Stamkos scores in shootout, Lightning beat Blue Jackets (Nov 04, 2017)
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Steven Stamkos made the most of his second chance after taking a penalty in overtime.
Stamkos had a power-play goal in regulation and the lone goal during the shootout, helping the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4 on Saturday night.
Stamkos was sent off for tripping 1:05 into overtime, and the Lightning - aided by Andrei Vasilevskiy's save on Artemi Panarin's left-circle drive - kept Columbus from scoring.
Stamkos called his penalty ''dumb.''
''The PK guys, they did a great job,'' he said. ''Especially Vasi with some huge saves.''
Stamkos lifted his game-winner over Sergei Bobrovsky's shoulder after the Lightning blew a two-goal lead in the third period. He is 9 for 38 in the shootout over his career.
''I think he was down on himself,'' coach Jon Cooper said of Stamkos. ''I was hoping he was going to go out there and snipe it.''
Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov and Yanni Gourde also scored for the Lightning. Vasilevskiy made 30 saves.
''We'll definitely take the win but we've got to close out games a lot better,'' Stamkos said. ''We sat back a little too much. When you have a two-lead in the third at home it should be automatic.''
Columbus got goals from Seth Jones, Zach Werenski, Markus Hannikainen and Brandon Dubinsky, and Bobrovsky stopped 32 shots.
The Blue Jackets are 2-3-1 when trailing after two periods.
''It's a good comeback,'' Columbus coach John Tortorella said. ''Grab a point against a really good team.''
Hannikainen, on a wraparound, and Dubinsky scored 1:59 apart midway through the third, tying it at 4. It was Dubinsky's first goal in 17 games dating to last season.
Stamkos put Tampa Bay ahead 3-2 from the low left circle after taking a pass from Kucherov at 6:20 of the second. Both Lightning stars have a point in 13 of 15 games.
Gourde made it 4-2 late in the second, extending his goal streak to three games.
Both Vasilevskiy (2.42 goals-against average) and Bobrovsky (2.07 GAA) allowed two goals by the midpoint of an up-tempo first period.
Jones (2:30), Point (2:54) and Kucherov (3:32), who got his 14th goal from the low right circle off a nifty pass through the slot by Mikhail Sergachev, each scored early in the game.
Sergachev, a 19-year-old rookie defenseman acquired from Montreal for forward Jonathan Drouin in June, has eight assists and 12 points in 15 games.
Werenski tied it at 2 with 9:05 left in the first. Tampa Bay outshot Columbus 17-15 in the period.
Blue Jackets left wing Matt Calvert lost his helmet and was shaken up on a center-ice check by Dan Girardi in the third.
NOTES: The Lightning honored the 2004 Stanley Cup championship team before the game as part of a 25th season celebration. Tortorella coached the title-winning squad. ... Stamkos and Lightning LW Alex Killorn both were fined $5,000 by the NHL for unsportsmanlike conduct in Thursday night's game against the New York Rangers.
UP NEXT
Blue Jackets: Complete a three-game trip Monday night against the New York Rangers.
Lightning: Start a three-game western swing Wednesday night at San Jose.
