Melrose gets first win as Tampa Bay coach

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(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-10-22 11:25

TAMPA, Flordia -- Barry Melrose got his first win as Tampa Bay coach when Vincent Lecavalier scored a power-play goal with 3:19 left in overtime to lift the Lightning to a 3-2 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers on Tuesday night.

Lecavalier scored from near the low slot off a pass from Martin St. Louis.

Melrose's first season with the Lightning started with five losses, including three in overtime or a shootout. It's also his first NHL win since 1995 when he was coaching the Los Angeles Kings. Sabres 3, Bruins 2,

At Buffalo, New York, Thomas Vanek scored the decisive shootout goal and Ryan Miller stopped four of five chances to cap the Buffalo Sabres' come-from-behind victory.

Drew Stafford and Clarke MacArthur scored in regulation in helping Buffalo improve to 5-0-1.

After Stafford and Boston's David Krejci traded shootout goals, Vanek scored with a nifty move. Driving to the net, he faked a shot and let the puck float at his skates for a second, before beating Manny Fernandez on the glove side.

The game ended when Marc Savard failed on his attempt to force a sixth round of the shootout when the puck rolled off his stick while making a move in front of Miller. Ducks 3, Maple Leafs 2,

At Toronto, Francois Beauchemin and George Parros scored for Anaheim and Toronto coach Ron Wilson's gamble on Curtis Joseph in the shootout came up empty.

Nik Antropov scored both goals for the Maple Leafs, who have lost three shootouts already this season.

Wilson inserted Joseph for the shootout after Vesa Toskala played the entire game, but the move didn't pay off. Anaheim's Corey Perry and Teemu Selanne beat Joseph for the win.

With the Leafs down 2-1, Antropov scored with 52.8 seconds left in the third period to force overtime. Blue Jackets 4, Canucks 2

At Columbus, Ohio, Derek Dorsett got his first NHL goal and Rick Nash scored into an empty net.

Nash assisted on Kristian Huselius' goal and Jason Chimera also scored for Columbus, which improved to 2-0 at home. Rookie Jake Voracek had two assists.

Pascal Leclaire made 24 saves -- several during a penalty kill late in the third period -- in his return after missing one game with a bruised hand.

Kyle Wellwood, called up to the injury-riddled Canucks before the game, had a goal and an assist and Kevin Bieksa also scored for Vancouver, which lost its third straight to finish a six-game road trip 2-4.