Nikita Kucherov scores twice, Lightning beat Canucks 4-3 to end 3-game winless streak
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Nikita Kucherov scored twice and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-3 on Thursday night to end a three-game winless streak.
Nicholas Paul and Michael Eyssimont also scored, and Jonas Johansson made 26 saves. Steven Stamkos had an assist after missing the previous two games because of an undisclosed lower-body injury.
Thatcher Demko stopped 31 shots for Vancouver, and Brock Boeser, Tyler Myers and J.T. Miller scored. Demko had 40 saves Tuesday night in a 2-0 loss at Philadelphia.
Kucherov put Tampa Bay up 4-2 at 4:42 of the third on the Lightning's second power-play goal. Miller cut it to 4-3 with 1:49 remaining.
“Kuch took over,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.
The Lightning went ahead 3-2 on Eyssimont's goal with 4:17 left in the second, and Kucherov scored from the top of the right circle 1:09 later.
‘"I feel like it was like the last six, seven minutes (of the second) their big guys started wheeling around," Miller said. “Once they get going, they’re hard to stop.”
Kucherov and Stamkos each finished with seven shots. Kucherov hit the post early in the third.
“Work ethic,” Paul said. “When we start taking the game over, what was going well? We're moving pucks. We're hustling. We were first on the forecheck. Winning our battles in front. That's the kind of hockey we want to play.”
Boeser scored 14 seconds into the second before Myers made it 2-1 48 seconds later. Myers had his first goal of the season to match his total from both 2021-22 (82 games) and 2022-23 (78 games). He has 89 goals in 922 career games.
Boeser — who had four goals in a season-opening victory over Edmonton — is the first Vancouver player with five goals in his first four games of the season since Alexander Mogilny in 1995-96.
Elias Pettersson had two assists to give him seven overall. Only Andre Boudrias, with eight in 1974-75, has more helpers though his first four games of his season in Vancouver history.
Vancouver's Filip Hronek had an assist and seven shots,
Paul scored his third power-play goal of the season at 11:10 of the first after a turnover by Myers. Demko made a pair of strong saves on Stamkos before Paul put home a loose puck.
“I was trying to clear it,” Myers said. “I think I had more time than I thought. I couldn't get it in the air, under it. Looking back I wish I would have held on to it for a second, I think I could have.”
Stamkos and teammate Brayden Point finished at minus-2. Vancouver's Quinn Hughes was a plus-2.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Lightning: G Andrei Vasilevskiy (back surgery) remains on target to be back in late November or early December.
UP NEXT
Canucks: At Florida on Saturday night.
Lightning: Host Toronto on Saturday night.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
