Lightning 5, Ducks 1
TAMPA, Fla. -- Lightning center Valtterri Filppula scored two goals as Tampa Bay remained perfect against the Western Conference with a 5-1 victory over the Anaheim Duck on Thursdays.
The Lightning are now 7-0-0 on the season against the west.
Right winger Martin St. Louis added a goal and two assists as the Lightning jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead after the first period.
Filppula's first goal came on a clear look after a beautiful cross-ice feed from forward Teddy Purcell. Purcell's stick work drew the attention of four Ducks and left Filppula open for a one-timer past Ducks goaltender Jonas Hiller.
Anaheim (15-5-1) came into Thursday's game with the best record in the league but the Ducks were bottled up by the Lightning defense at times and spent much of the first period chasing pucks in their own zone.
Tampa Bay (14-5-0) kept up the pressure in the second period with Filppula's second goal coming off of a screen that allowed him to skate to the middle of the ice and sent a wrist shot past Hiller.
It was a balanced attack for the Lightning as 10 players recorded a point. Center Alex Killorn's second-period goal came after his initial shot was deflected by Anaheim defenseman Luca Sbisa and the puck came back to his stick for a shot past Hiller.
Lightning goalie Ben Bishop notched his 13th win of the season and recorded 24 saves. Forward Victor Hedman added a goal and an assist.
Wingeer Emerson Etem scored the Ducks only goal when he skated past Hedman and defenseman Alex Barberio to get a one-on-one with Bishop late in the second period.
Defensemen Cam Fowler and Francois Beauchemin had assists for Anaheim.
NOTES: Lightning D Sami Salo missed his second consecutive game with a lower-body injury sustained during Monday's 3-0 loss to Boston. Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper expects Salo to return to the ice during the team's Western trip, which begins Saturday with a game against the Phoenix Coyotes. ... Ducks C Ryan Getzlaf missed Thursday's game with an upper-body injury, but RW Corey Perry (flu) was in the starting lineup. ... Lightning RW J.T. Brown, called up from AHL Syracuse to replace the injured C Steven Stamkos on Monday, scored his first point of the season with an assist on C Martin St. Louis' goal. ... The Ducks did not record their first shot on goal until 6:36 remained in the first period.
