Lightning 2, Ducks 1
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Right winger Jonathan Marchessault's third career goal gave the Tampa Bay Lightning a 2-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night at the Honda Center.
Tampa Bay left winger Jonathan Drouin, playing for the first time in nearly three weeks, added his second of the season. Goalie Ben Bishop stopped 32 shots for the Lightning (12-11-3).
The Ducks (9-12-5) lost for the fourth time in six games despite the ninth goal of the season from right winger Corey Perry.
Anaheim had a chance to tie the score with 12 seconds to play when defenseman Cam Fowler fired a slap shot from the right point. However, the puck deflected off one of the Lightning players and off the right post.
Tampa Bay broke a 1-1 tie with 3:38 left in the second period with a power-play goal after officials nullified two earlier attempts.
Seven seconds after Ducks defenseman Clayton Stoner went to the penalty box for cross-checking, Marchessault scored his second goal of the season and his third in 13 career games. Drouin sent a pass from behind the net to Marchessault, who quickly flicked the puck past goalie John Gibson at 16:22.
Before Marchessault scored, the Lightning saw two tiebreaking goals disallowed within eight minutes. Right winger Nikita Kucherov deflected a high shot past Gibson at 7:15 of the second period, but a video review showed the blade of Kucherov's stick above his left shoulder.
Then at 14:54, left winger Alex Killorn appeared to score from the slot. However, Lightning defenseman Ryan Callahan dumped Anaheim defenseman Hampus Lindholm into Gibson, and the resulting goaltender-interference call nullified Killorn's goal.
Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper challenged the latter ruling, which video replay upheld.
Drouin, back from an undisclosed injury, gave the Lightning a 1-0 lead at 2:35 of the second period. After Gibson deflected defenseman Jason Garrison's shot, Lightning center Vladislav Namestnikov secured the rebound and made a quick pass to Drouin, who converted a wrist shot in front of the crease.
Nearly two minutes later, the Ducks tied the score on Perry's goal. Center Ryan Getzlaf tipped a loose puck in the crease to Perry, who dragged a short-range wrist shot inside the right post at 4:15.
Tampa Bay had a chance to take an early lead in the first period, when the Lightning played 3 minutes, 17 seconds with a man advantage, including 43 seconds in a five-on-three situation. Stoner received a holding penalty at 4:45, then center Shawn Horcoff followed him into the penalty box for cross-checking at 6:02.
However, Anaheim's penalty killers, who entered the game leading the NHL with a success rate of 87.5 percent, held the Lightning to one shot on goal in the lengthy power play.
Gibson finished the game with 20 saves.
NOTES: Tampa Bay scratched C Tyler Johnson, LW Ondrej Palat, C Cedric Paquette and RW Joel Vermin. ... Tampa Bay recalled D Nikita Nesterov from Syracuse (AHL) and sent D Luke Witkowski to the same club Tuesday. ... Lightning D Victor Hedman entered the game needing five points for 200 in his career. ... Lightning assistant coach Steve Thomas played for the former Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the 2003 Stanley Cup finals. ... Anaheim scratched D Korbinian Holzer, LW Patrick Maroon and G Frederik Andersen, who missed his fifth consecutive game because of the flu. ... Ducks C Nate Thompson made his season debut six months after shoulder surgery. Thompson played two games last week for San Diego (AHL) on a rehabilitation assignment. ... The Ducks returned D Shea Theodore to San Diego (AHL) on Tuesday, two days after recalling him from that club.