TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Martin Rucinsky picked the perfect time to snap a 15-game goal-scoring drought.

Rucinsky scored 31 seconds into overtime as the Montreal Canadiens beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 Thursday night.

"It can't get any better I guess. It was a big goal for our team and for myself," said Rucinsky, who will play in his first NHL All-Star Game on Sunday. "I've been in a slump. 15-games, I don't think I've been in a slump that long."

Rucinsky was left alone near the right post and scored off a pass through the slot from Sergei Zholtok. It was Rucinsky's first goal since Dec. 23 at Boston.

"I was getting a lot of chances," Rucinsky said. "After a few games, I wasn't as calm as I used to be. It seemed like the last few games it was getting into my head."

Montreal's Trevor Linden and Tampa Bay's Darcy Tucker scored the game's only goals.

The Canadiens are 6-2-2 over their last 10 and have lost just once in the last 10 (8-1-1) against the Lightning.

"I thought it was important to bounce back effort-wise after what I thought was a very poor outing last night," Montreal coach Alain Vigneault said. "I know it's not very exciting hockey, but we've got to really play solid defensively."

Montreal lost 3-1 at Florida on Wednesday.

Tampa Bay has two wins in its last 23 (2-19-2).

"I met with my general manager and he was not happy about some guys play tonight," said Tampa Bay coach Steve Ludzik, who took part in a postgame meeting with GM Rick Dudley.

The Canadiens took a 1-0 lead just 19 seconds into the first-period when Linden scored on a one-timer from the slot.

Tucker tied it from in-close at 10.46 of the second period.

Dan Cloutier kept the Lightning within a goal after 20 minutes by turning aside the next 11 Montreal shots.

Nearly 11½ minutes of play during the first period was in the Tampa Bay zone.

The teams had just eight shots -- six by the Lightning -- in the second period.

Montreal went 0-for-6 on the power-play, while Tampa Bay failed to convert any of its five opportunities.

Cloutier had 21 saves, while Jeff Hackett made 16 saves for Montreal.

Only 9,516 attended the game. The Lightning averaged just 9,795 for back-to-back home games against Toronto and Montreal.