Lightning robs Blue Jackets' thunder to earn 2-2 tie

Reuters, Columbus

Geoff Sanderson scored two first-period goals but the Tampa Bay Lightning rallied to tie the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-2 Wednesday.

The tie left the surprising Lightning as the NHL's only unbeaten team at 4-0-2-0 as they moved into first place overall in the Eastern Conference standings.

Sanderson's goals gave the Blue Jackets (2-3-1-0) the early lead but the Lightning rallied on goals by Martin St Louis, his sixth of the season, and a powerplay effort by veteran Dave Andreychuk.

Lightning goalie Nikolai Khabibulin made several brilliant saves in the third period and overtime to keep the score tied.

Tampa Bay out-shot Columbus 26-24 as Marc Denis made 24 saves in the Columbus goal.

In New York, Jaromir Jagr had a goal and one assist to lead the Washington Capitals past the Rangers 2-1.

His powerplay goal at 16:37 of the second period was the game- winner as the Capitals improved to 4-2-0-0. Steve Konawalchuk scored the other Washington goal while Olaf Kolzig made 31 saves.

Jagr now has 26 goals and 73 points against the Rangers in 53 career games, most of them while he was with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Matthew Barnaby scored the lone goal for New York (2-4-2-0).

In Toronto, Olli Jokinen's powerplay goal late in the second period was the winner as the Florida Panthers swept past the Maple Leafs 4-1.

Jokinen added his second goal into an empty net and Marcus Nilson had a shorthanded goal in the third period for the Panthers (3-3-0-1). Valeri Bure scored the other Florida goal in the first period.

Roberto Luongo was sharp in goal for the Panthers, making 30 saves.

Nik Antropov had the lone goal for Toronto (2-5-1-0) as the Maple Leafs dropped their second game in a row to kick off a seven-game home stand.

In Ottawa, Petr Schastlivy scored two goals to lead the Senators to a 4-1 triumph over the Carolina Hurricanes.

Radek Bonk and Mike Fisher, into an empty net, also scored for Ottawa (3-1-0-0) while rookie Anton Volchenkov added two assists. Patrick Lalime made 20 saves.

Ron Francis had the lone goal for Carolina (3-4-0-1).

In Atlanta, Martin Brodeur made 24 saves as the New Jersey Devils defeated the winless Thrashers 2-1.

Jeff Friesen and Scott Gomez scored the goals for the Devils, who won for the fourth time in five games under new head coach Pat Burns.

Ilya Kovalchuk scored the lone goal for Atlanta, which has just one point from an overtime loss in seven games this season.

In Detroit, Jason Allison's third-period goal lifted the Los Angeles Kings into a 3-3 tie with the Red Wings.

Lubomir Visnovsky and Mathieu Schneider scored the other goals for the Kings (3-1-2-0), who have allowed just 14 goals in six games this season.

Tomas Holmstrom, Pavel Datsyuk and Sergei Fedorov scored for Detroit (4-2-1-0).

Los Angeles out-shot Detroit 31-28 as Curtis Joseph made 28 saves, six of them in overtime.