Sunrise, FL -- (Sports Network) - Brad Richards and Ryan Craig each netted a pair of goals to guide the Tampa Bay Lightning past the Florida Panthers, 6-4, at BankAtlantic Center.

Dan Boyle added a goal and two assists while Johan Holmqvist stopped 31 shots for Tampa Bay, which had dropped three of four coming in.

Olli Jokinen finished with a goal and two helpers and Alexander Auld came up with 28 saves for the Panthers, who have lost six of their last eight.

"There's nobody to blame," Jokinen said. "It's only us in the room and we have to look in the mirror. For me it's always your best players have to be better than their best players and a lot of times this year we haven't been able to do that night after night."

Tampa opened up the scoring 7:38 into the contest, as Eric Perrin took a feed from Craig out in front and beat Auld with a wrister.

The Lightning had a golden opportunity to up their lead moments later when Vincent Lecavalier was dragged down on breakaway to draw a penalty shot. His backhand attempt was turned away by Auld, though, to keep it a one-goal game.

Richards changed that with 4:21 left in the first, however, on a deflection goal that upped Tampa's edge to 2-0.

The Panthers cut their deficit in half with a power-play marker with 7:39 remaining in the second. Ruslan Salei controlled the puck at the point and then sent a crisp diagonal pass down to the right corner for Ville Peltonen, who found room short side.

Gary Roberts punched home a loose puck in front with 1:55 left in the second to tie the game, then Salei scored on a one-timer from the point with eight ticks on the clock to put the Panthers in front.

The Lightning, though, ripped off three straight goals to regain command.

"We probably played a little more desperate tonight," Richards said. "We needed a win. We've got to play like that, and myself individually, more consistently. I have to have the puck. That's my game."

Craig took a drop pass from Martin St. Louis in the slot and finished it off to tie the contest at 3-3 early in the third, and Boyle gave his team the lead a couple minutes later on a quick shot from the left side of the net. Perrin and Craig then hooked up for a redirection goal at the 12:12 mark to make it 5-3.

Jokinen moved Florida within one with 3:16 left, but Richards' empty-netter in the final seconds sealed it.

Game Notes

Tampa's 20 shots in the first period was a season high...This was Tampa's first win in Florida since March 6, 2004...Florida was 2-for-5 on the power play, while Tampa went 1-for-5.