VANCOUVER - Steven Stamkos scored twice and added an assist, and Ben Bishop made 30 saves Saturday as the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated Vancouver 4-2 to hand the Canucks their first loss of the season.
Ryan Callahan added a goal and an assist for Tampa Bay (3-1-1), while Alex Killhorn also scored. Ondrej Palat chipped in with two assists.
Chris Higgins and Alexander Edler replied for Vancouver (3-1-0), which got 20 stops from backup goalie Eddie Lack in his first start of the season.
The Canucks opened with two wins against the Edmonton Oilers — including Friday night's road victory — and one over the Calgary Flames, but found it much tougher sledding against one of the Eastern Conference's best teams.
Down 2-1 after 20 minutes, the Canucks evened the score at 2:42 of the second when Edler took a pass from Daniel Sedin off the rush on a power play and ripped a shot past Bishop for his first of the season.
After Vancouver failed to score on three straight man-advantage opportunities later in the period, the Lightning retook the lead at 16:48 just after a 5-on-3 power play expired. Stamkos shattered his stick on a one-timer, went to the bench to pick up some new lumber and promptly fed Callahan, who buried his third past a helpless Lack after some prolonged pressure.
Tampa Bay then stretched its lead to 4-2 at 6:04 of the third when Lack made a great save off Tyler Johnson in front only to have Killhorn shovel home the rebound for his second of the year.
Vancouver had a chance to get closer on a power play midway through the third, but Bishop scrambled to keep a shot out that deflected off a skate in front before hitting the post.
The Canucks announced in an email to season ticket holders on Friday that the game against the Lightning would not be a sellout, snapping a streak of 474 straight full houses at Rogers Arena. The last time Vancouver played before a less-than-capacity crowd at home was on Nov. 12, 2002.
Starting in place of Ryan Miller, Lack called Stamkos one of the three best players in the world after Saturday's morning skate and the Tampa Bay sniper showed why early. Palat jumped on a turnover by Canucks captain Henrik Sedin in the neutral zone and found a streaking Stamkos, who beat Lack with a slick backhand on the Vancouver goalie's first shot against of the season after just 53 seconds.
The Canucks were looking to open with four consecutive wins for the first time since 1992 and got things back to even when Higgins followed up his own rebound for his first of the campaign at 7:15.
But Stamkos grabbed his second of the night and fifth of the young season just 1:11 later. Canucks defenceman Dan Hamhuis fanned on a clearing attempt behind his net and Callahan poked the puck out front to the Lightning captain, who beat Lack on his team's third shot of the night.
Vancouver's Alexandre Burrows then had a great chance to draw his team even with two minutes to go in the period, but he couldn't get the puck past Bishop after taking a feed from Henrik Sedin off a short-handed rush.
Notes: Lightning defenceman Victor Hedman left in the second period with an upper-body injury and did not return. ... The Canucks start a three-game road trip on Tuesday against the Dallas Stars. ... The Lightning continue their five-game road trip on Monday against the Oilers. ... The Canucks visit the Lightning in their only other meeting on Jan. 20. ... Vancouver defenceman Ryan Stanton sat out after suffering an injury in Friday's game, with Yannick Weber taking his spot in the lineup... Frank Corrado was recalled from the AHL's Utica Comets but didn't dress.
