Lightning 4 - 3 Hurricanes
Final - OT
  for this game

Lightning try to stay on a roll versus 'Canes

Mar 3, 2012 - 3:13 PM (Sports Network) - Confidence can go a long way for a team and the Lightning should have plenty of it following last night's big victory.

Tampa Bay aims to continue its playoff push with a fourth straight win this evening as it visits the division-rival Carolina Hurricanes.

The Lightning sit four points behind the Jets for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, but have won six of eight and are coming off a 4-3 overtime victory against the East-leading New York Rangers.

Tampa Bay trailed by a 2-0 margin at one point, but got goals from Steven Stamkos, Teddy Purcell and Tom Pyatt before Ryan Malone won the game 1:58 into overtime. Mathieu Garon made 16 saves.

"Everyone played great, this was obviously a huge game for us," Malone said. "On the goal, I just tried to get around the defense and put it on goal."

Stamkos netted his NHL-leading 45th goal of the season and eighth in his last eight games, while Purcell also logged two assists and has a staggering 17 points over a personal-best eight-game point streak. His goal was his career- high 18th of the season.

The victory improved the Lightning to 20-9-2 at home this season, but they are just 10-19-4 on the road. They'll also have some tired legs as they are set to play on back-to-back nights, something the Hurricanes will look to take advantage of.

Carolina last played on Thursday, when it suffered a 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Rangers. Jeff Skinner and Jay Harrison scored and Cam Ward made 22 saves in defeat.

The Hurricanes fell to 2-1-2 on a six-game homestand.

"I thought our guys played hard," Hurricanes head coach Kirk Muller said. "The result wasn't there, but the effort was."

Like Purcell, Carolina forward Eric Staal continues to rack up points. He had two assists in Thursday's loss, giving him seven goals and 18 points over a 10-game point streak. He also has an assist in nine straight outings, the longest such run in franchise history since the club relocated to Carolina.

Staal has five assists in four meetings with the Lightning this year. Carolina and Tampa Bay have split those encounters, though Tampa has still won six of the past 10 in this series.

Carolina did snap a three-game home slide versus Tampa Bay with a 4-2 win on Nov. 1.

Skinner leads the 'Canes with three goals versus the Lighting this campaign, while Harrison and Jiri Tlusty both have two goals and a pair of assists.

Stamkos and Purcell have both notched three goals versus Carolina this season, with Stamkos adding three assists. He is tied for the lead in points in this season series with Martin St. Louis, who has a goal and five helpers in the four games.






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