Tampa Bay Lightning weekly report

Last Wednesday night, the Lightning continued their winning ways with their third-straight victory, a 3-0 defeat of the Montreal Canadiens.

Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos each scored for Tampa Bay, and Steve Downie had two assists. Antero Niittymaki stopped all 33 shots fired at him for his fifth career shutout.

St. Louis netted the first goal at 9:50 by capitalizing on a Montreal turnover that let Downie steal the puck and feed to St. Louis for the first score.

Lecavalier scored in the second period, and then Stamkos netted a goal to put the Bolts up by three.

The Lightning on Friday jumped out to a 1-0 lead against the Anaheim Ducks, but lost the lead and then the game 2-1 in a shootout.

Martin St. Louis scored the first goal for the Bolts at 9:47 in the first period, but the Ducks tied the score at 6:36 in the second period on a power play.

The game stayed scoreless in the third and the overtime period, forcing the second shootout in the last three games. Steven Stamkos scored for the Lightning in the first attempt, and the Ducks scored to even things up, but after Jeff Halpern failed to convert the Ducks scored again for the win.

On Sunday, the Lightning came close but ended up losing to the Washington Capitals 3-2.

Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos scored goals nearly three minutes apart in the final period to erase a two-goal deficit, but the Capitals, who have won 10 straight games, scored again to put them on top and seal the win.

The Lightning on Tuesday jumped out to an early lead, and with Antero Niittymaki's help held on to defeat the Atlanta Thrashers 2-1.

Stephane Veilleux and Martin St. Louis netted goals in the first period. Veilleux put the Bolts up 1-0 at the midway point in the opening period with a slap shot from the left circle, and St. Louis scored just three minutes later.

With Niittymaki in net, that was enough. Matt Walker almost extended the lead seven minutes into the third period, but his shot was deflected off the post.