Bruins Beat Lightning 3-0; Tampa's Stamkos Injured

Patrice Bergeron and Daniel Paille scored 20 seconds apart a few minutes after Tampa Bay star Steven Stamkos was taken off the ice on a stretcher with a right leg injury, and the Boston Bruins beat the Lightning 3-0 on Monday afternoon.

Stamkos was hurt with 7:11 to play in the second period. He entered the day tied with Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby as the NHL's leading scorer. Stamkos got tied up with Boston defenseman Dougie Hamilton and crashed into the right post.

His left skate appeared to hit the post first before his right leg crashed into it around the shin area. He tried to get up twice before going down to the ice in pain, grabbing his leg just above the ankle.

Tuukka Rask stopped 28 shots for his 18th career shutout and second this season. Jarome Iginla added an empty-net goal with 59 seconds left.

Anders Lindback, playing just his fifth game of the season, made 23 saves for Tampa Bay, which had a four-game winning streak snapped.

The Bruins jumped ahead with just under 3 minutes left in the period when Bergeron scored off the rebound of Torey Krug's shot that caromed off the skate of Loui Eriksson.

They made it 2-0 when Paille broke in down the right wing, shifted to his backhand and slipped a shot past Lindback inside the right post. During the play, Tampa Bay defenseman Sami Salo also appeared to hurt his right leg and had trouble making it to the bench. He was briefly assisted by one of the referees on the ice and didn't return in the third period.

It was just Tampa Bay's second loss in nine games. The Lightning came into the day leading the NHL's Atlantic Division, but the loss of Stamkos will be a major blow.

Boston won its third straight.