TAMPA, Fla. – Richard Zednik, Mike Ribeiro, and Alex Kovalev scored in a 6-minute span of the third period, lifting the Montreal Canadiens to a 6-2 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Zednik put Montreal ahead 3-2 from in close at 3:16. Ribeiro made it a two-goal game at 6:42 before Kovalev put the Canadiens ahead 5-2 at 8:56. Jan Bulis closed the scoring with a breakaway goal with 3:03 remaining.

Rookie center Christopher Higgins scored two goals for the Canadiens, who moved within two points of seventh-place Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference. Cristobal Huet made 27 saves for Montreal, 6-0-2 in its last eight games.

Ruslan Fedotenko and Vincent Lecavalier scored for the Stanley Cup champion Lightning, who are 0-2 since returning from the Olympic break. Tampa Bay has been outscored 14-4 in the two losses.

John Grahame, one of the U.S. Olympic goalies, allowed all six Canadiens goals on 22 shots

Higgins scored from the low left circle just 12 seconds into the game. He made it 2-0 with a power-play goal at 4:54 of the second period.

Fedotenko got the Lightning within 2-1 with 3:25 left in the second. Lecavalier’s power-play goal tied it at 2 only 55 seconds into the third.

Notes: Higgins, who has 11 goals this season, had his second two-goal game this week. The Long Island native also scored twice close to home in Montreal’s 5-3 road victory over the New York Islanders on Tuesday. … Higgins’ first goal on Saturday was the fastest scored against the Lightning to start a game. It topped the previous mark of 13 seconds, set by Mike Craig of the Minnesota North Stars on Nov. 19, 1992. … Tampa Bay C Brad Richards had an assist on Lecavalier’s goal, extending his point streak to eight games. He has 11 assists and 14 points during the stretch.

AP-ES-03-04-06 2202EST