TAMPA, Fla., April 2 (UPI) -- Nikolai Khabibulin extended his personal unbeaten streak to 16 games Wednesday night and helped the surging Tampa Bay Lightning move within a win of clinching the first division title in team history in a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.
The NHL Player of the Month for March, Khabibulin did not miss a beat in his first April start. He stopped 26 shots, including all 21 over the final two periods, and is 12
4 with a 1.23 goals-against average and .954 save percentage since February 11.
The 16-game unbeaten streak matches the longest in the NHL this season. Dallas' Marty Turco also was 12
4 from Dec. 27-March 25.
Vaclav Prospal and defenseman Cory Sarich scored for Tampa Bay, which moved three points ahead of second-place Washington in the Southeast Division with two games to play. The Lightning extended their team-record unbeaten streak to 13 games (7
6).
Jan Bulis had the lone goal for the Canadiens, who have lost four of five.
