Lightning continue dominance of Pens; Lecavalier nets 2

Associated Press

TAMPA, FLA.

Dwayne Roloson made 33 saves, Vincent Lecavalier had two goals and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-1 on Thursday night.

Brett Connolly and Steve Downie also scored for the Lightning, who have won six consecutive home games.

Pittsburgh got a third-period goal from Tyler Kennedy.

It was the first game between the teams since Tampa Bay beat Pittsburgh in an Eastern Conference quarterfinal series last season.

Roloson stopped an in-close shot by Steve Sullivan in the first. He also made several strong saves, including a lunging pad stop on Sullivan’s back-hander, during a late second-period power play.

Lecavalier put the Lightning up 1-0 from just outside the crease on Tampa Bay’s first shot of game 8:38 into the first. He picked up a loose puck after a defensive-zone turnover by Jordan Staal and then made several moves before beating goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.

Connolly made it 2-0 when he re-directed Dominic Moore’s shot while positioned in the low slot during a power play at 4:08 of the second.

Pittsburgh had allowed just three goals in 53 previous short-handed situations this season before Connolly’s goal.

Downie extended the lead to 3-0 on Tampa Bay’s second power-play goal of the game early in the third.

Pittsburgh has given up power-play goals in just three games this season. Toronto had two man-advantage goals in a 4-3 win on Oct. 29, and Washington had one Oct. 13 en route to a 3-2 overtime victory.

After Lecavalier scored his second goal of the game into an empty net at 15:49 of the third, Kennedy ruined Roloson’s bid for his 30th career shutout a minute later.

Notes

Pittsburgh C Sidney Crosby, who hasn’t played since Jan. 5 because of a concussion, continues to work out with the team.

Lightning LW Ryan Malone missed his fourth straight game due to an undisclosed upper body injury. He did take part in a morning practice.

Downie ended his 16-game goal drought.

Jets 4, Capitals 1

WINNIPEG, Manitoba

Evander Kane scored two goals and Blake Wheeler added his first of the season as the Winnipeg Jets defeated the Washington Capitals.

Kyle Wellwood had the other goal for Winnipeg, which recorded back-to-back wins in regulation for the first time this season.

Alexander Semin scored for the Capitals, who have dropped two straight. They lost 3-1 to Nashville on Tuesday.

Semin got the game’s first goal when he scored his fourth of the season after pausing in stride before firing a shot past Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec at 3:53 of the first period.