TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -Evgeny Artyukhin is best known as a tough guy on the ice. For one night, the Tampa Bay Lightning right wing turned into a game-winning scorer.

Artyukhin scored in the eighth round of a shootout to lead the Lightning past the Ottawa Senators 3-2 on Saturday night.

``I just watched the goalie and tried to shoot low,' Artyukhin said. ``That worked.'

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Artyukhin has four goals in 82 career NHL games, and none in his last 33 dating back to Feb. 9. It was first career shootout attempt Saturday.

``I just had a hunch about Arty,' Tampa Bay coach Barry Melrose said. ``I thought, let's put the big guy out there and see what he could do.'

Artyukhin talked with his brother, who celebrated a birthday Saturday, on the phone before the game. Scoring a goal was discussed as a gift.

``I tried all game to score,' Artyukhin said.

Vincent Lecavalier and Matt Carle scored in regulation for the Lightning, who have won three in a row. Tampa Bay won the shootout 3-2.

Antoine Vermette and Dany Heatley had the Ottawa goals. The Senators completed a four-game road trip at 2-1-1.

``I thought we played a pretty solid game,' Ottawa coach Craig Hartsburg said. ``When it gets to a shootout, you don't know what's going to happen. We did some good things. We've just got to continue to improve our game.'

Carle pulled the Lightning even at 2 when he broke a personal 40 game goal-scoring drought with 6:12 left in the third. It was his first goal since Dec. 29 against Nashville.

Vermette put the Senators ahead 1-0 on a power-play rebound goal at 8:06 of the second. His first goal in nine games came after Tampa Bay goalie Mike Smith stopped a shot from the blue line by Christoph Schubert.

Smith finished with 28 saves.

``Coming from behind like that, a big goal with a few minutes left, is a huge morale boost,' Smith said.

Lecavalier tied it 1-1 from the top of the right circle at 14:09 of the second. The Lightning captain has three goals and five points in his last three games.

Just 39 seconds after Lecavalier's goal, Ottawa went back up 2-1 when Heatley scored from the low slot. He has a goal in three straight games.

Tampa Bay failed to score during a 1 minute, 46 second two-man advantage early in the third. Ottawa goalie Alex Auld turned aside the two shots he faced over the stretch.

Auld made 32 saves overall.

``I think our game is more where we want it to be,' Auld said. ``More consistent. We feel that we did a lot of things well, and there's still room for improvement. We've just to keep paying attention to details and the results will follow.'

Notes: Artyukhin had eight shots in regulation. ... Senators D Filip Kuba picked up his 12th assist - coming in 11 games - this season on Heatley's goal. ... Tampa Bay C Ryan Craig played for the first time since hurting his knee in Nov. 2008. He started this season sidelined by a groin injury. ... Ottawa D Chris Phillips, bothered by a sore foot, was in the lineup. ... Tampa Bay's Vinny Prospal and Lukas Krajicek had two assists each.