TAMPA, Florida (Ticker) -- Despite not scoring the first goal of the game for the first time, the Tampa Bay Lightning remained perfect this season.
Cory Stillman's shorthanded goal 74 seconds into the third period snapped a tie and lifted the Lightning to their sixth victory in as many games this season, 3-2 over the Minnesota Wild.
Things started slowly for Tampa Bay, as Minnesota scored two power-play goals midway through the first period to take the early lead. But Brad Richards halved the deficit 11 seconds into the second and Vincent Lecavalier netted a power-play goal later in the period to draw the Lightning even.
On a pass from Tim Taylor, Stillman one-timed a shot past goaltender Manny Fernandez to complete the comeback and make Tampa Bay just the 13th team in NHL history to start a season with six straight victories.
"Tim and I just played give-and-go up the ice," Stillman said. "I took a shot that I wanted to go high, and it was just a matter of putting it upstairs."
"It was a game of special teams tonight," said Wild right wing Richard Park, who had two assists. "We had two (power-play goals) and their winning goal was a shorthanded goal. ... They are a good team and they haven't lost for a reason."
Nikolai Khabibulin turned aside 19 shots for the Lightning, who won for the first time in six meetings with Minnesota.
Soon after Martin Cibak and Cory Sarich took penalties two seconds apart midway through the first period, Minnesota grabbed a two-goal lead.
Pierre-Marc Bouchard got a pass just below the right faceoff circle and walked to the net before beating Khabibulin to the stick side at 9:25 for his second goal of the season. Just 64 seconds later, Marc Chouinard whacked in his own rebound from the left side of the net for his first tally as a member of the Wild.
"I guess power plays helped us, but we got a 5-on-3 on a broken nose, not a little friendly tap," Minnesota coach Jacques Lemaire said in reference to Sarich's high-sticking penalty. "We took advantage of that."
"It's the first time this year we've been down by a couple (of goals)," said Lightning coach John Tortorella, whose team trailed a total of 10 minutes, 10 seconds in its first five games.
The Lightning regrouped during intermission and cut into the lead early in the second. Martin St. Louis's shot was stopped by Fernandez, but Richards banked the rebound off defenseman Brad Bombardir's skate for his second tally.
St. Louis collected his 100th career assist on the play.
Fredrik Modin nearly knotted the game midway through the period when his shot went off the left goalpost. But Lecavalier beat Fernandez from the left side after faking a slap shot in the slot with 4:32 to go, drawing Tampa Bay even.
"I liked the way they handled themselves," Tortorella said. "They didn't break apart. We knew we had plenty of hockey left. ... Hopefully, this is something that they can jog out of their memory if we're in a situation like this again."
