Lightning overpower Stars for 6-1 victory
TAMPA, Fla. -- In a battle of the NHL's top two power plays, the red-hot Tampa Bay Lightning managed to score on both Thursday night, getting a power-play and short-handed goal en route to a 6-1 victory over the Dallas Stars at Amalie Arena.
Steven Stamkos scored twice and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy outplayed former Tampa Bay teammate Ben Bishop, who gave up six goals in his return to Tampa, the most he has allowed since he was traded away last spring.
Vasilevskiy finished with 27 saves for his league-best 14th win.
Tampa Bay (15-2-2) continued its dominating play, now 6-0-1 in its last seven games, starting with a power-play goal from Stamkos 47 seconds into the second period. He added an even-strength goal in the third period, giving him 10 goals for the season.
Stamkos went into the night as the NHL's points leader, and the power-play goal was also his league-best seventh.
Radek Faksa tied the score for Dallas (9-9-1) with 16:26 left in the second period, stealing the puck and scoring on a breakaway for his fourth goal and a 1-1 tie.
That didn't last long, as Lightning rookie Mikhail Sergachev fired a long shot past Bishop for a 2-1 lead with 15:09 left in the second period, his fifth goal of the season.
The Lightning's special teams are playing so well that they scored against the NHL's No. 1 power play. Brayden Point stole the puck from defenseman John Klingberg behind the net and wrapped it around for a short-handed goal.
Point's eighth goal of the season was the third short-handed goal for the Lightning this season, and only the second allowed by Dallas.
Dallas had a five-on-three power play for 25 seconds late in the second period but couldn't convert even that.
Tampa Bay added three even-strength goals in the third period, from Stamkos and defenseman Jake Dotchin, his second of the season. The last came from Nikita Kucherov, who extended his NHL lead with his 17th goal with 6:08 left.
NOTES: Tampa Bay continues a three-game homestand Saturday against the New York Islanders, with the Chicago Blackhawks coming to Tampa on Wednesday. ... Dallas returns home for two games, with Edmonton on Saturday and Montreal on Tuesday. ... Lightning C Cedric Paquette missed a 12th straight game with an upper-body injury, with C Gabriel Dumont and D Slater Koekkoek as healthy scratches. ... Dallas D Marc Methot missed a fourth straight game with a lower-body injury, and RW Brett Ritchie missed his fourth straight with an upper-body injury.