Lightning 5, Kings 1
TAMPA, Fla. - Ben Bishop made 30 saves and Martin St. Louis had two goals and an assist on Tuesday at Tampa Bay Times Forum as the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Los Angeles Kings 5-1.
Bishop won his fourth straight start and lowered his goals-against average to 1.46 in that span.
Tampa Bay improved to 4-2-0 while the Kings dropped to 4-3 while having their three-game win streak stopped.
St. Louis' fourth goal of the season came late in the third period and sealed the win for Tampa Bay. It came three minutes after the Kings had pulled within two scores. St. Louis took a pass from the high slot from Ryan Malone (goal, assist) and one-timed in a shot from the right side of the net. Steven Stamkos had his second assist of the night and fifth of the season on the play.
Malone had given the Lightning a 1-0 lead just 19 seconds into the game when, after a failed Kings clearing attempt, he deflected a deep shot from Sami Salo for his first goal of the season. St. Louis was credited with his sixth assist of the season.
Teddy Purcell doubled the lead at 12:44 of the period with his fourth goal of the season, off assists from Ondrej Palat (two) and Matt Carle (four). Purcell took a long pass out of the defensive end to rush the offensive zone untouched and blast his fourth goal of the season past Jonathan Quick.
St. Louis used his third goal of the season to improve the lead to 3-0 with 3:38 left on an odd-man rush preceding what would have been a delayed penalty. After a Stamkos shot caromed off Quick and through the legs of Kings defenseman Drew Doughty, St. Louis followed up from close range for the score. Stamkos earned his fourth assist of the season and Andrej Sustr his first.
Slava Voynov trimmed the lead to 3-1 with 9:26 left in the game by taking a pass from Matt Frattin (third assist) and firing from open space in the slot. Jarret Stoll was awarded his second assist of the season.
Palat whacked in a loose puck in front of the net in the final two minutes for his second goal of the year and a 5-1 lead.
NOTES: Quick entered the game on a two-game winning streak, having allowed only four goals in 53 shots in beating Ottawa and Carolina. But he surrendered two scores on 11 shots in the first period Tuesday. Quick was removed after allowing a third goal late in the second period. Ben Scrivens played in his second game this season. ...As a team, the Kings had won three straight before Tuesday. ... The Lightning entered the game with the 26th-ranked penalty kill in the league. Tampa Bay surrendered three short-handed goals in a 5-4 loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday. "I really like the way we have been playing team defense at even strength," coach Jon Cooper said. "I think we have limited chances, and we've given up some chances, but I really like that part of our game."... Los Angeles entered with the ninth most productive power play in the league, scoring 25 percent of the time through six games, but failed on an a four-minute opportunity in the second period Tuesday. ... Tampa Bay C Stamkos entered the game with four goals in two games. ... RW St. Louis has a five-game point streak.