Guentzel helps lift Lightning past Ducks in shootout

TAMPA -- Jake Guentzel scored in regulation, and had the only successful attempt in the shootout to lift the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 4-3 win against the Anaheim Ducks at Amalie Arena on Thursday.

Brayden Point also scored, Nikita Kucherov had two assists, and Victor Hedman recorded his 600th NHL assist for the Lightning (24-16-3), who are 3-1-1 in their past five games. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 34 saves.

Hedman, playing in his 1,093rd career game, became the first Lightning player to reach 600 assists and the 19th defenseman in NHL history to reach to mark.

"It's a great feeling to get that milestone," Hedman said. "Hopefully I can keep producing."

Said Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper: "You play 600 games in this league and that's a big career...but he's at 600 assists and it goes to show you the level he's played at his entire career. It's not like you can get half of those in one season. It's a consistency thing and he's been fantastic at that."

Troy Terry and Robby Fabbri scored for the Ducks (18-21-6), who have lost five of six. Lukas Dostal made 32 saves.

"[Our effort] was great, the way we played the whole game," Fabbri said. "These are the fun ones, coming into these buildings and playing these great teams and sticking with them. We gave ourselves the best chance to win tonight and unfortunately couldn't come away with both points."

Terry put Anaheim ahead 1-0 at 6:03 of the first period after a pass from Ryan Strome deflected off Lightning defenseman Nick Perbix and Terry before getting past Vasilevskiy.

Anthony Cirelli tied it 1-1 with a power-play goal at 14:19. Cirelli was set up close to the net and knocked the puck in off a pass from Brandon Hagel.

Guentzel gave the Lightning a 2-1 lead with a power-play goal at 2:51 of the second period. He got the puck past Dostal on a rebound of his initial shot from the netfront. Kucherov provided the setup pass.

"A big reason we're successful on the power play is when we can move the puck and 'Kuch' is really good at playing either side, so he can get the play started," Hedman said. "It's a good feeling when the power play is clicking."

Leo Carlsson tied it 2-2 at 11:26 with a shot from the short side after Mason McTavish got control of the puck off the boards and provided the feed.

"We needed to get back to being connected," Fabbri said. "That was what made us play faster. We got pucks to the net and that's the only way you're going to score. We had 30-something [shots] tonight, so that's a good start."

Point put the Lightning up 3-2 at 15:26 when he finished a 2-on-1 break that defenseman Olen Zellweger attempted to keep out of the net. Play was stopped moments later on the other end, and video review confirmed that the puck crossed the goal line before making contact with Zellweger’s skate.

"I didn't know it went in; I thought he blocked it," Point said. "When I heard the horn, I was kind of surprised. I thought I ran myself out of room to be honest and he got a poke check on it. But I was able to grab it and just sling it at the net."

Fabbri tied it 3-3 at 9:53 of the third period with a redirect from the slot that got past Vasilevskiy at the far post off Jacob Trouba’s shot.

"It was a great game, it was an up-and-down game," Ducks coach Greg Cronin said. "Tampa Bay is a [heck] of a hockey team and I thought it was just a real solid, fun hockey game."

NOTES: Hedman is the fourth defenseman from Sweden to reach 600 NHL assists, joining Nicklas Lidstrom (878), Erik Karlsson (656) and Borje Salming (637). ...Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak left the game early in the first period and is day-to-day. ... Kucherov had two assists to reach 598 in his career (766 games).