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Stamkos lifts Lightning over Hurricanes in OT

Mar 4, 2012 - 4:42 AM Raleigh, NC (Sports Network) - Steven Stamkos scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner at 2:41 of overtime, lifting the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 4-3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday at RBC Center.

Skating on a 4-on-3 power play following an ill-advised roughing penalty against Hurricanes forward Brandon Sutter, the Lightning got right to work in the offensive zone.

Holding the puck in the high slot, Teddy Purcell slid the puck down below the goal line to the right of the net for Stamkos and the NHL's leading goal scorer beat Carolina netminder Cam Ward with a quick wrist shot from the sharp angle to give the Lightning their second overtime win in as many nights.

Purcell and Tim Wallace also scored for the Lightning, who got 24 saves from Mathieu Garon. Tampa Bay has won four straight overall.

Anthony Stewart scored twice and Jussi Jokinen also lit the lamp, while Eric Staal added two assists for the Hurricanes, who have dropped four of their last five games. Ward was tagged for all four goals on 23 shots.

The Lightning struck first just two ticks before the six-minute mark of the first period after Wallace knocked down a loose puck in the neutral zone and gained the line on the right wing. Wallace moved to the slot and fired a quick wrist shot past Ward.

Carolina tied the game at 5:23 of the second period after Stewart accepted a quick pass in the neutral zone from Staal, went in alone and backhanded it through the legs of Garon.

The Hurricanes took a 2-1 lead with 4:58 to go in the second period when Jokinen shot one from a sharp angle to the right of the cage that went off the outside of the net and the post. The puck came right out to the slot and Jokinen buried it.

Stewart collected his second tally of the game after he got a perfect feed from Staal in front and slammed it home from in close to put Carolina up 3-1 at 16:18 of the second frame.

Stamkos responded to cut the deficit to one with two minutes to play in the second frame. He picked up the puck in the defensive zone and went coast-to- coast before firing it past the blocker side of Ward from the right circle.

Skating on a 5-on-3 power play, the Lightning tied the game after Purcell accepted a pass from Martin St. Louis in the high slot and one-timed it home at 7:24 of the final stanza.

"We did a good job killing (penalties)," Sutter said. "But they had a 5-on-3 late in the third and a 4-on-3 in overtime. They're a good team and they're going to make those plays."

Game Notes

Ward fell to 18-14-2 in 35 career appearances against Tampa Bay...The Hurricanes are 5-9-3 thus far this season against Southeast Division opponents this season...Purcell extended his career-best point streak to nine games...Carolina finished 0-for-2 on the power play, while the Lightning were 2-for-4 with the man advantage.