Lightning 4, Jets 2
Jonathan Drouin scored his first career NHL goal and added an assist, and Steven Stamkos continued his dominance over Winnipeg with another goal as visiting Tampa Bay prevailed.
Vladislav Namestnikov and Ondrej Palat also tallied for the Lightning, who improved to 3-1-0 on their five-game Western Conference road trip. Ben Bishop was sensational in goal, turning aside 40 shots.
Bryan Little halted Winnipeg's season-opening 0-for-22 power-play drought and Blake Wheeler added a third-period goal for the Jets, who have dropped five of six. Ondrej Pavelec made 14 saves on 18 shots and was replaced at the start of the third period by Michael Hutchinson, who stopped all nine shots he faced.
Stamkos and Drouin showed off their chemistry on the lone goal of the opening period, working a slick give-and-go that ended with Stamkos sliding a forehand into a wide-open net from point-blank range at 4:41. Bishop preserved the slim lead with 16 first-period saves, and Drouin doubled the advantage early in the second by collecting Nikita Kucherov's pass from behind the net and firing a wrist shot past Pavelec on the blocker side.
The Jets finally broke their power-play goose egg at 5:33, as Little snapped a shot from just inside the right circle past Bishop's glove. Namestnikov restored the two-goal advantage at 12:52, Palat scored on a well-placed snap shot just over five minutes later and the Lightning survived Wheeler's tally near the midway point of the third.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Stamkos has 25 goals in 29 career games against the Winnipeg franchise. ... Kucherov finished with three assists while C Tyler Johnson set up a pair of goals in the win. ... Winnipeg dominated the physical play, outhitting Tampa Bay 29-14.