A game-tying goal by the Vancouver Canucks in the third period didn’t deter a Tampa Bay victory as the visiting Lightning left Rogers Arena in Vancouver with a 4-2 victory on Sunday.
Jake Guentzel’s power-play goal with just under four minutes remaining in the game gave the visitors the lead for good, and Brayden Point capped a four-point night with an empty net goal.
Quinn Hughes secured the game’s first goal on a sneaky backhand in the first period, but 18 shots on goal for Tampa Bay in the second period included a pair of goals for a 2-1 lead through 40 minutes.
Vancouver tied the game in the opening minutes of the third period before the Lightning response.
The Lightning, now 14-9-2 this season, continue their four-game road trip with a visit to Edmonton (15-10-2) on Tuesday.
Scoring Summary
First Period
VAN 1, TBL 0
16:08 Quinn Hughes (7) - Pius Suter
Vancouver’s captain gave the home team a 1-0 lead late in the first period, receiving a won faceoff at the left point and skating down into the corner before cutting back to the top of the left faceoff circle, sneaking a backhand shot through traffic in front of the Tampa Bay net.
Shots on goal: VAN 8, TBL 6
Second Period
TBL 1, VAN 1
4:40 Nikita Kucherov (13) - Ryan McDonagh, Brayden Point
Tampa Bay’s leading scorer tied the game from the right faceoff circle after missing two games to injury. Defenseman Ryan McDonagh rushed into the left faceoff circle for the puck and then slipped the puck over to a waiting Kucherov.
TBL 2, VAN 1
6:29 Brayden Point (17) - Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman - PP
Tampa Bay’s power play stayed hot off the stick of Brayden Point, who scored from the top left side of the offensive zone with a snapshot after a pass from Kucherov.
Shots on goal: TBL 18,
Third Period
TBL 2, VAN 2
4:52 Kiefer Sherwood (8) - Tyler Myers, Aatu Raty
Forward Kiefer Sherwood found open ice in the slot and buried a pass by defenseman Tyler Myers from behind the Tampa Bay net, tying the game in the early minutes of the third period.
TBL 3, VAN 2
16:04 Jake Guentzel (12) - Kucherov, Point
Jake Guentzel gave Tampa Bay the lead on the power play late in the third period when a puck deflected off his glove and into the net.
TBL 4, VAN 2
19:42 Point (18) - EN
Point earned his fourth point of the night with the game-sealing empty net goal.
Total shots on goal: TBL 32, VAN 24
