TAMPA, Fla. – Martin St. Louis and Simon Gagne had early second-period goals, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 on Friday night to end an opponent's eight-game winning streak for the second consecutive game.
Dwayne Roloson made a pad save on Ilya Kovalchuk's shot during a breakaway early in the second period for the Lightning, who ended an NHL record-tying 12-game homestand at 7-3-2.
New Jersey got a third-period goal from Mark Fayne. The Devils' eight-game run was tied for the second longest in the NHL this season.
Tampa Bay also stopped Phoenix's stretch of eight victories in a row with an 8-3 win over the Coyotes on Wednesday night.
The Devils, 16-2-2 over their last 20 games, dropped 11 points behind Carolina, which is eighth in the Eastern Conference. The Hurricanes beat Pittsburgh 4-1.
After St. Louis beat Devils goalie Johan Hedberg from the top of the left circle at 2:20 of the second, Gagne made it 2-0 from near the right circle 54 seconds later. Hedberg, making his eighth straight start, had allowed just one goal over his previous three games.
St. Louis has three goals and 11 points during an eight-game point streak. Gagne stopped a personal nine-game goal drought.
Hedberg kept the Devils within two goals later in the second by making in-close saves on Teddy Purcell and Steven Stamkos.
Kovalchuk had an assist to extend his point streak to 12 games (seven goals, 14 points).
Hedberg had won his seven previous starts.
Notes: New Jersey G Martin Brodeur was the backup for the fourth consecutive game since returning from a sprained right knee. ... The California Golden Seals, who went 4-7-1, are the only other NHL team to play 12 consecutive home games. ... Lightning D Mattias Ohlund didn't play because of a lower-body injury. ... Pittsburgh's 12-game winning streak, from Nov. 17 to Dec. 11, is the NHL's longest this season. ... Tampa Bay recalled G Mike Smith from Norfolk of the AHL.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.