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TAMPA, Florida (Ticker) -- Nikolai Khabibulin and the Tampa Bay Lightning saved their best for last. Pulled early in the second period, Khabibulin returned in the third and stopped Scott Gomez on a breakaway in overtime as the Lightning rallied from a three-goal deficit for a 3-3 tie with the New Jersey Devils. Khabibulin was named a starter on the Eastern Conference All-Star team before the game but did not look the part after allowing three goals in the opening 23 1/2 minutes. Tampa Bay started its comeback with Kevin Hodson between the pipes but completed it after Khabibulin returned. "It had nothing to do with his play. I just didn't want to see the guy get lit up," Lightning coach John Tortorella said. "At that point, it looked like we were going to lose 6-0 or 7-0, and that's the backup goalie's job." With New Jersey's Jay Pandolfo serving a tripping penalty, former Devil Dave Andreychuk moved the puck to Vaclav Prospal at the right side of the net. Prospal worked it in front, where Martin St. Louis fought off a check from defenseman Scott Niedermayer and steered it past goaltender Martin Brodeur for his 21st goal. The Lightning wasted a power play that carried into overtime and New Jersey had a chance to win it when Gomez came out of the penalty box and broke in alone. But Khabibulin got a piece of his wrist shot with 3:44 left to keep the game tied. "At first, I did (plan on making a move), but he didn't come out at all, so I've got to shoot," Gomez said. "He just didn't come out. That's why he's one of the best in the league." Defensemen Pavel Kubina and Cory Sarich had the other goals for Tampa Bay, which has just one win in its last six games (1-3-1-1). Tortorella and several players pointed to second-period fights involving Chris Dingman and Andre Roy as turning points. "That just changed the momentum and that's what we were looking to do," Tortorella said. "It was a big part of it tonight. The rest of the team saw two guys trying to stir things up and they felt like they had to come in behind them." Jeff Friesen, Patrik Elias and Jim McKenzie tallied for the Devils, who failed in a bid for their third straight win. "It's obviously a lot different game than usual," Friesen said. "We're up by three and then we're scrambling in our end a lot. You're up by a point and you end up in a tie. It's not good enough." Friesen's centering pass hit the right skate of Lightning defenseman Darren Rumble and deflected past Khabibulin midway through the first period. Elias and McKenzie struck in a 25-second span early in the second. Elias got a touch pass from Gomez, fished the puck out of his skates and snapped a wrister between Khabibulin's pads for his 10th goal. McKenzie beat the goalie with a blast from the top of the left circle. "The team wasn't playing in front of him. But on that third one, I'm sure he'd like to have that one back," said Tortorella, who summoned Hodson after McKenzie's second goal of the season. Kubina started Tampa Bay's comeback at 5:25, less than two minutes after Dingman and Roy tangled with Turner Stevenson and McKenzie, respectively. "The momentum totally changed in the second period," Kubina said. Sarich made it 3-2 with 4:42 to go in the period, one-timing a shot from just inside the right point that beat Brodeur to the stick side. "I think we kind of sat back," Gomez said. "It was a good game for them." |
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