Blue Jackets skate past Lightning 5-3

Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Brandon Saad (20) celebrates after scoring against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the third period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Nov. 25, 2016, in Tampa, Fla. The Blue Jackets won the game 5-3. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) (The Associated Press)

prev next

Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (72), of Russia, makes a save on a shot by the Tampa Bay Lightning during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Nov. 25, 2016, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) (The Associated Press)

Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86), of Russia, scores past Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (72), of Russia, during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Nov. 25, 2016, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) (The Associated Press)

TAMPA, Fla. – The Columbus Blue Jackets started and finished fast against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Brandon Saad broke a tie with at 4:34 of the third period and Cam Atkinson added a short-handed goal to lift the Blue Jackets to 5-3 victory over a team that had beaten them in six of their preceding seven meetings.

"I liked all parts of our game other than the final 3-4 minutes of the second period," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "I thought we played a complete game."

Early goals by Alexander Wennberg and Nick Foligno put the Blue Jackets (11-5-3) ahead for the entire game except for a 57-second stretch of the final period. The loss was only the second for the Lightning (13-8-1) in their last seven games.

"We play 82 games, chalk one up to a stinker," said Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper. "We got taught a lesson tonight by a team that worked way harder than us. I know it was 3-3, but the right team won the hockey game."

Wennberg's fourth goal of the season was assisted by Saad and Jack Johnson. Foligno made it 2-0 with his team-leading eighth goal on a power play just 8:35 into the game.

Columbus dominated the first period, taking 10 shots to the Lightning's four and nearly taking a 3-0 lead when a shot by Johnson went off Ben Bishop's shoulder and deflected off the post in the 14th minute.

"We played really good in the first period, and I think they wanted to come back so they got some momentum," Wennberg said. "But I felt like we didn't give them too many chances."

The Lightning didn't get a power-play opportunity until the middle of the third period and were outshot, 38-28.

Nikita Kucherov scored for the Lightning, his 11th goal of the season, with 12:33 left in the second period, but Josh Anderson answered quickly to regain a 3-1 Columbus lead.

After Josh Garrison made it 3-2 with 1:32 left in the second, Ondrej Palat tied it 3-3 with a delayed-penalty goal with 16:23 left. But Saad regained the lead for Columbus with 15:26 remaining, and Atkinson scored his short-handed goal with 8:47 left.

NOTES: Columbus entered the game with the NHL's best power play, scoring 28.6 percent of the time. . . . Kucherov, who scored his first career goal against Philadelphia on Wednesday night, has now scored goals against every team in the NHL except the Lightning. . . . Columbus placed LW Matt Calvert (upper body) on injured reserve . . . The Blue Jackets called up C Justin Scott from Cleveland of the American Hockey League. ...D Anton Stralman (upper body) and RW J.T. Brown (upper body) did not play for the Lightning.

UP NEXT

Columbus: The Blue Jackets play their third game in four nights at Florida on Saturday night.

Tampa Bay: The Lightning play Sunday at Boston before traveling to Columbus for a rematch Tuesday night.