Lightning down Coyotes for sixth straight win
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Nikita Kucherov scored for a third consecutive game and set up one of two Tampa Bay goals in a 41-second span of the first period, and the league-leading Lightning won a season-high sixth straight game by beating the Arizona Coyotes 4-1 Thursday night.
Kucherov took over the NHL scoring lead by one point (44-43) over teammate Steven Stamkos, who had an assist, and the Lightning improved to an NHL-best 23-6-2 while dropping Arizona to a league-worst 7-22-5. The Coyotes lost their fifth in a row and eighth in nine games.
Tyler Johnson and Brayden Point also had a goal and an assist each to support goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, who excelled again by stopping 32 shots. Vasilevskiy has given up only eight goals while winning his last five starts, and is a league-best 21-4-1.
The Lightning, coming off a 3-0 win over Eastern Conference-leading St. Louis on Tuesday, took control in less than a minute of the first period against Arizona, which is finally settling in at home after playing 21 road games by Dec. 10 -- the most in NHL history.
With Tampa Bay on the power play, Vladislav Namestnikov pushed in the rebound of a Stamkos shot from the left circle that Antti Raanta couldn't control 11:30 into the game -- one of Tampa Bay's 46 shots.
Only 41 seconds later, Point got behind two defenders and beat Raanta on a short breakaway for his 14th goal, and exactly the kind of game-altering score off a defensive breakdown that Arizona has constantly given up while going 3-9-1 at Gila River Arena.
Kucherov tied Alex Ovechkin of Washington for the NHL goal-scoring lead by getting his 22nd, a wrist shot that deflected off Arizona defenseman Jason Demers and past Raanta 6:11 into the second.
Arizona rookie Clayton Keller ended a 17-game goal-scoring drought by scoring his team-high 12th on a power play later in the second, but Johnson restored Tampa Bay's three-goal advantage 31 seconds into the third. Johnson has four of his eight goals, plus seven assists, in his last six games.
NOTES: Coyotes C Zac Rinaldo (illness) was scratched and replaced by C Nick Cousins. ... Lightning RW Ryan Callahan went to the dressing room holding his right forearm after colliding into the boards with Arizona D Oliver Ekman-Larsson in the third period. ... Arizona rookie RW Christian Fischer was struck in the mouth by a shot from Tampa Bay D Anton Stralman with 5:55 gone in the game, but returned later in the first. ... The Coyotes played the first of five consecutive home games after being on the road for 21 of its first 33. ... Tampa Bay is 10-4-1 on the road.