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Lightning shuts out Hurricanes

 
Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91) celebrates his goal with Victor Hedman (77) while the Carolina Hurricanes' Alexander Semin (28), Jiri Tlusty (19) and Justin Peters (35) react.
Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91) celebrates his goal with Victor Hedman (77) while the Carolina Hurricanes' Alexander Semin (28), Jiri Tlusty (19) and Justin Peters (35) react.
Published Nov. 2, 2013

RALEIGH, N.C. — Victor Hedman said he wasn't necessarily trying to score on his second-period shot Friday night. He just wanted to get the puck to the front of the net.

But when the Lightning defenseman's shot ricocheted off the end boards, hit Hurricanes goaltender Justin Peters' stick, bounced off the post, off Peters' leg and into the net, well, he'll take it.

"A goal is a goal," Hedman said. "And go from there."

Tampa Bay did just that, earning a 3-0 victory, its fifth straight win at PNC Arena, to end a three-game road trip 2-1-0.

Steven Stamkos scored his 10th goal and had a season-best nine shots. Alex Killorn scored, and goalie Ben Bishop earned his fourth career shutout with an efficient 31 saves.

"I thought that line was outstanding," said coach Jon Cooper of the newly formed trio of Stamkos, St. Louis and Killorn that had two goals and five points.

But it was Hedman's goal that kick-started the Lightning (9-4-0), which had just three first-period shots and seven total when he scored for a 1-0 lead 9:54 into the second period.

A six-shot power play immediately thereafter did not add a goal but added momentum. And Tampa Bay, which had just 17 shots in Tuesday's uninspired 2-1 loss at New Jersey, had a season-best 16 in the second period and ended with a 32-31 advantage.

"We had a long, heartfelt talk in between the first and second periods about getting pucks on net," Cooper said.

Hedman said that is all he wanted when he aimed his shot at the end boards, hoping it would bounce to the front of the net, where Tampa Bay had traffic. But the puck angled sharply to the crease, where a spinning Peters, who had an otherwise stellar game, knocked the puck into the net.

"We're trying to get more pucks to the net, and that's a way of doing it," Hedman said. "You work on that at practice. That's not the result every time, but we'll take it."

It was funny, too, because Hedman had the puck at the left boards only because Nate Thompson's wraparound try rolled off his stick and went cross ice.

"I wouldn't call it a weird goal," Thompson said. "I guess it was an unfortunate bounce (for Peters). But there was a lot of good work we did to get that goal. When you do the right things and have the right mind-set, usually it leads to good karma, and that was one of those cases."

"That was one of those games where whoever got the first (goal), there was a good chance of winning the game," Cooper said. "It was good we got it."

No matter how it went in.

Lightning 0 1 2 3
Hurricanes 0 0 0 0
Lightning 0 1 2 3
Hurricanes 0 0 0 0

First PeriodNone. PenaltiesRuutu, Car (tripping), 8:21; Thompson, TB (tripping), 11:07; St. Louis, TB (interference), 15:25.

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Second Period1, Tampa Bay, Hedman 2 (Thompson, Crombeen), 9:54. PenaltiesBrewer, TB (cross-checking), 5:06; Gerbe, Car (slashing), 5:06; E.Staal, Car (tripping), 10:00; Barberio, TB (slashing), 19:00.

Third Period2, Tampa Bay, Stamkos 10 (Killorn, St. Louis), 11:38. 3, Tampa Bay, Killorn 3 (St. Louis), 17:14. PenaltiesBarberio, TB (boarding), 5:03; E.Staal, Car (hooking), 5:44. Shots on GoalTampa Bay 3-16-13—32. Carolina 5-12-14—31. Power-play opportunitiesTampa Bay 0 of 3; Carolina 0 of 4. GoaliesTampa Bay, Bishop 8-2-0 (31 shots-31 saves). Carolina, Peters 0-4-0 (32-29). A14,828 (18,680). T2:19. Referees—Mark Lemelin, Chris Lee. LinesmenTim Nowak, Brad Kovachik.