RHP Joe Kelly will make his season debut for the Cardinals agai

DALLAS -- Being the subject of trade rumours has not slowed down Martin St. China Jerseys Store . Louis. St. Louis scored two goals for the second consecutive game to lead the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 4-2 win over the Dallas Stars on Saturday afternoon. The Lightning had lost five of their previous seven games, including a 3-2 loss to Nashville Thursday. Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said he wasnt thinking about that game when Dallas cut a 3-0 second-period deficit to 3-2. The Lightning won despite being outshot 41-21. "Clearly we were under siege for the second half of that second period, but I thought our goalie stood tall. Guys committed to blocking shots and kept pucks out." The 38-year-old St. Louis has been the subject of trade rumours, but with the Lightning fourth in the NHLs Eastern Conference, they might not want to send away their scoring leader. "That kid comes to play, and thats what you want in a player," Cooper said. "And all this speculation of him being moved or asking for a trade, that doesnt come into one spot of our locker room of trying to win a hockey game. "We needed four goals to win tonight, and he had two of them. You need that from one of your go-to guys." Nate Thompson and Sami Salo also scored for Tampa Bay. Victor Hedman and Ondrej Palat each had two assists. Goalie Ben Bishop cooled off Dallas by making 39 saves for his 29th win. Antoine Roussel and Vernon Fiddler each had a goal and an assist for Dallas. "Hes a big man," Fiddler said of the 6-foot-7 Bishop. "He covers a lot of the net. He made some big saves." The four goals allowed by Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen were his most in 12 games, since a 4-3 loss to Colorado Jan. 27. He made 17 saves. The Stars, who had been 7-1-2 in their previous 10 games, remained eighth in the Western Conference. St. Louis scored just 1:25 into the game. Eric Brewer sent a shot from the slot wide right, but the puck hit St. Louis left leg and deflected into the near side of the net past Lehtonen. The Lightning had another chance on a 2-on-1 rush 7 minutes later, but Lehtonen deflected Ryan Malones shot away into the left corner. At 12:09, Thompson gave Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead by deflecting Hedmans drive from the left point over Lehtonens left shoulder. That was the seventh shot on goal, equaling the Lightnings total for the final two periods in Thursdays loss to Nashville. Hedman earned his 100th career assist. "They got a break on the first two," Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. "One was off the side of St. Louis, and the next shot was about 4 or 5 feet high and probably going wide, but they got a stick on it." Tampa Bay outshot Dallas 11-8 in the period. The Stars dominated the second period, outshooting the Lightning 18-7. However, Tampa Bay scored on St. Louis breakaway for a 3-0 lead at 14:31. Dallas intensified its pressure, and scored twice to go into the final period trailing 3-2. At 15:50, Roussel deflected Kevin Connautons shot from the left wing boards off Lightning defenceman Michael Kostkas skate and past Bishop. Fiddler scored on a wraparound at 18:11. It was only the fourth goal for Fiddler and 10th for Roussel, who play on a defensive line with Ryan Garbutt. They combined for nine shots on goal Saturday. "When the Olympic break ended, we had a fresh start," Fiddler said. "We know weve got to get scoring throughout the lineup." The Stars had chances while on a power play for the periods final 22 seconds, but couldnt score again. "It was good we had the intermission to kind of talk about things," Bishop said. "I think Samis goal (at 7:12 of the third) was big. I think that was what sealed the game and kind of gave us a little more oomph there to finish the third period and kill off a couple penalties." In the third, Fiddlers line continued to pressure Bishop. He stopped good scoring chances by Fiddler and Garbutt early in the third. "We needed to fight back, and we did," Ruff said. "When it was 3-2, we had two or three unbelievable opportunities to tie it up. If Fiddler takes another look and just gets it up, its in the net." Salo extended Tampa Bays lead to 4-2. He took a pass off a faceoff in the neutral zone, skated in to the high slot and sent a slap shot into the top of the net. "I think we kind of burst their bubble when we got that fourth one," Cooper said. NOTES: Before Thursday, St. Louis hadnt scored since a four-goal game Jan. 18. He has scored 29 times, with multiple goals in seven games. He has a five-game point streak (four goals, three assists, seven points). ... Palat has at least a point in four consecutive games. ... Dallas had outscored its previous 10 opponents 31-13. ... The Lightning have a 5-0-2 record in the past seven games against the Stars. The teams hadnt met in more than 2 years, since Tampa Bays 2-1 victory Jan. 20, 2012, in Dallas. ... A puck sent into the Stars bench hit Ruff in the head, cutting him between his eyebrows. "Ive been hit harder. I have a small cut and a little headache," he said ... The Stars are 1-5-3 this season in games when theyve had 40 or more shots on goal. . Dallas defenceman Brenden Dillon was inactive because of a lower-body injury. Dave Pacella Jersey Store . On Thursday, a judge said Varlamov could be released if he posted $5,000 bond and be allowed to travel with the team but he was ordered to stay away from his girlfriend, among other restrictions. John Shonk Jersey Store . Trailing 4-1 in the final set, Sharapova steadied her erratic service game and took command again to beat the 56th-ranked American 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 on clay at the Magic Box tennis centre. The ninth-ranked Russian looked to be cruising before McHale broke late in the second set to tie the match and then took her commanding lead in the final set after breaking Sharapova. https://www.chinacheapjerseys.net/emanuel-king-jersey-store/ . Louis Blues are reportedly taking restricted free agent forward Vladimir Sobotka to arbitration.PITTSBURGH -- Pedro Alvarez mashed two home runs that travelled an estimated 831 feet Friday night. It was a series of sprints by the burly Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman, however, that ignited a 12-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Alvarez broke open a close game in the sixth by beating out a potential double play, followed it up with the fifth stolen base of his career then scored with a deft slide around St. Louis catcher Yadier Molinas tag that gave the Pirates the momentum they needed to pull away. "I thought the stolen base was key," manager Clint Hurdle said. "He puts a lot of focus on running the bases and hes arguably one of our best baserunners when hes on." It certainly looked like it, as Alvarezs outstretched left arm slid across the plate a split second before one of the games best defensive catchers could nab him. The Cardinals imploded from there as Shelby Miller (0-1) continued to struggle against Pittsburgh. Miller fell to 0-5 with a 5.92 ERA against the Pirates in his brief career after tying a career-high by allowing five runs in 5 1-3 innings. The right-hander is 16-5 with a 2.34 ERA in his 33 other major league appearances. "Its not the park. Its not the team. I just pitched poorly today," Miller said. "I guess it just lines up that way where I dont pitch well when I face them." Travis Ishikawa added his first major league home run in nearly two years for Pittsburgh. Gerrit Cole (1-0) gave up two runs in seven innings in his first start since losing the deciding Game 5 of the NL division series to St. Louis last October. Six months removed from a taut NLDS that pushed the eventual NL champions to the brink of elimination, the Pirates sent an early message they have no plans of going away. Cole is considered the ace in waiting after a stellar rookie season in which he was arguably Pittsburghs best pitcher over the final six weeks. Eager to take the next step in his development, the 23-year-old kept the Cardinals in check by mixing a fastball that consistently reaches the upper 90s with improved offspeeed stuff. Lew Reeve Jersey Store. He also showcased some of his maturity, working out of a bases loaded situation in the fourth by getting Jhonny Peralta to fly out. His only mistake came in the fifth when Carpenter drilled a shot into the right field stands to pull the Cardinals to 3-2. Otherwise he teamed with catcher Russell Martin to keep St. Louis in check. "I think it was just a really well-played ballgame on our part," Cole said. "I cant say enough about what Russ did behind the plate. Not sure there are any other catchers in the entire world that could handle what I threw at him tonight." Pittsburghs offence -- which mustered all of 20 hits in 35 innings of a season-opening series against the Chicago Cubs -- made sure it didnt stay close for long after pounding out 16 hits in eight innings against the NL Central favourites. Alvarez began the year in a 1 for 15 slump but ended that with a home run to the gap in left-centre for his first home run of the season. He added his second two innings later with a long drive to right-centre that travelled an estimated 448 feet. His hustle down the first-base line in the sixth allowed Pittsburghs rally to continue and the Pirates pressed the advantage. Molina committed a rare error after Alvarezs slide, botching a potential rundown at third base when his throw hit Martin in the back and rolled into the stands. The miscue gave the Pirates a 5-2 lead and Pittsburgh poured it on in the late innings. NOTES: Ishikawas solo home run in the fourth was his first since May 15, 2012 while playing for the New York Yankees. ... The start of the game was delayed 1:05 by rain, the third straight game a Cardinals game was delayed by weather. ... Injured Cardinals 2B Mark Ellis is starting baseball activities but it remains uncertain when hell be ready to return from left knee tendinitis. Ellis went on the 15-day DL on March 27 and is eligible to return on April 11. ... The series continues on Saturday. RHP Joe Kelly will make his season debut for the Cardinals against Pittsburghs Francisco Liriano (0-0, 0.00). ' ' '