Steven Stamkos puts Lightning on top in 3rd in win over Flames
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Steven Stamkos helped make sure Ben Bishop finally got a victory.
Stamkos scored a go-ahead, power-play goal in the third period and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Calgary Flames 3-1 on Thursday night, putting an end to Bishop's five-game losing streak.
"He's been our rock," Stamkos said. "Nice to get him rewarded with a win."
Bishop, who made 30 saves, had given up just eight goals during his skid. He made an in-close save on Sean Monahan in both the first and second periods.
"Hopefully we can build off the last 10 minutes," Bishop said. "Keep this going in the right direction."
Brian Boyle and Tyler Johnson also scored for the Lightning, who have 15 goals over a 3-6-1 stretch. The defending Eastern Conference champions topped the NHL in goal scoring last season.
"With that last 10, 12 minutes, the boys were getting after it," Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. "They sense it was a game to win, and they went and took it. That's something we've had trouble with of late."
Calgary got a goal from Sam Bennett.
"This one really hurts," Flames coach Bob Hartley said. "I thought our guys deserved way better."
Stamkos put the Lightning up 2-1 from the low left circle off a pass from Alex Killorn with 7:09 to play. Five of Stamkos' nine goals this season have come on the power play.
Johnson extended the lead to 3-1 with 1:33 remaining. After scoring 29 regular-season goals and adding 13 more in the playoffs last season, Johnson has three in 18 games this season.
Less than a minute after Stamkos had a goal disallowed for kicking the puck into the net, Boyle made it 1-0 from the right circle 1:59 into the second.
Bennett tied it at 6:45 of the second during a power play with a redirection in the slot of a pass by Mikael Backlund.
The Flames have been outscored 52-23 during the second and third periods combined.
Calgary's Karri Ramo made a nice save on Victor Hedman's shot from left circle through traffic midway through the second.
"It's a tight game, a one-bounce game," said Ramo, who stopped 26 shots.
Tampa Bay, which went 32-8-1 at home last season, is 3-4 this season.
"We're on home-ice, it's 1-1 in the third," Cooper said. "You've got to win those."
NOTES: Calgary entered allowing 3.9 goals a game. ... The Flames acquired minor league G Kevin Poulin from Tampa Bay for future considerations and assigned him to Stockton of the AHL. ... Boyle stopped an 11-game goal drought. ... Calgary D Ladislav Smid was in the lineup after being a healthy scratch the previous seven games.
