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Fast start keys Bolts' victory over Sharks

Staff photo by JASON BEHNKEN

Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis celebrate James Wright's 1st period goal against the Sharks.

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By TONY FABRIZIO | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 22, 2009

Updated: 10/23/2009 12:22 am

TAMPA - The Lightning had four open days to collect themselves after a disastrous trip to Ottawa and Pittsburgh last week. Apparently, they put them to good use.

They looked like a different team in Thursday night's 5-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks, a quality Western Conference foe.

On a night in which Mike Smith re-established himself as a No. 1 goalie after a 7-1 loss at Ottawa, Steven Stamkos scored his fifth and sixth goals of the season, and Ryan Malone picked up his team-leading seventh.

But all four of Coach Rick Tocchet's reshuffled lines played well, beginning 30 seconds into the game when surprise rookie James Wright, playing on a No. 1 line with Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis, scored his first NHL goal.

Captain Lecavalier didn't score for a 15th consecutive game dating to last season but played his "most solid game of the year" and went "head to head with (Joe) Thornton and (Patrick) Marleau," Tocchet said. "We expect that from Vinny."

The overall unselfish play was perhaps best evidenced when struggling Alex Tanguay, demoted to the third line, passed up a chance to score an empty-net goal in the final minute and dished to Stamkos, who did the honors.

Wright's goal, marking the first time Tampa Bay has opened scoring this season, validated some of the principals the coaching staff emphasized this week.

"We have a basically designed play to get the puck to the net with a middle drive and kind of hang out for loose change," Tocchet said. "So that play, we worked on it all week, and those guys executed it. I think it lifted the bench (after) all the hard work we did this week."

Wright explained how it was executed.

"I was lucky enough to be able to make that wide pass to Vinny to set it up," the 19-year-old said. "I knew Marty was there, so I got to the net and my stick happened to be there."

Malone gave Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead with 4:59 left in the first period when he redirected a shot from defenseman David Hale, who was a scratch for four of the first seven games but has impressed Tocchet of late.

The Sharks, tied for first in the Pacific Division coming in, cut Tampa Bay's lead to 2-1 midway through the second period when Ryan Vesce scored his third goal in as many games.

But the Lightning, outscored 11-2 on their road trip, wouldn't let this one slip away and improved to 3-0-1 at the St. Pete Times Forum. Stamkos scored with 3:21 left in the second period to put Tampa Bay up 3-1, and the Sharks never got closer.

Said Stamkos of his goal, "Bugsy (Malone) did a good job of picking the (defender) at the side of the net, and I'm used to finding Marty in that quiet area there, and he wasn't there obviously, so I just took it to the net."

Smith earned his first victory in nine months after missing the final 32 games last year with post-concussion syndrome and starting this season 0-2-2 with a 4.08 goals-against average. He stopped 32 of 34 shots.

Smith had a strong week of practice, which Tocchet noted often translates into a good performance.

"I think I just got back to fundamentals this week and focused on my practices," Smith said. "I took them as if they were games, and I think it helped tonight. Hopefully, it can carry over and I can get some confidence from this game."

Tampa Bay took a 4-1 lead in the final period with a surprisingly easy goal against veteran goalie Evgeni Nabokov by Andrej Meszaros from just beyond the blue line. The Sharks cut it to 4-2 when Dan Boyle, the popular former Bolts defenseman, scored on a power play.

Beating San Jose was rewarding for another reason, too. Tampa Bay was 0-4-1 in the previous five meetings between the teams, including 3-0 and 7-1 home and road losses last year.

Reporter Tony Fabrizio can be reached at (813) 259-7994.

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