Lightning Victory Stretches Unbeaten Streak to 11 Games

If there’s one word Tampa Bay Lightning Coach John Tortorella can use to describe his team it’s “consistent.”

“You can’t even put on one hand how many games we haven’t been ready to play,” he said Friday night after the Southeast Division-champion Lightning set a franchise record for points (95) in a season by extending its unbeaten streak to 11 games with a 5-2 home victory over the New York Rangers.

“This is a time where we really need to stay on top of things. We’re spending our days with our tape, going over the minute things.”

NHL points leader Martin St. Louis scored two goals and assisted on a third for the Lightning, which increased its lead in the race for the Presidents’ Trophy to three points over Western Conference leader Detroit.

Vincent Lecavalier had two goals and two assists.

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Vancouver 4, Edmonton 3 -- Geoff Sanderson scored his 15th goal 4:27 into overtime at Edmonton, Canada, to win it for the Canucks, who have two wins in their last six games and remained fourth in the West

Edmonton extended its NHL-record of consecutive overtime games to seven.

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Colorado 3, Phoenix 2 -- Paul Kariya and Matthew Barnaby scored power-play goals for the Avalanche at Glendale, Ariz.

Colorado won for the fourth time in five games. Phoenix is winless in its last 11 games.

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Carolina 4, Atlanta 2 -- Justin Williams scored a tie-breaking goal for the Hurricanes at Raleigh, N.C.

The Thrashers’ winless streak is at four games.

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Chicago 4, Washington 3 -- Tuomo Ruuttu scored the winner on a power play with 6:22 left in regulation for Chicago, which won for the first time in seven games. Washington lost its third in a row in the final night of its four-game homestand.