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
-
Golden Knights players react to Tortorella not returning as head coach
Golden Knights players reacted Tuesday to the news that the organization was not bringing back coach John Tortorella next season.
Mitch Marner and Ivan Barbashev reflect on Golden Knights season
Just hours after the news was made public that John Tortorella would not be continuing to coach the Vegas Golden Knights, members of the team are reflecting on his short tenure as coach and the team's third Stanley Cup run.
Tomáš Hertl reflects on Golden Knights season
Just hours after the news was made public that John Tortorella would not be continuing to coach the Vegas Golden Knights, members of the team are reflecting on his short tenure as coach and the team's third Stanley Cup run.
Rasmus Andersson and Carter Hart reflect on Golden Knights season
Just hours after the news was made public that John Tortorella would not be continuing to coach the Vegas Golden Knights, members of the team are reflecting on his short tenure as coach and the team's third Stanley Cup run.
