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NHL roundup: Lightning work OT for 7th straight win

[February 11, 2020] Nikita Kucherov capped his two-goal night with a marker 31 seconds into overtime, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the host Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 on Monday night for their seventh consecutive win.

Knotted after a scoreless third period, the game was decided in the three-on-three session after Brayden Point stole the puck from Columbus defenseman Zach Werenski behind the Columbus net. Point then fed defenseman Victor Hedman in the slot, and the former Norris Trophy winner found Kucherov for the game-winner.

Backup goalie Curtis McElhinney made 31 saves, Pat Maroon played in his 500th career game, and the Lightning improved to 19-2-1 in their past 22 contests. Team captain Steven Stamkos (lower-body injury) was scratched, and Mathieu Joseph was recalled from Syracuse of the AHL.

Oliver Bjorkstrand had a goal and Elvis Merzlikins made his fifth consecutive start and recorded 28 saves for the Blue Jackets, who lost for the third time in their past 12 contests (9-1-2).

Islanders 5, Capitals 3

Anthony Beauvillier scored two goals while Josh Bailey and Brock Nelson each added three assists as New York scored early and often before hanging on for a win in Washington.

Capitals star Alex Ovechkin was held without a goal for the second straight game, leaving him at 698 for his career.

New York controlled this one quickly, starting when Beauvillier scored the game's first two goals en route to a 3-1 New York lead after the first period. The Islanders then scored in the first minute of the second period and were in command.

Canucks 6, Predators 2

Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller each had a goal and an assist, and Jacob Markstrom finished with 36 saves as Pacific Division-leading Vancouver jumped out to an early four-goal lead and cruised to a victory over visiting Nashville.

Quinn Hughes finished with three assists for Vancouver to become the second rookie defenseman in NHL history to record four three-assist games in a season. Ray Bourque did it for the Boston Bruins in 1979-80.

Zack MacEwen, Brandon Sutter, Jordie Benn and Jake Virtanen also scored goals, and Adam Gaudette and Troy Stecher each added two assists for the Canucks, who snapped a four-game losing streak while winning for the 10th time in their past 11 home games. Craig Smith and Mikael Granlund scored for Nashville.

Coyotes 3, Canadiens 2

Defenseman Jakob Chychrun scored the go-ahead goal with one minute left in regulation, and Arizona rallied from an early two-goal deficit to snap a six-game road slide with a victory at Montreal.

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Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) controls the puck against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the third period at Nationwide Arena. Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Derek Stepan had a goal with an assist, and Taylor Hall also scored for the Coyotes, who found themselves in a 2-0 hole less than two minutes into the game. Antti Raanta made 26 saves for Arizona, which won for just the third time in 13 games (3-7-3).

Jake Evans and Brendan Gallagher had goals, and Carey Price stopped 31 shots for the Canadiens, who were looking for a fourth consecutive victory.

Flyers 4, Panthers 1

James van Riemsdyk scored a goal and added an assist to lift host Philadelphia past Florida. The Flyers improved to 19-5-4 at home.

Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim and Claude Giroux each had one goal for the Flyers, who posted their second win in a row and their fourth in five games. Philadelphia goaltender Carter Hart made 30 saves in his first start since Jan. 13 against the Bruins.

MacKenzie Weegar scored the lone goal for the Panthers, who dropped to 1-4-1 in their six games since the All-Star break. Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 30 shots in his 500th career game.

Flames 6, Sharks 2

Milan Lucic had a goal and two assists as Calgary recorded a road victory over San Jose.

The result puts the Flames back into a playoff position, as Calgary now holds the top Western Conference wild-card slot. The Sharks' two-game winning streak ended. Mark Jankowski, Zac Rinaldo and Mikael Backlund each had a goal and an assist for the Flames. Tobias Rieder and Matthew Tkachuk also scored, and Noah Hanifin collected two assists.

San Jose entered the night with the league's best penalty-kill percentage, but the Sharks allowed power-play goals to Lucic, Tkachuk and Backlund. Erik Karlsson factored into both San Jose goals, scoring in the first period, then assisting on Brent Burns' power-play goal in the second frame.

--Field Level Media

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