Lightning 2, Hurricanes 1
Alex Killorn scored for the first time in 13 games and Ben Bishop made 25 saves as Tampa Bay held off visiting Carolina.
Nikita Kucherov netted his 15th goal for the Lightning, who posted their ninth victory in the last 10 meetings with the Hurricanes. Bishop, who missed the previous four games with a lower-body injury, stopped 10 shots in the third period to improve to 5-0-0 lifetime against Carolina.
Defenseman Andrej Sekera scored for the Hurricanes, who have tallied only 14 times in their last 11 contests. Cam Ward was outstanding while making 36 saves for Carolina, which stayed in it by thwarting all six of Tampa Bay's power-play opportunities.
Ondrej Palat stole the puck in the left corner and fed Kucherov, who beat Ward to the glove side from the left faceoff circle 8:50 into the game to open the scoring. Bishop made a dazzling left pad save in the first period on Hurricanes defenseman John-Michael Liles and robbed Elias Lindholm with his glove in the second session to carry the 1-0 lead into the third.
Ryan Callahan deflected Valtteri Filppula’s stretch pass to Killorn, who steamed into the slot and beat Ward with a rising shot 4:53 into the third to double the advantage. Sekera took a pass from captain Eric Staal and whipped a shot past a screened Bishop from the high slot with 5:56 left to halve the deficit, but Carolina was unable to net the equalizer.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Kucherov has collected 11 points in his last eight contests and has scored three goals in two games against Carolina this season. … Sekera has registered five points - and both of his goals this season - in his last six games. … Tampa Bay D Jason Garrison missed his second straight game with an undisclosed injury while LW Jonathan Drouin sat out due to an illness.