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Kessel, strong first period lift Bruins past Lightning

Dec 9, 2008 - 6:10 AM BOSTON (Ticker) -- Phil Kessel extended his league-leading point streak to 12 games with a goal and an assist on Monday as the Boston Bruins scored three times in the first period and held on for a 5-3 triumph over the reeling Tampa Bay Lightning.

Milan Lucic, Michael Ryder and captain Zdeno Chara also scored and P.J. Axelsson netted his first goal of the season for Boston, which improved to 17-2-1 in its last 20 contests.

Defenseman Dennis Wideman notched two assists and Tim Thomas finished with 26 saves as the Bruins extended their home winning streak to 10 games. The streak is the longest since the 1982-83 season when they recorded 11 consecutive victories.

"We are getting used to wins, and that is nice, but we are at the stage now where we are really looking at how we are winning hockey games," Boston coach Claude Julien said. "The way we won this one tonight, we are not going to win that many of them and that is probably the lesson that needs to be learned here.

"First period we come out and get to the net and get some shots and do what we have to do - and then we get decided to get cute, and that really doesn't go well with our hockey club."

Captain Vincent Lecavalier and Adam Hall scored and rookie Paul Szczechura netted his first career NHL goal for Tampa Bay, which fell to 0-6-2 in its last eight games.

Mike Smith turned aside 19 shots - and denied Axelsson on a penalty shot midway through the second period.

"The coaches give us an opportunity to know what to do and put the gameplan up on the board and in practice - and we go out on the ice and it's like we forgot everything," Smith said.

"I don't know if we are a dumb team or we just don't get it or we just don't deserve to be in this league, (but) we are making the same mistakes game in and game out."

As expected, Tampa Bay coach Rick Tocchet was not thrilled with the performance.

"To me, it's embarrassing when you have three or more individuals not ready to play," he said. "We warned them and it's embarrassing right now. It really is. I am tired of people hurting people's feelings on the team."

After Lucic opened the scoring with a power-play goal just 6:44 into the contest, Kessel doubled the advantage under three minutes later with his 10th goal in as many games.

For the 21-year-old Kessel, it was his 17th tally of the season. He had 19 while playing all 82 games in 2007-08.

"(Kessel) is doing a good job getting in the scoring areas," Lucic said. "He is hitting the net and bearing down when he gets his opportunities.

"I guess you can say when you are good, you get lucky. Look at his goal tonight - off a stick, a post and in. He is hot right now and me, him and (Marc Savard) have been clicking well together - and we can't get away from what gets us successful."

Ryder gave Boston a three-goal advantage just 77 seconds later after accepting a feed from defenseman Shane Hnidy and beating Smith for seventh goal of the season - and fourth in five games.

After Hall put the Lightning on scoreboard, Chara regained the three-goal bulge 5 1/2 minutes later by converting a 5-on-3 power play with his fifth goal of the season.

Lecavalier scored and Szczechura brought the Lightning within one with 18 seconds remaining in the third, but Axelsson scored an empty-net goal just eight seconds later to seal the win.