Tampa, FL (My Sportsbook) - Vincent Lecavalier collected two goals and one assist to lead Tampa Bay over Atlanta, 8-5, in a Southeast Division battle at the St. Pete Times Forum. The eight goals scored by the Lightning matched a team-high set on November 22, 2000, which also came at home and against the Thrashers.

Ruslan Fedotenko and Martin St. Louis each added a goal and two assists for the Lightning, who are off to a 3-0 start for the first time in their 11- year history. Tim Taylor also scored twice for Tampa Bay, which won its first two home games of the year for the first time since its inaugural 1992-93 campaign.

Patrik Stefan posted two goals for the Thrashers (0-3-0-1), who are still looking for their first victory of the season.

The Lightning trailed 3-1 after the opening period, but scored four unanswered goals in the second to grab a 5-3 lead and they led the rest of the way.

Lecavalier opened the second-period scoring at 8:04 with his second of the season. After the Lightning won the faceoff in Atlanta's zone, Fedotenko fed the puck to Lecavalier, who snapped a wrist shot from the left circle that found the back of the net under Pasi Nurminen's armpit.

Then just 1:16 later, Lecavalier knotted the game at 3-3 off another assist from Fedotenko. The former Flyer led Lecavalier with a pass toward the net and Lecavalier was able to dive for the puck and flip it over Nurminen on a one- on-one situation.

Vaclav Prospal netted the go-ahead tally on the power play at 14:15. Prospal registered his second tally of the season by simply planting himself in front of the crease and banging in his own rebound over a falling Nurminen.

Taylor closed out the scoring in the second for Tampa Bay at 17:05 with a wrister from the slot that bounced in off the post.

Tampa Bay also opened the scoring in the third period, just 2:25 in, with Fedotenko's third of the season on a wrister from the slot to increase its lead to 6-3.

Ilya Kovalchuk collected his third of the year for the Thrashers with 8:20 left to play. The Lightning failed to clear the puck and Kovalchuk was able to steal the puck and score on a wrist shot from between the circles.

But the Lightning netted their first shorthanded goal of the season at 16:21 to go back in front by three, 7-4. St. Louis gained possession of the puck in his own zone and skated past the lone defender at the Atlanta blue line before beating Milan Hnilicka through the five-hole.

Taylor scored his second of the game at 18:30 for the final Tampa Bay goal and, on the power play, Dany Heatley closed out the scoring for the Thrashers with only 22 seconds remaining.

The Thrashers opened the scoring only 3:18 into the game on Stefan's first score of the year. On the power play, Stefan received a cross-ice pass from Richard Smehlik and from the right circle one-timed a wrist shot, which beat Nikolai Khabibulin between the legs.

At 6:53 the Thrashers increased their margin to 2-0 on Shawn McEachern's fourth of the season. McEachern gained possession of the puck right inside the blue line and beat Khabibulin through the five-hole.

Tampa Bay first reached the scoreboard at 8:12 of the opening period as Dan Boyle smacked in a rebound from close range for his first of the season.

Stefan posted his second goal of the game for Atlanta at 16:49 to close out the scoring in the first period. Stefan skated to the net untouched and placed a Kovalchuk rebound in the left corner of the net.

Khabibulin improved to 132-27-7 when his team scores three or more goals as he stopped 21 shots for Tampa Bay in this one.

Nurminen allowed five goals on 22 shots for Atlanta, before being pulled for Hnilicka, who made six saves on nine shots.