Recap
Lightning 2, Blue Jackets 1, OT
Associated Press

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -Martin St. Louis was quick to deflect all the credit after coming up with another big play for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

St. Louis scored with 1:56 left in overtime to give Tampa Bay a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.

St. Louis got a pass from rookie Steven Stamkos, broke to his right, and wristed a shot past Steve Mason. St. Louis fell and slid into the boards after the goal, and was mobbed by his teammates.

"(Stamkos) made a great play for me in overtime," St. Louis said. "But without (goalie Mike McKenna) tonight, I ain't talking to (reporters) right now. He's the reason why we won this game."

McKenna, playing in just his 11th game this season, made 33 saves.

"It's motivation enough to be in the NHL," the rookie goalie said, "but when (your team is) not getting many shots and you're facing (a) pile (of shots), then you know you've got to keep it tight."

St. Louis has six goals and eight assists in a nine-game point streak for Tampa Bay, which ended a six-game home skid.

"Even if he's having a tough night, he's always keeps working hard and always tries to do the right thing," Lightning interim coach Rick Toccet said. "Obviously his perseverance gets the game winner for us."

Columbus, which is closing in on its first postseason berth in the franchise's ninth season, had dominated against Eastern Conference, compiling a 13-3-1 record and a 5-0 mark against the Southeast Division.

"We don't have any success when we get away from the game plan and turn the puck over and force the puck way too much," Columbus coach Ken Hitchcock said. "And I'm going to talk to those players on it tomorrow."

Jan Hejda put the Blue Jackets ahead 1-0 at 4:21 in the third but the Lightning tied it midway through the period on Ryan Malone's 25th goal of the season.

Tampa Bay had just seven shots after two periods and finished with 17.

"Obviously we carried the majority of the (game) and we just failed to put them away," said Mason, who finished with 15 saves. "We know what we did wrong - just failed to capitalize on chances."

Stamkos also extended his point streak to six games, in which he has four goals and four assists.


Three star selections
1st:   MARTIN ST. LOUIS
2nd:   RICK NASH
3rd:   MIKE MCKENNA
Winning Goaltender
Mike McKenna

Losing Goaltender
Steve Mason

SCHEDULE

HOME
AWAY
PROMOTIONAL

STANDINGS

WESTERN CONFERENCE
  TEAM GP W L OT GF GA PTS
1 p - CHI 48 36 7 5 155 102 77
2 y - ANA 48 30 12 6 140 118 66
3 y - VAN 48 26 15 7 127 121 59
4 x - STL 48 29 17 2 129 115 60
5 x - LAK 48 27 16 5 133 118 59
6 x - SJS 48 25 16 7 124 116 57
7 x - DET 48 24 16 8 124 115 56
8 x - MIN 48 26 19 3 122 127 55
9 CBJ 48 24 17 7 120 119 55
10 PHX 48 21 18 9 125 131 51
11 DAL 48 22 22 4 130 142 48
12 EDM 48 19 22 7 125 134 45
13 CGY 48 19 25 4 128 160 42
14 NSH 48 16 23 9 111 139 41
15 COL 48 16 25 7 116 152 39

STATS

2012-2013 REGULAR SEASON
SKATERS: GP G A +/- Pts
V. Prospal 48 12 18 3 30
M. Letestu 46 13 14 7 27
M. Gaborik 47 12 15 -3 27
F. Tyutin 48 4 18 9 22
B. Dubinsky 29 2 18 2 20
N. Foligno 45 6 13 6 19
J. Johnson 44 5 14 -5 19
A. Anisimov 35 11 7 -6 18
C. Atkinson 35 9 9 9 18
R. Umberger 48 8 10 3 18
 
GOALIES: W L OT Sv% GAA
S. Bobrovsky 21 11 6 .932 2.00
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