Tampa Bay Lightning weekly report

On Thursday, the Lightning managed a 4-3 come-from-behind win over the Minnesota Wild in a shootout.

The Wild scored first, late in the first period. In the second period, the Bolts began on a power play but couldn't score. Minnesota did, however, after Kim Johnson beat Antero Niittymaki to put the Wild up 2-0. Defenseman David Hale prevented more damage later on, batting the puck out of the air to prevent it from finding the net.

At the 10-minute mark, Steven Stamkos got his 13^th goal of the season to cut the deficit to 2-1, and the Wild came right back with a goal to make it 3-1. But the Wild's fourth goal was negated just before the buzzer because it had been directed into the net with a hand.

Steve Downie got the Bolts back into the game with a score halfway through the third period on a rebound. With Niittymaki pulled for an extra skater, Ryan Malone scored the tying point with 14.7 seconds left in the game.

After a scoreless overtime period, Niittymake stopped a shot by the first shooter, and Vincent Lecavalier netted one to give the Bolts a 1-0 lead in the shootout. Stamkos netted the game-winner for the Lightning's first shootout win of the year.

On Saturday, the Lightning hoped to extend their win streak but were disappointed as they fell 2-1 to the Los Angeles Kings on a shootout.

After the first two periods were scoreless, the Kings finally netted a goal, and then Ryan Malone scored with eight minutes left to make it 1-1.

Paul Szczechura appeared to net the game winner with approximately two minutes left in the extra session, but the goal was negated due to goaltender interference, despite the video replay showing the Lightning forward being cross checked into the Kings goaltender.

The Lightning lost the shootout and the game, though.

On Monday, the Lightning got a great performance from Mike Smith, who stopped 30 shots, as they beat the Phoenix Coyotes 4-1.

Vincent Lecavalier broke the shot drought for the Bolts in the game with a shot from the right faceoff circle to give the Lightning a 1-0 lead on the team's first shot on goal.

In the second period, the Bolts had just three shots on goal, but Martin St. Louis made his count when he swept a rebound into the Phoenix net while on his back, his fourth goal of the season.

Lecavalier got his second goal of the night with just over eight minutes left as he shot from the slot to the right of the net and it bounced off a Coyote defender and into the net.

Although outshot 31-19, the Bolts made every chance count and Smith took care of the rest.