Jets  1    Lightning  2

Atlanta Thrashers (22-21-7) at Tampa Bay Lightning (20-20-10), 7:30 p.m.

Sports Network | January 23, 2010

(Sports Network) - After opening up its current homestand on a strong note, the Tampa Bay Lightning will attempt to nail down a second straight win when the struggling Atlanta Thrashers enter St. Pete Times Forum tonight for a showdown between Southeast Division members.

The Lightning began this four-game residency by rallying for a 3-2 overtime victory over Toronto, with Martin St. Louis netting the game-winner with only 9.8 seconds remaining in the extra session.

After gaining a power play due to the Maple Leafs having two many men on the ice with 43.1 seconds left in overtime, St. Louis let a one-timer fly from the top of the left circle that went over the right shoulder of Toronto goaltender Jonas Gustavsson and into the net.

Toronto forced extra time with another power-play goal late in the third period, when Ryan Malone knocked home a rebound with just 3:49 to go in regulation.

Steven Stamkos also scored for the Lightning and helped set up both Malone and St. Louis' tallies, while Vincent Lecavalier assisted on all three Tampa goals to extend his point streak to six games. The talented center has 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists) over that run.

Antero Niittymaki, making a fifth straight start between the pipes, made 20 saves for the Lightning. He'll likely get the call again this evening with fellow goaltender Mike Smith still bothered by a neck strain he suffered in a January 12 game versus Washington.

Tampa Bay improved to 12-6-5 at home for the season and is 5-1-1 over its last seven outings at St. Pete Times Forum.

Atlanta, on the other hand, has dropped nine of its last 10 away games (1-7-2) and is a poor 4-9-4 overall since December 19. The Thrashers' problems continued with Thursday's 5-2 home defeat to the Carolina Hurricanes, owners of the fewest points in the league this season.

The Thrashers outshot the lowly Hurricanes by a 34-22 margin for the game and had a 13-4 advantage in the third period, but only Rich Peverly and Colby Armstrong were able to get the puck past Carolina netminder Cam Ward.

Atlanta's Ondrej Pavelec wasn't nearly as strong in net, with the young Czech stopping only 17 of the 21 chances he faced.

The Thrashers have now scored two or less goals in six of their last nine games and lost five of those matchups.

"Maybe we dumb it down a bit, take some skill off and put some grit in front of the net and pound away," said Thrashers head coach John Anderson about his team's scoring troubles. "I'll have to look at it [Friday]."

Atlanta has been able to generate points against the Lightning this season, having amassed 12 goals in the three prior meetings between these divisional foes in 2009-10. Tampa Bay still won two of those games, however, including a 4-3 decision at the Forum on December 26.

The Thrashers are 11-2-2 against the Lightning in the last 15 overall tilts of this series and left with a victory in four of its last six trips to Tampa.