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Lightning edge Avalanche in shootout

Jan 18, 2015 - 4:06 AM Tampa, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Ryan Callahan scored in the third round of the shootout to lift the Tampa Bay Lightning to another home victory, a 3-2 triumph over the Colorado Avalanche.

Callahan also had a goal in regulation in the Lightning's seventh consecutive win at Amalie Arena, while Ben Bishop did his part with a stellar 40-save effort that included five stops in overtime.

Anton Stralman contributed a goal and an assist to Tampa Bay's ninth win in its last 12 overall.

The Avalanche still managed a point courtesy of Nathan MacKinnon's game-tying goal with just 6.8 seconds remaining in the third period.

MacKinnon added an assist on Ryan O'Reilly's marker, with Semyon Varlamov finishing with 29 saves for Colorado.

The Lightning were able to kill off a pair of Colorado power plays after taking a 2-1 lead on Stralman's goal 4:08 into the third period, but couldn't withstand the Avalanche's late charge with Varlamov pulled for an extra attacker.

Colorado pressured the Tampa Bay zone in the waning seconds and were rewarded for the effort, as Gabriel Landeskog slid a pass across the crease that MacKinnon buried into an open side while on the doorstep of the left post.

"I thought we had a solid second period, we had 20 shots in the second," Avalanche head coach Patrick Roy remarked. "In the third we had plenty of chances. I thought we deserved to be rewarded with that goal in the end."

The Lightning managed to ward off a brief 4-on-3 for Colorado to close out overtime, then claimed an early edge in the shootout when Nikita Kucherov scored in the first round. Matt Duchene tied it on the Avs' second attempt, however.

Callahan then began the third by driving hard to the net and slipping a shot past Varlamov's right pad, and Bishop cut off the angle on Alex Tanguay to give Tampa the two points.

"You need your goalie on to advance, and he got us a couple points tonight," said Lightning head coach Jon Cooper of Bishop.

The game couldn't have begun much worse for the Avalanche, who were short- handed just 31 seconds in when defenseman Jan Hejda was sent off for a hooking call.

Tampa Bay capitalized on the resulting power play. After Stralman hit Alex Killorn in stride with a long outlet pass, Killorn put the puck right on a charging Callahan's stick to deposit it past an out-of-position Varlamov with 1:58 elapsed in the contest.

Varlamov was sharp over the remainder of an opening period in which the Avalanche were outshot 15-5, and Colorado picked it up considerably in the second.

The Avs ripped off 20 shots for the stanza and knotted the score 51 seconds into the frame behind O'Reilly, who kept the puck in the Tampa zone after being denied twice by Bishop and then connected off a MacKinnon give moments afterward.

Stralman's drive from the right boards got through Varlamov's pads early in the third to put Tampa Bay back on top.

Game Notes

Tampa Bay's seven-game home win streak is one short of a franchise record set from March 17-April 8, 2006 ... Since Callahan was acquired from the Rangers last March, the Lightning are 16-2-0 in games where he has at least one goal ... Tampa Bay improved to 2-4 in shootouts this season while the Avalanche fell to 5-4 ... Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman returned to action from a two-game absence caused by a lower-body injury, but fellow blueliner Matt Carle sat out due to an undisclosed injury.