GameTrax: Stats and More
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Teddy Purcell hadn't had a game like this in years.
Purcell had his first career hat trick, Vincent Lecavalier added a goal and four assists and the Tampa Bay Lightning ended Phoenix's eight-game winning streak with an 8-3 victory over the Coyotes on Wednesday night.
"That was pretty cool," Purcell said. "My first hat trick since street hockey when I was 10 or 12, probably. You get a hat trick and obviously the two points, it's a great night."
Purcell had one of the five opening-period goals and added a pair during the second to complete the hat trick.
Steven Stamkos scored his NHL-leading 41st goal this season, and Martin St. Louis also had two goals and an assist for the Lightning, who are 6-3-2 during a 12-game homestand.
"I think our minds, our bodies were in the right place," Tampa Bay coach Guy Boucher said.
St. Louis (22 goals, 50 assists) has five straight seasons of at least 20 goals and 50 assists. Adam Hall had the other Tampa Bay goal.
Phoenix got goals from Martin Hanzal, Kyle Turris and David Schlemko. The eight goals were the most allowed by the Coyotes this season.
"It's flat embarrassing," Coyotes captain Shane Doan said.
Purcell scored on Tampa Bay's first shot against Coyotes backup goalie Jason LaBarbera 1:59 into the game. St. Louis' rebound goal, which stopped a personal nine-game goal drought, made it 2-0 just 1 minute, 2 seconds later.
"Especially this time of year, it's all about results," St. Louis said. "We went after the result and got what we wanted."
Phoenix's No. 1 goalie, Ilya Bryzgalov, had started the previous 19 games, including Tuesday night's 3-2 overtime victory at Philadelphia. Over that stretch, dating back to Jan. 11, LaBarbera played eight minutes during a Feb. 2 game.
"You could see it, our guys just had no gas in the tank," Phoenix coach Dave Tippett said. "That's one of those games where you just get rid of it, burn the tape, and move on."
St. Louis (7:54), Stamkos (14:55) and Lecavalier (17:54) extended the lead to 5-0 with first-period, power-play goals. It was Stamkos' first goal in six games.
"It felt pretty good to beat these guys," Lecavalier said. "They were on a streak."
Purcell had goals at 2:43 and 8:17 in the second to complete the hat trick. Hanzal cut the deficit to 7-1 later in the second.
After Hall got his first goal in 18 games early in the third, Phoenix then got goals from Turris and Schlemko to complete the scoring.
Phoenix was without left wing Scottie Upshall, who was suspended for two games Wednesday for an illegal hit on Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Oskars Bartulis on Tuesday.
NOTES: Doan set a Winnipeg-Phoenix franchise record by playing in his 1,099th game," That's a very unique honor, and I'm very fortunate and thankful for the opportunity to do it," Doan said. "But you never want it to be in a game like this." The right wing had been tied for the mark with Teppo Numminen. ... St. Louis has played in 450 consecutive games, the NHL's fourth-longest active streak. The right wing has two goals and eight assists during a seven-game point streak. ... Doan has not scored a goal in 20 games against the Lightning. ... Schlemko's goal was his first in 39 games, dating back to Nov. 14, 2009.
Updated February 23, 2011
