Bolts unable to keep pace with Leafs

The Lightning didn't expect to go all season without losing in regulation at home. Then again, they probably didn't figure the team that would stop their streak would be the struggling Maple Leafs.

But with the Eastern Conference's 14th-place team playing on national TV in Canada, the Lightning lacked the energy to keep pace Wednesday night at the St. Pete Times Forum.

The result was a 4-3 loss to Toronto before an announced crowd of 15,333 that dropped the Lightning to 9-6-7.

At 5-0-4 entering the game, Tampa Bay had been the only team in the Eastern Conference, and only one of two in the NHL, without a loss in regulation at home. The Lightning also had been tied for the NHL lead in fewest regulation losses.

The loss was Tampa Bay's second in regulation in three games - they also were beaten at Carolina last Saturday - but only their second since Nov. 2.

Niklas Hagman scored twice for Toronto, and Matt Stajan put the Maple Leafs ahead for good late in the second period to help the team improve to 5-11-7. Rookie defenseman Carl Gunnarsson had three assists in only his sixth NHL game.

The four goals against goalkeeper Antero Niittymaki, who fell to 6-2-3, matched the most he has allowed this season. He also gave up four at Pittsburgh on Oct. 17.

Niittymaki stopped 31 of 35 shots, while his counterpart, Jonas Gustavsson, blocked 28 of 31. Tampa Bay beat the Maple Leafs in Toronto 2-1 in overtime on Nov. 3.

The Lightning, playing at home for the first time since Nov. 14, again looked flat in their first home game after a long road trip.

They found themselves trailing 2-0 midway through the opening period, and even after rallying to tie the game in the first period, they couldn't keep the Leafs at bay.

Nikolai Kuleman opened the scoring 6:45 into the game, punching through a rebound for his fourth goal of the season.

With 9:06 left in the period, Niklas Hagman took a pass from Francois Beauchemin, split the defense, and scored off the right post.

The Lightning fought back with two goals 30 seconds apart, their second-fastest consecutive scores of the year, to tie the game at 2.

Defenseman Andrej Meszaros scored on a power play off a pass from Steve Downie from behind the net with 5:46 left in the period. It was Meszaros' first point in 14 games but his third goal of the year, one more than he had in 52 games last year.

Hagman gave the Maple Leafs a 3-2 lead early in the second period with his second goal of the game and 11th of the season.

The Lightning tied it on Ryan Malone's 15th goal midway through the period, but the Leafs again retook the lead, this time on Matt Stajan's sixth goal of the season, with 1:47 left in the second period.