Andrei Vasilevskiy sets franchise record for wins as Lightning take care of Ducks
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) —Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 36 shots and set a franchise record with his 132nd victory as the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Anaheim Ducks 6-2 Saturday night.
Brayden Point had two goals, and Nikita Kucherov, Pat Maroon, Anthony Cirelli and Ondrej Palat also scored for the Lightning, who have won five of their last seven games. Vasilevskiy moved past former teammate Ben Bishop atop the team’s win list.
Derek Grant had a short-handed and Rickard Rakell also scored for Anaheim. Ryan Miller finished with 21 saves as the Ducks lost for the eighth time in nine games (1-5-3).
Point’s second of the night and seventh of the season gave the Lightning the lead for good with 7:21 left in the second period. He as he took a pass from Victor Hedman, rushed down the right wing side and put a shot under Miller’s arm for his second multi-goal game of the season to put Tampa Bay up 3-2.
Maroon pounced on a rebound on Mikhail Sergachev’s shot with 5:35 left to make it a two-goal lead. Tampa Bay scored three times on five shots in the period.
Cirelli got his fifth of the season, giving him goals in four consecutive games, at 6:20 of the third, and Palat added the 100th of his career, on a power play, with 2:33 left to cap the scoring.
Point opened the scoring with 3:52 left in the first when Jan Rutta’s shot from the point was knocked down in the crease and Point popped the loose puck in.
Grant answered that 1:52 later when Kucherov’s pass attempt hit the shin of linesman Derek Nansen and bounced to an open Grant, who beat Vasilevskiy with a long-range wrist.
Kucherov put the Lightning back in front as he came off the bend to take a feed from Anthony Cirelli and beat Miller at 5:28 of the second.
The Ducks again answered quickly as Rakell one-timed Ryan Getzlaf’s feed at 7:57 — just 3 seconds after a power play expired.
NOTES: Anaheim D Hampus Lindholm returned after missing eight games with a lower body injury. ... Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos was scratched with a lower-body injury. ... Long time NHL executive and seven-time Stanley Cup winner Jimmy Devellano, a winter resident in the Tampa area, attended his first game at Amalie Arena since undergoing brain surgery. ... Kucherov returned to the lineup after missing Thursday’s game with an upper-body injury. Hedman and LW Alex Killorn each extended their point streaks to seven games. ... Anaheim’s five short-handed goals are tied for the most in the league.
UP NEXT
Ducks: Host the New York Islanders on Monday night.
Lightning: Host Buffalo on Monday night.
