Lightning end slide, beat Blackhawks in shootout.

The Lightning took the momentum of the late first period goal and turned into a goal less than two minutes into the second period. Victor Hedman took a shot from the point that was blocked by Teddy Purcell. Purcell backhanded the puck on goal and beat a surprised Crawford to give the Lightning a 3-1 lead. Chicago got it back to within a goal when Patrick Sharp put home a rebound off a Jonathon Towes shot midway through the second period.

The Blackhawks would tie it up in the third when Jonathon Towes deflected a Niklas Hjalmarsson to tie the game at three.

After a scoreless overtime, the Lightning sent the big three of Vincent Lecavalier, Stamkos, and St. Louis out shoot. Lecavalier would not convert on his opportunity, and Stamkos would be stopped by Crawford on his chance on a beautiful spin move. Marty St. Louis tried his own version of the spin that included a near-stop to beat Crawford. Lightning goalie Dwayne Roloson stopped all three Chicago attempts to get the win.

“In the second intermission we saw the Capitals were up 3-0, so this is critical,” Steven Stamkos said. “We still have a game in hand and we’re still pushing. We needed this game.”

For head coach Guy Boucher, there is one thing to be taken from the winless stretch, and perhaps it was something that could be taken from last nights game as well, persistence.

“Persistence,” Boucher said. “That’s the difference between the great ones and others. The great ones don’t fall and not get up.”

The Lightning will finish up the home stand on Friday when the Ottawa Senators make their first trip into Tampa. Game time for that one is at 7:30pm.

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