Lightning rally from three down, fall after Horton scores lone SO goal

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Game Information

Arena: St. Pete Times Forum Location: Tampa, Florida

Referees: Dan O'Halloran, Frederick L'Ecuyer Linesmen: Michel Cormier, Brad Kovachik

Attendance: 16,176 (81.9% full)

Team Stat Comparison
231	Goals	207
223	Goals Against	269
51	Power Play Goals	61
54	Power Play Goals Allowed	89
7	Shorthanded Goals	4
9	Shorthanded Goals Allowed	9
900	Penalty Minutes	1306
11	Average Penalty Minutes	16

Scoring Summary
1ST PERIOD			FLA	TAM
7:50		Bryan McCabe Assists: Gregory Campbell, Radek Dvorak	1	0
19:43		David Booth (Power Play) Assists: Richard Zednik, Stephen Weiss	2	0
2ND PERIOD			FLA	TAM
7:48		Bryan McCabe (Power Play) Assists: Nathan Horton, Jay Bouwmeester	3	0
14:42		Radim Vrbata Assists: Steve Eminger, Steven Stamkos	3	1
3RD PERIOD			FLA	TAM
3:44		Evgeny Artyukhin Assists: Vincent Lecavalier, Steve Eminger	3	2
17:09		Steve Eminger Assists: Evgeny Artyukhin, Jussi Jokinen	3	3
OT			FLA	TAM
No scoring this period			3	3
Shootout Summary
	Vincent Lecavalier shootout attempt against Tomas Vokoun with a Backhand results in a SAVE.
	Stephen Weiss shootout attempt against Mike Smith with a Wide of Net results in a MISS.
	Jussi Jokinen shootout attempt against Tomas Vokoun with a Wide of Net results in a MISS.
	Nathan Horton shootout attempt against Mike Smith with a Wristshot results in a GOAL.
	Martin St. Louis shootout attempt against Tomas Vokoun with a Wristshot results in a SAVE.

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Florida Panthers are finding ways to win. The same can't be said for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Bryan McCabe scored twice in regulation and Nathan Horton had the lone goal in a shootout for the Panthers, who beat Tampa Bay 4-3 on Tuesday night.

Tomas Vokoun made 49 saves, and David Booth added a goal for Florida, which has won three of four following a six-game losing streak.

"We got some great goaltending," McCabe said. "We were lucky. The score didn't quite dictate how we played. We were up 3-0, but they were outshooting us and outchancing us."

Tampa Bay, which trailed by three goals in the second period, tied it at 3 when Steve Eminger snapped a 63-game, goal-scoring drought with 2:51 left in the third.

"That's a game right there that we're going to build on," said Lightning goalie Mike Smith, who stopped 33 shots. "Just shows how we can play when we play with passion."

Radim Vrbata and Evgeny Artyukhin also scored for Tampa Bay, which has lost five in a row -- including two straight in shootouts -- under interim coach Rick Tocchet.

Tocchet replaced Barry Melrose, who was fired last Friday after he went 5-7-4 in 16 games in his first season with the team.

McCabe put the Panthers up 1-0 from the high slot at 7:50 of the first. Booth made it 2-0 with a power-play goal with 16.3 seconds left in the period.

The Panthers took a 3-0 lead when McCabe scored during a power play from near the blue line at 7:48 of the second.

Vrbata got the Lightning within 3-1 at 14:42 of the second, scoring for the first time in 34 games.

Steven Stamkos, this year's first overall pick in the NHL draft, assisted on Vrbata's goal to end a stretch of eight games without a point. The rookie had nine shots.

"It's just one of those nights where when you're not winning, those games seem to slip by," Stamkos said. "We need to find a way to change that. I thought it was our best game in a while."

Artyukhin cut Tampa Bay's deficit to 3-2 at 3:44 of the third. It was his first goal since Feb. 9, a span of 39 games.

Tampa Bay's 52 shots set a team record. The old mark was 51, which came in a 2-1 loss to Florida on Jan. 17, 2004.

"Obviously, we got to be tighter, but we won the game," Vokoun said. "We've been a fragile team. We've had some tough times, and the win is as important as anything in this game."

Game notes
Eminger also had two assists. ... Panthers LW Cory Stillman didn't play due to concussion-related symptoms. He had played the previous two games after missing three straight after sustaining a concussion on Nov. 2. ... Tampa Bay LW Ryan Malone (lower body) missed his fourth consecutive game. He has resumed skating. ... Panthers centers Stephen Weiss (groin) and Gregory Campbell (hand) were in the lineup. Both had an assist. ... McCabe has scored all three of his goals this season against Tampa Bay.