SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 12 (UPI) -- Teemu Selanne snapped a tie 65 seconds into the third period as the San Jose Sharks held on for their first win of the season, 4-3 over the Tampa Bay Lightning Thursday night.
Selanne received a pass from defenseman Marcus Ragnarsson and fired a slap shot from the left point that bounced up and past goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin for a 3-2 lead. It was the first goal of the season for Selanne, who has 13 in 19 career games against the Lightning.
After Tampa Bay pulled Khabibulin for an extra attacker, Vincent Damphousse took a pass from Owen Nolan and flipped the puck into the empty net from center ice with 80 seconds.
Damphousse's second goal of the season proved to be the difference as the Lightning scored off the ensuing faceoff. Fredrik Modin took a pass from Vaclav Prospal and skated through the slot, where he got goalie Evgeni Nabokov to drop to the ice. Modin pulled the puck to his backhand and easily tucked it inisde the right goalpost for his first of the season.
Nabokov made 24 saves as San Jose improved to 1
1-1 on its season-opening four-game homestand.
Tampa Bay captain Vincent Lecavalier made his season debut after signing a four-year, $10.2 million contract last week and assisted on a power-play goal by Martin St. Louis that broke a 1-1 deadlock 8:03 into the second period.
