MONTREAL - The points keep piling up for the Tampa Bay Lightnings surprising line of Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat.
Isaac Yiadom Jersey .Johnson scored twice in a four-goal second period and his linemates each got two assists as the Lightning ended the Montreal Canadiens six-game winning streak with a 4-2 victory on Tuesday night.The five-foot-nine Johnson, who was never drafted because he was thought to be too small, moved into third place in NHL scoring with 45 points in 41 games.The unit has been especially hot of late. In their last seven games, including six victories, Palat has 13 points while Kucherov and Johnson have 11 each.Theres just good chemistry there, said Johnson. Things are clicking.We know where each other is. Things are just working for us now, which is awesome. The good thing is we know we can be better.The win put Tampa Bay (26-12-4) into top spot in both the Eastern Conference and Atlantic Division, two points ahead of Montreal (26-12-2), which has two games in hand.Brett Connolly and J.T. Brown also scored for Tampa Bay, while Dale Weise and Max Pacioretty replied for the Canadiens.There were not high expectations on any of the Johnson line before they reached the NHL. All three were acquired in 2011, with Kucherov drafted 58th overall and Palat 208th.But they have found a recipe for success together, although they admit it helps that Tampa Bays top line led by two-time 50-goal scorer Steven Stamkos usually plays against opponents top checking units and defence pairings.Hes the guy you have to worry about, said Johnson. He takes a lot of attention off us. That makes it a little easier.Stamkos, the Lightning captain, marvels at the lines production.(Johnson) is a pretty smart player, and the guy who flies under the radar a bit is Kuch, said Stamkos. He makes some unbelievable plays.Palat is the guy who can put points on the board, but he also grinds it out, goes in front of the net. They know where each other is on the ice. Its nice to watch.The Canadiens played their first home game since Dec. 20 after winning five straight on the road, but did not play a smart game. The result was they were outshot 36-22 and saw their string of 16 wins when scoring first in a game come to an end.We forgot the reasons we were having success, said Montreal coach Michel Therrien. We didnt deserve to win.We have to put this behind us and get our focus, our work ethic and our discipline back for our next game (Saturday night at home against Pittsburgh).The Canadiens thought they had a goal only two minutes in, but Andrei Markovs shot hit the inside of both goalposts and stayed out. Then the Bolts Valtteri Filppula was stopped on a short-handed breakaway by Carey Price.Montreal didnt get its first shot until 13 minutes in, but soon after, they opened the scoring when Weise was at the far post to redirect Tomas Plekanecs shot past Ben Bishop at 15:07.The Lightning tied it 3:17 into the second when rookie Jonathan Drouin hit a goalpost, but then got the puck to the net on another chance a moment later and Brown banged in the rebound. A slashing call Therrien tagged as undisciplined on P.K. Subban led to Johnsons goal at 10:42 on a feed from Kucherov, and a Tom Gilbert giveaway during a line change saw Connolly score on a 4-on-2 rush at 18:16.Palat poked the puck in through a scramble in Prices crease on a power play at 19:38.Pacioretty got one back 5:01 into the third as he went in alone and scored off Bishops glove. A rivalry has been building between the teams, which started when Montreal swept the Lightning in the opening round of playoffs last spring. In their first meeting of the 2014-15 campaign on Oct. 13, the Bolts won 7-1.Tampa Bay has taken the edge in the standings, although they are only halfway through the season.Theres still a lot we have to work on, said Johnson. The playoffs are a completely different story. Once we get there, points dont matter any more. Its how youre playing the game.Notes — The Lightning announced Tuesday that defenceman Radko Gudas will be out four months with a right knee injury. . . Filppula played his 600th NHL game.
Kelvin McKnight Jersey .J. - Henrik Lundqvist has done more than set a couple of franchise records for the New York Rangers this week.
DeShawn Williams Jersey . On the eve of the 2013-14 NBA season, he can finally take a step back and allow his team to do the talking. FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- The Atlanta Falcons revamped offensive line took a major setback Sunday when left tackle Sam Baker was ruled out for the year after injuring his right knee in a preseason game. The Falcons said the injury plagued Baker sustained a torn patellar tendon in a 32-7 loss to the Houston Texans on Saturday night. First-round pick Jake Matthews could move from right to left tackle to replace Baker, but the injury is a huge blow to Atlantas efforts to bolster a line that was one of the leagues worst a year ago. The Falcons ranked last in the league in yards rushing and quarterback Matt Ryan was sacked a career-high 44 times, in addition to being pressured 203 times, most in the NFL. Baker played in just four games because of a left knee injury that required surgery in November. The Falcons were counting on improvement with Bakers return, the drafting of Matthews with the No. 6 overall pick, and the signing of free-agent guard Jon Asamoah, another instant starter. Now, it looks like Matthews might have to start right away at left tackle, a more demanding position that protects the quarterbacks blind side. Or the Falcons could turn to Lamar Holmes, who struggled mightily while starting 15 games a year ago. "Following his injury in the game, Sam underwent a number of testts and it was determined that he had suffered a torn patellar tendon and will miss the rest of the season," coach Mike Smith said in a statement.
Chaz Green Jersey. "Sam had worked extremely hard to get back on the field after missing most of last season, and he was having a good camp. I know he is disappointed, but I also know he is a very resilient football player and will do whatever he can to bounce back." Baker, a first-round pick in 2008, has started 61 games in his career but injuries have hindered his progress. He has undergone three back surgeries and even lost his starting job during the 2011 season. After starting all 16 games in 2012, when the Falcons won the NFC South and reached the NFC championship game, Baker was re-signed to a six-year, $41.5 million deal. It hardly looks like money well spent. With the latest injury, Baker will play only four games in the first two years of his current deal. "Its tough," Ryan said. "You never like to see anybody go down, especially in the preseason." This is becoming a familiar woe for the Falcons. A year ago, Mike Johnson was projected to start at right tackle after the team decided not to re-sign Tyson Clabo. The move backfired when Johnson went down in training camp with a season-ending injury.
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