Bruins  1    Lightning  2

Boston Bruins (19-11-7) at Tampa Bay Lightning (14-15-9), 7:30 p.m.

Sports Network | December 28, 2009

(Sports Network) - The Boston Bruins will try to tie their longest winning streak of the season tonight in a road matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning at St. Pete Times Forum.

The Bruins posted a 2-1 victory over the Panthers on Sunday to win for the third game in a row. It is their longest winning streak since claiming victory in a season-best four straight games from November 19-25.

Boston, which is five points behind Buffalo for first place in the Northeast Division, got goals from Marco Sturm and Michael Ryder in Sunday's win, as well as 25 saves from Tim Thomas in net.

One of Thomas' saves came on Florida defenseman Jordan Leopold's chance in the waning moments of regulation.

"Especially at that time you're trying to be ready for everything," Thomas said. "That isn't the way it always works out. I think it bounced off a shin pad, right to one of their guys, passed it right out to an open guy in the slot. I was just trying to stay with the puck as well as possible. Fortunately I was able to get a glove on it."

The Bruins have scored 10 goals on their three-game win streak and got defenseman Derek Morris back in the lineup after he missed the last three games due to an undisclosed injury. They also improved to 8-5-4 on the road this year.

Thomas is 7-3-0 with a 2.48 goals-against average in his career versus the Lightning. He made a then-season-high 39 saves in a 4-1 home victory over Tampa Bay on December 2. Sturm scored twice in that meeting, which gave the Bruins a win in four of five and 10 of their last 13 versus the Lightning.

Tampa has also dropped six of its last eight at home to Boston, but is coming off Saturday's 4-3 win over Atlanta at St. Pete Times Forum. Ryan Malone had the game-winning goal, while Steve Downie added a tally and an assist.

Defenseman Mike Lundin, recalled from the AHL earlier in the day, scored his first career goal in what was his 111th NHL game, and Alex Tanguay also scored in Tampa Bay's third win in four games after an 0-5-1 skid.

Mike Smith made 24 saves.

"That's huge. They're a good team. For us to beat them here, in an important part of the year, we're happy about it," forward Vincent Lecavalier said.

Smith, who is 1-3-0 with a 2.77 GAA versus the Bruins, got the start over Antero Niittymaki, who is 14-0-0 lifetime versus the Thrashers but was not with the team so that he could be with his wife for the birth of their daughter.

The Lightning halted a three-game home losing streak and improved to 1-1 on a five-game residency. They are 8-5-4 overall as the host this year.