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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Tampa Bay's speciality teams made the
difference.
|  | | The Thrashers' Shean Donovan sends Alexander Kharitonov to the ice in the first period. |
Vincent Lecavalier had one of four Lightning power-play goals
and added an assist for his 100th career point as Tampa Bay beat
the Atlanta Thrashers 5-2 Sunday night.
"We showed up from the first minute to the last," Lecavalier
said. "It was a great game for us."
Tampa Bay broke open a 1-1 game when Lecavalier and Brian
Holzinger scored 1:29 apart early in the second period. Lecavalier
scored from the high slot with a man advantage at 1:27 and
Holzinger made it 3-1 at 2:56 from close range after Ryan Johnson's
shot ricocheted off the end boards.
Lecavalier, taken with the first pick in the 1998 draft, reached
the milestone with an assist on Pavel Kubina's power-play goal in
the third period.
"I didn't know that," Lecavalier said. "It doesn't really
matter. The most important thing is we won the game."
Tampa Bay, the only team not to allow a power-play goal (26
chances) this season, converted 4 of 12 man-advantage
opportunities. Atlanta went 0-for-5.
"We're conscious of the fact that we have a streak going,"
Tampa Bay goalie Kevin Weekes said. "Like anything else, you want
to continue playing with good habits. Good habits help to form a
good penalty-killing team and speciality teams in general."
The 12 power-plays are a Tampa Bay team record.
"We took a big step backwards, just undisciplined," Atlanta
coach Curt Fraser said. "We put ourselves in a position to let the
referees make those calls."
Todd Warriner put the Lightning ahead 4-1 at 7:46 of the second
period during a five-on-three power-play. Fredrik Modin had a
power-play goal in the first period.
Steve Guolla and Andreas Karlsson scored the Atlanta goals.
Donald Audette, who has played a part in five of Atlanta's six
goals this season (two goals, three assists), set up Guolla's
first-period tally.
Karlsson scored in the game's final minute.
Weekes, acquired in an offseason trade, stopped 20 shots for his
first Lightning victory.
"We didn't have any passengers," Tampa Bay coach Steve Ludzik
said. "The power play was great, penalty-killing was great and the
goaltending was super. We deserved to win it."
Atlanta's Damian Rhodes faced 31 shots, including numerous
point-blank chances.
"If we cut down on our penalties, if we were more disciplined,
we beat them five-on-five," Rhodes said.
Game notes
Tampa Bay rookie Brad Richards has three assists. ...
Lightning D Sergey Gusev (knee) will start a three-game
conditioning stint Monday with Detroit of the IHL. ... Atlanta C
Patrik Stefan, selected first in the 1999 draft, has missed all
three games with a groin strain. ... Lightning RW Stan Drulia will
undergo additional tests Monday after possibly fracturing his left
hand while blocking a shot.
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NHL Scoreboard
Atlanta Clubhouse
Tampa Bay Clubhouse
RECAPS
Edmonton 5
Minnesota 3
Calgary 4
Detroit 2
Tampa Bay 5
Atlanta 2
Chicago 2
Columbus 1
Phoenix 6
Los Angeles 5
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