Lightning: Lightning recovers to earn tie

After falling behind for the fifth time in six games, Tampa Bay fought back on Dave Andreychuk's 294th power-play goal and rode an acrobatic display by goalie Nikolai Khabibulin to remain the NHL's only unbeaten team (at 4-0-2) with a 2-2 tie against Columbus on Wednesday. With the announced crowd of 17,306 roaring, Khabibulin gave up both Blue Jacket goals (on their first three shots) to Geoff Sanderson during the opening 8:22.

But Khabibulin found his groove during the final minutes of the second period, and by the third (and especially in overtime, when the Lightning survived a Columbus power play), he was virtually the entire show.

"He played unbelievably for us," Andreychuk said. "When he's in position, he's going to make saves not too many other goalies in the league can make.

"We relied on him a lot last year. Hopefully, we're not going to have to rely on him this year." Martin St. Louis, with a goal in his fifth consecutive game, made it 2-1 with 65 seconds left in the second period, and Andreychuk scored 12 seconds into the third.

Coach John Tortorella said he's disturbed by the Lightning's slow starts that force it to play catch-up.

"I think the team is ready to play when we leave the locker room," he said.

"And (Wednesday), we're suddenly down two. I don't have an answer for that."

With 2:17 left in overtime, Dan Boyle picked up an interference penalty. But with 1:09 left, Khabibulin stopped Sanderson's bid for a hat trick to preserve the tie.

"I thought we did an excellent job in the 4-on-3 blocking shots," Tortorella said. "Nik's going to have plenty of opportunities to win games and get points for us. He hasn't until this game. We haven't needed that type of goaltending. But we didn't play well, and the other part of it kicked in.

"Everyone's getting carried away with this record of ours. It's still so early in the season."

After the opening faceoff, Columbus controlled the puck as though it was on a power play, swarming the Lightning net.

The puck came to Sanderson, who skated out of the corner to the inner edge of the right circle and fired the puck through Khabibulin's pads for the opening goal two minutes in. The second Blue Jacket goal did come on a power play, and it came quickly.

Ten seconds after Cory Sarich was sent off for holding, Sanderson made it 2-0, beating Khabibulin from just outside the right side of the crease after taking Andrew Cassels' pass from the left point.

With 15 seconds left in the second period, Rick Nash passed to Grant Marshall, who was sweeping in on Khabibulin. Khabibulin stopped the puck but couldn't control the rebound. The ensuing scramble turned into a shoving match, and Nash was sent off for roughing. It proved costly during the third, when Boyle fed Andreychuk, whose shot from the slot trickled out of Marc Denis' glove and behind him.

"I think I caught him not ready for the shot, going one way and shooting it back the other way," Andreychuk said. "It went off his glove.

"I wasn't aiming there. I was just trying to get it on goal."

The power-play goal left him two shy of Phil Esposito's NHL record. The assist gave Boyle a point in his ninth consecutive game dating to last season.

"Right now, this team is coming back and getting points," Andreychuk said. "But there are going to be games when we're not going to be able to come back and get that goal when we need it. And Khabi's not going to be able to make that great save for us at the end.

"Maybe we can start getting a 60-minute game going for us."