NHL Tampa Bay remains unbeaten



The Jackets gave up a fluke goal in the last four minutes.
COLUMBUS (AP) -- The grin on Vincent Lecavalier's face said it all.
"When you win, everything's easier, everyone's smiling, everyone's happy," Lecavalier said. "I love it."
Lecavalier stole the puck from goaltender Marc Denis and scored on a wraparound shot with 3:48 remaining as the Tampa Bay Lightning remained the only NHL team without a loss this season, beating the Columbus Blue Jackets 1-0 Thursday.
John Grahame, filling in for Nikolai Khabibulin, stopped 20 shots for his seventh career shutout in his first start of the season.
Big saves
"He made a couple of big saves in the third period," Lightning coach John Tortorella said. "For his first game, getting a shutout -- that's terrific."
The Lightning (5-0) have not given up more than two goals in a game and have outscored their opponents 17-6 this season. It is the best start in the team's 12-year history.
"We feel very confident out there. We know how to win now," Lecavalier said. "It's great that we've won five games. But this game is over and we have to focus on our sixth game."
With the teams at even strength, Columbus defenseman Derrick Walser flipped a pass back toward Denis.
Denis, who had 27 saves, swung around the left side of the net to tap the puck toward defenseman Jaroslav Spacek. But Lecavalier beat Spacek to it just behind the right goal post, then swiveled and rocketed a shot into the net as Denis scrambled to recover.
"When I got it, I knew he was on the other side. I just had to jam it quick," Lecavalier said of his second goal this season. "It's lucky when you get a puck like that behind the net. I can't give myself credit."
Denis said he gift-wrapped the win for the Lightning.
"It's a very sour taste to give it away like that," he said.
Columbus coach Doug MacLean was disheartened.
"It was a hard-fought game," he said. "To have it end on a fluky goal like that is really a disappointment after we played so well and battled."
Columbus lost its third game in a row and had its home winning streak end at three.