Ryan Malone scores go-ahead goal in 3rd period and Tampa Bay beats Florida 3-2

Tampa Bay’s Malone scores go-ahead goal in 3rd

TAMPA, Fla. — Ryan Malone’s rebound goal in the third period gave the Tampa Bay Lightning a 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers on Monday night.

After Lightning goalie Antero Niittymaki made a save on David Booth’s breakaway, Steven Stamkos picked up the loose puck and his shot after an end-to-end rush was stopped by Florida’s Tomas Vokoun. However, Malone scored his fifth goal of the season when he converted the rebound from near the post to put Tampa Bay up 3-2.

Stamkos and Martin St. Louis had the other Lightning goals.

Radek Dvorak and Nathan Horton scored for the Panthers, who have lost four in a row.

St. Louis’ power-play goal from the left circle at 7:18 of the third got the Lightning even at 2.

Horton put the Panthers ahead 2-1 on a rebound power-play goal at 6:33 of the second. Florida had scored just once on the power play in 19 opportunities this season before that.

Florida took a 1-0 lead when Dvorak scored on a 2-on-1 with the Panthers short-handed at 8:10 of the first. Stamkos tied it with his third goal this season, coming on a power play with 1:28 left in the first.

Niittymaki, who got the start after beating Carolina 5-2 in his first game of the season Saturday, stopped another shot by Booth during a first-period breakaway. Vokoun turned aside an in-close chance by Vincent Lecavalier, who had three shots in the first.

Lecavalier has not scored goal in 12 consecutive games, dating to last season. The Lightning captain did have two assists, giving him five for the season.

NOTES: Malone scored three goals on Saturday. … St. Louis had an assist and has a season-opening five-game point streak. He has six assists and nine points over the stretch. … Both teams scored for the first time this season in the first period.