LAS VEGAS (AP) — Nikita Kucherov scored a pair of third-period goals and added an assist on a late empty-netter as the Tampa Bay Lightning pulled away for a 6-3 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night.
Brandon Hagel also had two goals and an assist for the Lightning, while Gage Goncalves and Dominic James added goals. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 29 saves. James and Oliver Bjorkstrand also had a pair of assists each.
Ivan Barbashev had two goals and an assist for Vegas while Mitch Marner had a goal and two assists. Carl Lindbom stopped 21 shots for the Golden Knights.
The game was tied 2-2 after two periods but Kucherov scored his first 2:48 into the third to give the Lightning a 3-2 lead.
Marner tied it at 3-all less than a minute later but Hagel’s goal 35 seconds after that gave Tampa Bay the lead for good. Kucherov got his second on the power play with 5:47 to play to make it 5-3 and Hagel scored into an empty net with less than a minute to play.
Barbashev scored two goals in the first to give Vegas a 2-0 lead after one, but Goncalves and James scored in the second to make 2-2 after two.
The Golden Knights went scoreless on the power play in three chances.
Up next
Lightning: Home against Washington on Saturday night.
Golden Knights: Home against Anaheim on Saturday night.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
-
Fantilli scores on OT power play as Blue Jackets edge Golden Knights 2-1
Adam Fantilli scored on a power play 59 seconds into overtime and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat Vegas 2-1 on Saturday night, sending the Golden Knights to their third straight loss.
Knights in the Morning: Stone says Knights have been determined since day one
Under a first-year head coach, the Vegas Golden Knights are off to a strong start. Mark Stone tells Channel 13's Alex Eschelman there's one word to describe the club.
Golden Knights fall to Lightning at home 6-2
The Golden Knights fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday night, 6-2. Vegas hits the road for the next two games.
Golden Knights goalie Carter Hart shares story behind Elvis-inspired mask
Carter Hart gives an exclusive look at his Elvis Presley-inspired goalie mask, revealing how a friend back home helped inspire the Golden Knights goaltender’s new design.