Nikita Kucherov scores twice to carry Lightning past Oilers
Nikita Kucherov scored twice in a four-point performance to lead the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning to a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.
Anthony Cirelli scored twice, Jake Guentzel added a single and Brandon Hagel collected a pair of assists for the Lightning (43-21-4, 90 points), who have won three straight to maintain a hold on the second spot in the Atlantic Division.
Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made 25 saves.
Kucherov, who recorded his fifth consecutive road game with three or more points, has collected six goals and six assists in the past three outings. He moved to the top of the NHL's scoring race with 118 points.
Tampa Bay has won 12 of 14 games this season against Pacific Division clubs.
Connor McDavid and Josh Samanski replied for the Oilers (34-28-9, 77 points), who remain in second place in the Pacific Division despite losing two straight.
Goalie Connor Ingram stopped 22 shots for Edmonton, which opened the scoring but was done in by a trio of second-period goals by the Lightning.
Cirelli evened the score 97 seconds into the middle frame, burying a loose puck during a scramble.
Guentzel's power-play goal put the Lightning ahead. Upon gaining the puck at the side of the net, he went to the front and sent a shot inside the far post at 12:13.
Right after the Oilers came within a whisker of tying the clash during a 5-on-3 power play, Kucherov made it a 3-1 game by converting a short-handed breakaway upon leaving the penalty box. It is his first career short-handed marker.
Samanski was credited with his first career goal on a crazy play to make it a one-goal game at 7:16 of the third period. During a scrum at the side boards, Tampa Bay's Oliver Bjordstrand chipped the puck toward his own net. It ricocheted off the stick of Lightning defenseman Emil Lilleberg and eluded Vasilevskiy.
However, Kucherov quashed those comeback hopes with his second of the game, a quick one-timer from the bottom of the right circle set up by Hagel with 4:28 remaining in regulation.
Cirelli's empty-net goal sealed the game.
McDavid opened the scoring with 23 seconds remaining in the first period by deflecting Evan Bouchard's point shot.