Stamkos scores twice, Tampa Bay wins in shootout

ATLANTA – NHL goals leader Steven Stamkos scored twice and Dominic Moore won it in the shootout, leading the Tampa Bay Lightning to their 10th straight win over the Atlanta Thrashers, 3-2 on Thursday night.

Stamkos scored both Lightning goals in regulation, the second tying the game in the opening minute of the third period. He has 37 goals on the season.

Dwayne Roloson came up a huge save in the final minute of overtime when Dustin Byfuglien came in on a breakaway, but had the puck knocked away with a flick of the goalie stick before he got off a shot.

Atlanta jumped ahead in the opening round of the shootout when Bryan Little dribbled a shot between Roloson's legs. But he followed with three straight saves, while Tampa Bay won it on goals by Adam Hall and Moore, who swept in off right wing, stopped suddenly in front of the net and backhanded the puck past Atlanta goalie Ondrej Pavelec.

The struggling Thrashers have lost five straight to first-place Tampa Bay this season, though they have managed to pick up three points with a pair of shootout losses and another setback in overtime. Atlanta has only four wins in its last 14 games.

The Thrashers were coming off an improbable win at Florida, where they scored twice in the last 1:58 of regulation, then won in a shootout to avoid what would've been a season-high five-game losing streak. But they couldn't make it two in a row.

The Thrashers jumped ahead about 5½ minutes into the game when Niclas Bergfors scored his 10th goal. He was left unchecked in front of the net and one-timed a rebound past Roloson, who had made the initial save on Freddy Meyer's shot.

Tampa Bay tied it up before the period was done. Brett Clark got off a shot that was batted down in front, Victor Hedman got a whack at it in front of the net before the puck appeared to deflect off the shaft of Stamkos' stick, change directions and slip past Pavelec.

Just past the midway point of the second period, Atlanta scored again off a rebound — actually two — to reclaim the lead with a 4-on-3 power-play goal. Brent Sopel got off the initial shot, which was blocked by Roloson. Nik Antropov got a whack at it, too, and Roloson made another save with his right pad.

But yet another Atlanta player was all alone in front. Anthony Stewart scooped up the loose puck and easily beat Roloson, sprawled out in the crease, for his 11th goal.

Stamkos wiped out that lead 32 seconds into the third period. Pavel Kubina ripped a shot wide of the net, it slammed off the back boards and struck Pavelec and Tampa Bay's Steve Downie on the ricochet, winding up right on Stamkos' stick at the side of the net. He flipped it over the goalie's pads from a tight angle to tie the game at 2.

NOTES: Bergfors became the seventh Atlanta player to reach double-figure goals. ... The game was played before a sparse crowd that appeared to be no more than 7,000. ... Roloson made 27 saves in regulation and overtime, while Pavelec blocked 29 of 31 shot by the Lightning.