RALEIGH, N.C. – Simon Gagne scored two goals, the second into an empty net in the final minute, to help the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Saturday night.
Tampa Bay, coming off a 4-3 home loss to Carolina on Friday night, broke the Hurricanes' three-game winning streak and dropped them five points behind eighth-place Buffalo with seven games left in the season.
Gagne has 16 goals this season, six in five games against Carolina.
Martin St. Louis added a goal and an assist for Tampa Bay, which broke a four-game winless streak. Dominic Moore also scored and Vincent Lecavalier had two assists.
Eric Staal and Erik Cole scored for Carolina, with Cory Stillman recording both primary assists. Mike Smith made 33 saves for Tampa Bay, and Cam Ward had 28 for Carolina.
Staal gave the Hurricanes the lead on a power play at 7:07 of the first, receiving Stillman's pass at the spot of the right circle and sliding it outside Smith's right skate for his 31st goal of the season.
St. Louis tied it for the Lightning on a rush at 13:56, taking a pass from Lecavalier and beating Ward stick-side for his 27th of the season.
Gagne made it 2-1 with 2:24 left when he stole the puck from Joe Corvo just inside the Hurricanes' blue line and skated in to beat Ward.
Cole tied it with 50 seconds left in the period, taking Stillman's pass in traffic on the right doorstep and beating Smith for his 23rd of the season.
But Moore put the Lightning ahead again on the power play with 2:07 remaining in the second, beating Ward off an assist from Lecavalier.
NOTES: Hurricanes D Jamie McBain was back in the lineup after missing six games (shoulder). He assisted on Staal's first-period goal. ... Carolina D Joni Pitkanen missed the game because of illness. ... Lightning D Randy Jones (lower body) missed his ninth straight game.
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