Lightning win in shootout after blowing 3-goal lead vs. Jets
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- The Tampa Bay Lightning picked an odd time to hold a team meeting -- after a victory.
Steven Stamkos scored in the fifth round of the shootout and the Lightning rebounded after blowing a three-goal lead to beat the Winnipeg Jets 6-5 on Thursday night.
"It's disturbing," Lightning right wing Ryan Callahan said of the defensive meltdown.
The Lightning won the shootout 2-1.
Tampa Bay got regulation goals from Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Jonathan Marchessault, Alex Killorn and Nikita Kucherov.
"It was just a weird game," Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said.
Andrew Ladd had two goals for the Jets, who trailed 4-1 early in the third. Tyler Myers, Mark Scheifele and Mathieu Perreault had the other Winnipeg goals.
"It was a good point," said Winnipeg goalie Ondrej Pavelec, who stopped 21 shots. "The third period, we did it together."
The Jets are 0-21-3 when behind entering the third period.
Winnipeg's Bryan Little hurt his neck late in the second period and needed assistance off the ice before heading to the locker room. It appeared Hedman made contact in the neutral zone with Little, who looked like he lost his balance and lowered his head before getting hit by Anton Stralman.
Little didn't return.
Blake Wheeler went after Stralman and was given 4 minutes for roughing. Stralman got a 2-minute roughing penalty.
It was announced at the start of the third period that Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice, who had a heated discussion with officials after the Little play, had been given a game misconduct. A minor penalty to the Winnipeg bench was assessed in the second period.
Maurice said he was not happy with the demeanor of the officials.
"I was upset because you work with these guys every day," Maurice said. "You care about them, you care about their wives, their families. Bryan Little is getting his neck X-rayed and I seem to be considerably more concerned about the result of that hit than anyone else."
Killorn gave Tampa Bay a 4-1 lead early in the third before the Jets beat Andrei Vasilevskiy four times to take a 5-4 lead. Ladd scored twice (one short-handed) and Scheifele had a power-play goal before Perreault put Winnipeg ahead at 14:40 with a man advantage.
Kucherov pulled the Lightning even at 5 just 24 seconds later,
After a lackluster opening 15 minutes of a first period in which they were outshot 13-7, the Lightning scored three late goals by Hedman, Marchessault and Stamkos.
It was Stamkos' 23rd goal this season and 299th in his career.
Myers' first goal in 18 games cut the Jets' deficit to 3-1 in the second.
Both goalies made a number strong saves in a wild overtime period.
Vasilevskiy finished with 36 saves.
NOTES: It was Stamkos' first shootout attempt this season. He is 8 for 35 in his career. ... Stamkos has 26 goals and 44 points in 32 games against the Atlanta-Winnipeg franchise ... Winnipeg D Mark Stuart missed his second straight game with an upper body injury. ... Tampa Bay C Vladislav Namestnikov sat out for the second consecutive game due to an upper body injury.
