On Thursday in their home opener, the Lightning fell 4-3 to the New Jersey Devils in another game that went into overtime and ended with the opposition winning on a shootout.
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The Lightning fought back twice to tie the score. The Bolts made an early shot on Martin Brodeur in the New Jersey net, then left him alone for almost six minutes, while the Devils jumped out to an early lead on a power play. The Lightning missed several scoring chances and almost evened the score late in the period.
In the second period, the Lightning came out flying and had several scoring opportunities. Steven Stamkos blasted a shot from the high slot to tie the game with a power play goal. New Jersey regained the lead with less than two minutes left.
Down 2-1 as the third period began, the Lightning managed to tie the score for the second time in the game behind Stamkos' second goal of the night. Four minutes later, the Lightning took the lead with a goal by Todd Fedoruk. Then it was a back and forth battle and the Devils managed to score with a second remaining in regulation to send the game into overtime.
The shootout ended the game as the Devils scored twice and the Lightning failed to score at all.
The Lightning on Saturday finally landed in the win column with a 5-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.
The first period was scoreless, but the Lightning kept up the pressure while keeping the Hurricanes from getting a shot on goal for more than eight minutes. The Lighting fired 17 times at the Carolina net, including 10 on two power plays.
The second period featured less shooting but more scoring, as both teams scored twice. Carolina netted the puck first, but the Lightning hit back on defenseman Paul Ranger's first goal of the season. And just 14 seconds later, the Lightning took the lead when Ryan Malone connected for his second goal of the season and first of the night.
Less than four minutes later, Carolina scored again during a power play.
In the third period, play went end to end but then Malone connected for his second score of the game to give the Lightning the lead, and then the Lightning added two more goals to secure the win, including Malone's third into an open net with 76 seconds left to play. The Hurricanes went on the attack in the final seven minutes, but the Lightning held them off.
On Monday, the Lightning ended their first homestand of the season with a 3-2 win over their cross-state rivals, the Florida Panthers.
They survived a five-on-three shorthanded situation early in the first period but then fell victim to a shorthanded score just 10 seconds into their first power play.
Tampa Bay came back with 88 seconds left in the first period when Steven Stamkos connected on a power play for his third goal of the season.
In the second period, it was a close contest but the Panthers netted a goal during a power play after a Lighnting penalty for having too many men on the ice.
Starting the last 20 minutes, the Lightning were down by a goal but Marty St. Louis brought them even with a power play goal that tied the score.
Lightning netminder Antero Nittymaki showed the home crowd some clutch goaltending by stopping two point-blank shots and a then a breakaway with a diving pad save. Stamkos turned the play around and took the puck to the other end, firing a shot that the Panther goaltender lost sight of. It sat in the crease behind the goaltender until Ryan Malone tapped it in with six minutes remaining in regulation for the 3-2 lead and Malone's sixth goal of the season.
The Panthers fired 10 shots in the rest of the third period, without success, and the Lightning had their second straight win.
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