Lightning Strikes Penguins

Not even a three-goal lead is safe with the way the Pittsburgh Penguins are playing.

Sergey Gusev, Vincent Lecavalier and Fredrik Modin scored in the third period as the Tampa Bay Lightning scored six consecutive goals to beat Pittsburgh 7-4 on Saturday night.

The Penguins are winless in their last eight games (0-6-2) and are 0-3-2 at home this season. The winless streak ties their worst stretch in Kevin Constantine's three seasons as coach.

"It was bad weather for us for quite a few games," Constantine said. "Tonight, I say it went from bad weather to a hurricane."

Gusev scored at 1:07 of the third period to tie the game at 4-4 after trailing 4-1. Lecavalier gave Tampa Bay its first lead of the game on a power-play tally at 4:32 when he took Pavel Kubina's cross-ice pass and beat goaltender Jean-Sebastien Aubin with a shot from the right circle.

Modin jumped on defenseman Darius Kasparaitis' giveaway at 10:06 and put a quick shot over Aubin's glove for a 6-4 lead.

Stan Drulia scored an empty net goal at 18:52. Tampa Bay had four goals on six shots in the third.

Pittsburgh had a 4-1 lead with less than three minutes left in the second period. Tampa Bay tied the game with three goals in 3:27 over two periods. Seconds after Tampa Bay goalie Dan Cloutier stopped a flurry of sots, Mike Sillinger slipped the puck under Aubin at 2:20 to get the Lightning to 4-2.

"This was embarrassing," Penguins defenseman Darius Kasaparaitis said. "We stopped playing our system and that's what happens. We have to change things before it's too late."

Steve Martins made it 4-3 at 18:55 when he redirected a pass behind Aubin.

Rob Brown and Alexei Kovalev scored in the first period for Pittsburgh. Brown got a power play goal at 7:07 and Kovalev converted Martin Straka's pass at 18:59.

Jaromir Jagr did not figure in those two goals, ending a streak of 15 consecutive Penguins goals which he either scored or had an assist.

But Jagr got his 11th goal of the season at 3:22 of the second period and has a point in all 12 games this season.

Jagr, the Penguins captain, was subdued after the meeting. He stayed in uniform and tested a new pair of skates and lingered after most of his teammates were leaving.

"We care a lot. We care a lot about the team and the city and we are embarrassing right now," Jagr said. "It bothers us a lot."

As far as what it takes to cure the slump?

"I don't have a clue," Jagr said. "We have to do something different because if we play the way we are now, we're not going to win many games."

Stephane Richer scored for Tampa Bay at 11:11 and Tom Chorske scored for the Penguins 20 seconds later.

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