Sometimes, history repeats itself.
The Tampa Bay Lightning entered their game against the New Jersey Devils Friday night with one goal: to avenge the 6-3 loss they suffered at the hands of the Devils earlier this week. They were also hoping to avoid another let down to a team near the bottom of the league, something they have struggled with in the early going. The Lightning however, struggled in a 5-2 defeat to the Devils, in a game that resembled the third period of last week's contest in Newark.
The Bolts would jump out to an early lead in this one when Steven Stamkos, set up in his office in the left circle, one-timed a bomb past New Jersey goaltender Martin Brodeur to give the Lightning a 1-0 lead. Marty St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier assisted on the power-play goal. For Stamkos, the goal at the 5:06 mark of the first was his 32nd goal of the year.
This article appears in Jan 13-19, 2011.