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Artyukhin lifts Lightning past Senators in shootout

Nov 2, 2008 - 6:05 AM TAMPA, Florida (Ticker) -- Evgeny Artyukhin scored in the eighth round of the shootout to lift the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 3-2 triumph over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.

Mike Smith made it stand by stopping Dean McAmmond, sealing the win for Tampa Bay, which posted its third straight victory.

Captain Vincent Lecavalier and defenseman Matt Carle scored in regulation and Vaclav Prospal and defenseman Lukas Krajicek notched two assists apiece for the Lightning.

"Well, I don't want to get too high, don't want to get too low, so it's even keel out there," said Smith, who finished with 29 saves. "Make saves when I need to make saves, and right now it seems to be going pretty good. I don't want to get too far ahead of myself.

"It's only what 10 games or whatever? We haven't won the (Stanley) Cup yet, so I'm not happy until we do."

Antoine Vermette had a goal and an assist, Dany Heatley also tallied and Alex Auld made 32 saves for Ottawa, which saw its modest two-game winning streak come to an end.

"We had lots of chances. Their goalie made some phenomenal saves," Senators center Jason Spezza said. "We just didn't get the breaks tonight, but we can't be too down on ourselves. It would have been nice to get another win tonight, but we have to be satisfied a little bit."

Despite the outcome, Ottawa coach Craig Hartsburg was pleased with his team's performance.

"I thought we played a pretty solid hockey game, really," he said. "We missed some great chances that could have made it 3-1, and it's unfortunate."

With the shootout even at 2-2 after seven rounds, Artyukhin skated in and unleashed a shot that sailed between Auld's pads to give the Lightning the advantage.

The Russian was thrilled to come through for both his team and his brother.

"I tried to score the whole game today because my brother (celebrated his birthday today)," Artyukhin said. "We talked this morning on the phone and he said, 'You know what, if you give me a present, score it.'

"And then I tried all game to like score it, and when I break out, I think about I have to score it. That gives him some good present."

It also was a good present for Tampa Bay coach Barry Melrose.

"I just had a hunch about Arty," Melrose said. "Arty had a good game tonight. Arty had a lot of chances. He was flying."

With the Senators clinging to a 2-1 lead with 6:12 remaining in the third period, Carle wristed the puck past Auld for his first goal of the season. The tally was Carle's first since December 29, 2007 while with San Jose - a span of 40 games.

Ottawa had claimed its second lead of the game with 5:12 remaining in the second period. Stationed behind the net, defenseman Filip Kuba alertly dished the puck to Heatley, who wristed it by Smith for his seventh tally of the campaign.

Vermette opened the scoring 8:06 into the second period.

With Ottawa on a power play, Christoph Schubert fired a shot from the right faceoff circle that was denied by Smith. But Vermette gathered the rebound and slipped it past the netminder for his second goal of the campaign.

Lecavalier leveled the contest just over five minutes later, beating Auld with a wrister from the point with 5:51 remaining for his sixth tally.