Andrei Vasilevskiy delivered a stellar performance with 36 saves, and the Tampa Bay Lightning extended their winning streak to five games with a 4-1 win over the Seattle Kraken on Sunday night.
Nikita Kucherov, Luke Glendening, and Nick Paul each scored in the third period, while Brandon Hagel netted his third short-handed goal of the season. The Lightning, now 6-0-1 in their last seven games, continued their strong form.
Seattle’s lone goal came from Shane Wright, while goaltender Ales Stezka made 19 saves in his NHL debut.
After a scoreless first period, Hagel put Tampa Bay ahead in the second, breaking loose on a breakaway and fending off Oliver Bjorkstrand before flipping a spinning backhand shot past Stezka at 9:27. The goal marked his league-leading seventh short-handed tally of the season.
Kucherov and Glendening extended the Lightning’s lead with goals just 1:43 apart in the third. Wright tipped in a shot from Brandon Montour at 15:24 to cut the deficit to 3-1, but Paul sealed the victory with an empty-net goal.
Takeaways
Kraken: Seattle remained winless in the second half of back-to-back games this season, falling to 0-9 in such situations. Stezka, a 28-year-old rookie, became the first goaltender to make his NHL debut for the Kraken.
Lightning: Tampa Bay continues to be a short-handed threat, scoring their 10th short-handed goal of the season, the second-most in the league behind Florida (12). Defenseman J.J. Moser returned to action after missing 28 games with a lower-body injury.
Key Moment
With Tampa Bay holding a slim 1-0 lead in the third period, the Lightning capitalized on a set faceoff play. Brayden Point won the draw cleanly back to Kucherov, who ripped a quick shot past Stezka at 11:15, giving Tampa Bay a two-goal cushion and control of the game.
Key Stat
Tampa Bay remains unbeaten in franchise history against Seattle, improving to 7-0-1 all-time in matchups with the Kraken.
Up Next
Both teams are back in action on Tuesday. The Kraken will travel to St. Louis, while the Lightning will host the Edmonton Oilers.
