Lightning rally in second period to hand Flyers another loss

VIDEO PLAYLIST

• Lightning Net Three Unaswered In Win

WERE YOU THERE?

Did you attend this game? If so, start chronicling your sports memories today with ESPN's Sports Passport. Enter the games you attend, upload your photos and share your memories! I was there »

Also See

• Lightning pay bonus, deny financial instability

Game Information

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

Referees: Dan Marouelli, Tim Peel Linesmen: Steve Barton, Scott Driscoll

Attendance: 15,604 (79.0% full)

Team Stat Comparison
260	Goals	207
232	Goals Against	269
71	Power Play Goals	61
67	Power Play Goals Allowed	89
16	Shorthanded Goals	4
1	Shorthanded Goals Allowed	9
1434	Penalty Minutes	1306
17	Average Penalty Minutes	16

Scoring Summary
1ST PERIOD			PHI	TAM
No scoring this period			0	0
2ND PERIOD			PHI	TAM
5:21		Joffrey Lupul (Power Play) Assists: Jeff Carter, Matt Carle	1	0
14:48		Martin St. Louis Assists: Steven Stamkos, Mark Recchi	1	1
15:13		Andrej Meszaros (Power Play) Assists: Ryan Malone, Mark Recchi	1	2
16:51		Ryan Craig Assists: Matt Pettinger, Adam Hall	1	3
3RD PERIOD			PHI	TAM
12:34		Vincent Lecavalier (Penalty shot) Unassisted	1	4

TAMPA, Fla. -- Vincent Lecavalier admitted trade speculation about him was starting to take a toll. So the Tampa Bay All-Star center and his teammates went out and played one of their best games this season.

Fast Facts

• The Lightning have already tied their season high for wins in a month with four wins in January.

• Tampa Bay is 15-3-1 in its last 19 games against Philadelphia and improves to 7-4-1 in its last 12 games overall.

• Lightning center Vincent Lecavalier has 26 points in his last 26 games (11 goals, 15 assists).

• The Flyers have earned a point in 25 of their last 31 games.

-- ESPN research

Martin St. Louis, Andrej Meszaros and Ryan Craig scored during a 2:03 span of the second period to lead the Lightning to their fourth victory in six games, 4-1 over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night.

Lecavalier has been part of trade rumors involving the Montreal Canadiens.

"These last four or five days, I want to say I wasn't distracted but I was," Lecavalier said. "I think anybody would."

Lightning GM Brian Lawton reiterated that the team is not seeking to trade Lecavalier.

"There's no plan to trade him," Lawton said. "He's not being traded today. He's not being traded tomorrow or anytime soon."

Lecavalier gave Tampa Bay a 4-1 lead on a penalty shot at 12:34 of the third.

"Vinny is a professional," St. Louis said. "I thought he was great out there. It's just the nature of the business. We've just got to be strong mentally."

Mark Recchi had two assists for the Lightning. The Tampa Bay right wing tied Dale Hawerchuk for 17th place on the NHL's career points list with 1,409.

Starting Month Strong

The Lightning have already tied their season high for wins in a month with four wins in January.

Wins By Month

Month	Games	Wins
October	9	3
November	14	3
December	13	4
January	7	4

Joffrey Lupul scored for Philadelphia. The Flyers have lost four of six.

"We're not paying a big enough price to win a hockey game right now," Philadelphia coach John Stevens said. "We didn't match their level of desperation and the result was indicative of that."

St. Louis tied it at 1 from the right circle with 5:12 left in the second. Meszaros made it 2-1 from the low right circle on the power play 25 seconds later. Craig gave Tampa Bay a 3-1 lead at 16:51.

"When you win usually people stay together," Tampa Bay interim coach Rick Tocchet said. "I think that's a good rallying cry. It was good effort. Obviously Vinny played a great game, and all the way down the list."

Both of Meszaros' goals this season have come in the last five games.

Lupul put the Flyers ahead 1-0 on a backhander during a power play at 5:21 of the second.

"We're just getting outworked," Flyers center Mike Richards said. "It's kind of embarrassing how much they outworked us."

Mike Smith made 31 saves as the Lightning improved to 4-14-6 when the opposition scores the first goal of the game.

"You don't like to hear rumors that go on, and obviously it's going to happen," Smith said. "The good teams don't worry about what's going on in the media, and try just to play hockey."

Game notes
Flyers D Kimmo Timonen required stitches inside and outside of his mouth after getting cut on the upper lip in the first period. ... Tampa Bay outshot the Flyers 44-32. ... Acting U.S. Surgeon General, Rear Admiral Steven Galson, dropped the ceremonial first puck. ... Flyers RW Claude Giroux returned after missing five games because of a concussion. ... Tampa Bay recalled RW Steve Downie from Norfolk of the AHL. D Vladmir Mihalik was reassigned to Norfolk. ... Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman was at the game.