TAMPA, Fla. -- Steven Stamkos stopped worrying about not a scoring goal over an extended period. On Thursday night, the Tampa Bay star showed why. Stamkos had three goals and an assist, Valtteri Filppula added two goals, and the Lightning beat the Florida Panthers 7-2 on Thursday night. Stamkos, second in the NHL with 29 goals during the abbreviated 2012-13 season, stopped a five-game goal drought dating back to last season. "To be completely honest, I think this might have been the first time that I didnt (worry)," Stamkos said. "Usually I do. If I dont score one game, sometimes you have trouble sleeping, thinking what you should have done. I just kind of had an eerie feeling that tonight was going to be a good night." Stamkos completed his sixth career hat trick on a one-timer from the top of the left circle during a power play at 12:25 of the third. "He scores when he get opportunties," Lightning goalie Ben Bishop said. "Its a lot nicer having him on your team than playing against him." Martin St. Louis added a goal and an assist for the Lightning, who have won three in a row after a season-opening loss at Boston. Bishop made 19 saves and improved to 3-0 on the season. Florida, which lost three of four during a season-opening road trip, got goals from Brad Boyes and Jonathan Huberdeau. "We didnt respond well to pressure," Florida coach Kevin Dineen said. "When they pressured our players, instead of responding to that, understanding that it was coming, I think it created turmoil for us." Filppula scored consecutive third-period goals to give the Lightning a 6-2 lead. St. Louis, playing at home for the first time since being selected team captain earlier this month, made it 1-0 off a pass through the slot by Stamkos 8:13 into the game. St. Louis has 917 points, which moved him past Bobby Orr (915) into 94th place on the NHL all-time list. "I dont think its something that you think about when you start your career," St. Louis said. "A pretty special player that I get to pass." St. Louis goal marked the first time this season that Tampa Bay took a lead during regulation. The Lightnings other two victories came in overtime and a shootout after third-period comebacks. Stamkos put the Lightning up 2-0 when he beat goalie Jacob Markstrom for a short-handed goal at 13:54 of the first. It was Tampa Bays first short-handed goal since Ryan Malone scored one on March 26, 2012. "You know theyre dynamic," Dineen said of Stamkos and St. Louis. "You know that if one guy has the puck, hes looking for the other guy, that theyre really highly skilled players, but more than anything, they work as hard as anybody in the league. If you dont match that, if you dont have 100 per cent buy-in and effort to try to contain them, youre going to get lit up like we did tonight." Boyes got the Panthers within 2-1 on a power-play goal 59 seconds into the second. Florida had failed to convert on its previous 17 man-advantage opportunities this season. Tampa Bay went up 3-1 when Stamkos scored from the right circle with 8:21 left in the second. Ondrej Palat added a late second-period goal. Huberdeau, last seasons Calder Trophy winner as rookie of the year, scored his first goal in nine games early in the third. NOTES: Florida G Tim Thomas (groin) said he felt "better" after skating and taking some shots Thursday. Dineen said its very doubtful that Thomas, who was hurt Tuesday at Philadelphia, will be ready for Fridays home opener. ... Panthers C Shawn Matthias played after missing the morning skate due to flulike symptoms. ... Markstrom was pulled midway through the third after allowing six goals on 24 shots. NEW ORLEANS -- Carmelo Anthony made up his mind. He was taking the big shots in crunch time, and there wasnt anything 6-foot-10 All-Star Anthony Davis or anyone else on the Pelicans could do about it. "It was just a game where I didnt want to see slip away," Anthony said. His 12-foot jumper over Davis from the left side of the lane with 1:14 left, followed by a strikingly similar 14-footer over Luke Babbitt half a minute later, capped a 42-point performance that lifted the New York Knicks to 98-91 victory Wednesday night and halted a three-game skid. Looking to somehow stop Anthony from beating them in the waning minutes, the Pelicans sent Davis to the perimeter to guard New Yorks prolific scorer. But Anthony had no intention of giving up the shot, and had a plan to create an open look against the NBAs leading shot blocker. "Without a doubt. I knew once I beat him, just get a little bit of space from him, I had a chance of making the shot," Anthony said. A night after losing at Memphis, New York blew a 13-point, fourth-quarter lead before Anthony took over. J.R. Smith had 19 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 16 for New York, which lost Iman Shumpert to a sprained left knee in the third quarter. Tyson Chandler had 11 rebounds and a pair of blocks in the final minutes. Eric Gordon scored 28 for the Pelicans, but was shut out in the fourth quarter. Davis finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Austin Rivers finished with 14 points and Brian Roberts 10 for the Pelicans, whove lost three of four. It was almost enough in a see-saw game included 16 lead changes and six ties, if only the Pelicans had an answer for Anthony. "Our help (defence) was trying to get there, but you cant help against a guy like that if you give him one or two dribbles to the basket," Pelicans coach Monty Williams said of Anthony. "He was efficient all night long. ... He hit tough shots. A lot of those shots had a hand in his face." Then there was one critical, late sequence in which Chandler saved a lost ball after a missed shot and got it to AAnthony for a layup "I just wanted to win.dddddddddddd Whatever it took to keep that play alive," Chandler said. "Those kind of plays ultimately help you win basketball games." New York appeared to be seizing control late in the third quarter, which the Knicks closed with an 8-2 run that included two jumpers by Anthony, Hardaways breakaway dunk set up by Raymond Feltons block of Rivers, and Chandlers one-handed alley-oop finish over Davis. Smith then hit a 3 and driving layup to open the fourth quarter, giving New York its largest lead at 83-70. But the unlikely combination of Rivers, Babbitt and Roberts helped New Orleans storm back. Rivers hit a driving layup and a 3. Babbitt added a 3 and driving layup to cap an 11-2 spurt. Later, Babbitts turnaround and Roberts two consecutive driving floaters vaulted New Orleans back into the lead at 89-88 with 3:58 to go, setting the stage for Anthonys resounding finish. Anthony and Gordon wasted little time working their way into double-digit points, dueling throughout a tight first half in which neither team led by more than six points. Anthony scored 18 points in the opening two periods and Gordon 17. New York led by only a basket after Rivers pull-up jumper late in the second quarter, but Hardaway hit a 3 and Anthony added a free throw to make it 53-47 at halftime. Ultimately, Babbit said, the Pelicans were simply taken down by "one of the best one-on-one players in the league." "Carmelo was just in the zone tonight," Babbitt continued. "He was in rhythm. He made some plays down the stretch that really hurt us." Notes: Knicks F-C Amare Stoudemire sat out with left knee soreness. ... The Knicks said Shumpert would return to New York for further evaluation. He tore the ACL in the same knee in 2012 as a rookie. "They said my ACLs fine," Shumpert said. "That was my biggest concern." ... Each of New Orleans last three losses have come against Eastern Conference teams. The Pelicans next two games are on the road against East clubs Charlotte on Friday and Washington on Saturday. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Auston Matthews Maple leafs Jersey ' ' '