis said. "Those are important plays to be made. We have to be sharper. That's what we've been talking about through this. We just have to play extra hard. We have to play extra smart because those goals are going to hurt you."

Holmqvist stopped 23 shots for Tampa Bay, which has the league's worst road record at 3-15-2.

"We can't wallow in self pity," Lightning coach John Tortorella said. "We just have to find a way to complete a game. You have to look for encouragement in this game. We did some good things and improved on some things. We have to get better at the details."