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Lecavalier's OT goal lifts Lightning past Blues

Feb 6, 2011 - 11:59 PM Tampa, FL (Sports Network) - Vincent Lecavalier's power play goal with 6.7 seconds remaining in overtime lifted Tampa Bay past St. Louis, 4-3, at St. Pete Times Forum.

Steven Stamkos recorded a goal and three assists while Dominic Moore and Steve Downie also potted goals for the Lightning, who have won seven of their last eight games.

Stamkos, who will turn 21 on Monday, joined Lecavalier (2006-07, 2007-08) as the only players in team history to post back-to-back 40-goal campaigns.

Dan Ellis stopped 29 shots in the victory for the Bolts, who are 12-3-0 in their last 15 as the host.

Patrik Berglund and David Backes lit the lamp in addition to Nikita Nikitin, who scored his first NHL goal, for the Blues, who have dropped five of their last six games.

Ty Conklin was peppered for 40 shots, including nine in overtime, and took the loss for St. Louis.

"(Conklin), just amazing for us all night, no fault of his," Backes said. "It just would have been nice to have a chance at another shootout."

After a scoreless third period, the teams went into the extra session. Tampa Bay had the better of the scoring chances in the early going but Conklin was equal to the task, making tremendous saves on several shots from close range.

Eric Brewer was whistled for holding with 1:20 remaining in overtime to give the Lightning the man advantage.

Conklin then made saves on a couple of Stamkos blasts from the left circle before the hosts finally cashed in. Stamkos passed to the right face-off dot from where Marc-Andre Bergeron whistled a one-timer that Conklin made a pad save on. The rebound came to Lecavalier, who backhanded it between the netminder's pads for just his second goal in the last 17 games.

"When we use the word relentless, that was how we played tonight," Lecavalier said.

Stamkos started the scoring with 1:17 left in the first period when he wristed home the rebound of a Brett Clark shot from in-close.

The visitors knotted the score just 30 seconds into the second stanza when Berglund picked up the rebound of an Alex Steen shot and wristed it past Ellis from the slot.

Tampa Bay regained the lead two minutes later when Bergeron fed from the left corner into the slot for Stamkos, who whizzed a shot that Moore tipped past Conklin.

St. Louis evened the score again during a two-man advantage when Backes deflected home Steen's shot from between the circles with just under nine minutes to play in the period.

The teams then traded goals in a span of 30 seconds to finish off a five-goal stanza.

The visitors took their first lead with 6:51 left when Nikitin blasted a slap shot past Ellis from the right point. However, the lead was short-lived, as Tampa Bay tied the game when Stamkos back-handed a pass in the slot to Downie, who moved right and lifted a shot past a prone Conklin.

Game Notes

Tampa Bay has won four of its last five with the Blues and has recorded points in six straight home games with St. Louis...Ellis is 3-1-1 in seven career games against St. Louis...Clark has scored a point in a career-high four straight games...Bergeron picked up his first two assists of the season. Tampa Bay winger Simon Gagne played in his 700th career game...Steen has scored a point in 10 games in a row and has notched 16 over his last 14 contests...St. Louis center T.J. Oshie picked up an assist on Berglund's goal for his 100th career point.