Tampa Bay Lightning weekly report

It looked on Wednesday night like the Lightning were going to make a comeback against the Philadelphia Flyers on the home ice, but it was not to be. The Flyers beat the Lightning 5-2.

The Flyers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, but forward Steve Downie nearly cut the lead in half at 5:58 in the second with a shot off the post. Zenon Konopka got the goal, his first of the season. Victor Hedman tied the game minutes later with a slap shot from the left circle that found the back of the net, and the game was 2-2.

But Bolts goaltender Mike Smith yielded two goals in the third period, and an empty-netter late in the game sealed it for Philadelphia.

On Saturday, the Lightning put up a team effort in beating the Atlanta Thrashers 4-3. Steve Downie, Mike Lundin, Ryan Malone and Alex Tanguay scored, and Mike Smith stopped 24 of 27 shots on goal to give the Bolts the win.

Both clubs erased one-goal deficits to tie the game through the first two periods, with Nik Antropov opening scoring at 11:48 before Downie knotted the game under two minutes later with his seventh goal of the season.

Lundin scored in the second period to put the Lightning up 2-1, but the Thrashers caught a break late in the second on a goal that Smith accidentally kicked into the net.

Tanguay scored at the start of the third period, and then Malone made it 4-2. The Thrashers cut the lead to 4-3 but the rally fell short and the Lightning skated home with a close win. They'll take it.

The Lightning won again on Monday night, beating the Boston Bruins 2-1 at home.

Goaltender Mike Smith's 30 stops of 31 shots made sure that the game didn't go into overtime, and he needs just one more win to reach the 50 plateau.

Alex Tanguay scored for the second straight game and Martin St. Louis added a goal on a power play to give the Bolts a 2-0 lead going into the third period.

The Bruins scored at 12:30 in the final period, but then Smith stepped up and did the job, ensuring the Lightning win in regulation. The Lightning have won four out of their last five.