Tampa, Fla. ? Calgary captain Jarome Iginla disrupted and distracted Tampa Bay throughout Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final with his physical play and offensive creativity.

The Lightning’s answer was Vincent Lecavalier — the same player whose perceived me-first attitude once caused a rift with coach John Tortorella.

Lecavalier set up two goals with ingenuity and in-your-face attitude, establishing an early tone in a 4-1 Lightning victory Thursday night that evened the finals.

Game 3 is Saturday night in Calgary, where the Flames are only 4-5. Tampa Bay is 5-2 on the road, but has lost its last two.

The Lightning capitalized on a deficient Calgary power play — 0-for-5 in the first two periods — and their own patience to break the game open. Ruslan Fedotenko scored in the first period, then goals by Brad Richards, Dan Boyle and Martin St. Louis in the first six minutes of the third period clinched it.

“It’s just one but, for us, it was a chance to turn the momentum around and we did that,” said St. Louis, who got his second goal in as many games. “Our desperation level was much higher.”

Dave Andreychuk, the 40-year Tampa Bay captain who finally reached the Stanley Cup final in his 22nd NHL season, assisted on Richards’ and St. Louis’ goals in a game he said the Lightning absolutely could not lose. They didn’t, with both sides crediting Lecavalier’s ability to not just set up big goals, but deliver big hits.

“Throughout the game he was physical,” Richards said. “It kind of brings everybody on the same page. You saw it happen in the last series with (Philadelphia’s Keith) Primeau and that just makes everybody believe they can do it.”

Fedotenko’s goal, his seventh in nine games and 10th of the playoffs, came just over seven minutes in. It ended Calgary’s record streak of not allowing a first-period goal in nine consecutive games.

Fedotenko grabbed Jassen Cullimore’s rebound and pushed it toward the net, then swept the puck past Miikka Kiprusoff as it lay in the crease.

Calgary goalie Miikka Kiprusoff skates behind Tampa Bay players who were celebrating Dan Boyle's third-period goal, the Lightning's third of the game. Tampa Bay won Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals with the Flames, 4-1, Thursday night in Tampa, Fla.