Lightning 4, Hurricanes 1
Mathieu Garon made 35 saves and rookie Cory Conacher scored his second goal in three games as Tampa Bay won at Carolina for the fifth time in six visits.
Conacher and Tom Pyatt scored in the first period while defenseman Keith Aulie and Ryan Malone added third-period goals for Tampa Bay. Aulie recorded his first goal for the Lightning and third career, moving in from the left point to score on a wrist shot and extend the lead to 3-1 with 18:23 left in the contest.
Captain Vincent Lecavalier added a pair of assists for Tampa Bay, which plays its next five games at home. Martin St. Louis also assisted on Malone’s power-play goal 9:37 into the third for his sixth point in three contests.
Pyatt put Tampa Bay on the board 5:18 into the game, driving to the net to bat Lecavalier’s aerial pass behind goaltender Cam Ward. Lecavalier was involved in the second goal as well, taking the puck into the crease before Conacher stuffed the rebound under Ward at 11:36.
Jeff Skinner halved the deficit just 3:35 into the second period, finding a rebound and lifting a backhander into the net during a power play. It was Skinner’s ninth goal in 11 career games against Tampa Bay.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The Lightning have outscored their first three opponents 8-1 in the third period. … C Jordan Staal and RW Alexander Semin registered their first points for Carolina, collecting assists on Skinner’s goal. … Conacher came into the game as the first Lightning rookie to score four points in his initial two NHL contests.