10/21/2026 12:47:00
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10/21 00:45 CDT Lightning beat Golden Knights 6-2 as Kucherov ties franchise
points record
Lightning beat Golden Knights 6-2 as Kucherov ties franchise points record
By MARK ANDERSON
AP Sports Writer
LAS VEGAS (AP) --- Anthony Cirelli scored twice, Nikita Kucherov had three
points to tie Tampa Bay's career scoring record, and the Lightning extended
their strong start by beating the Vegas Golden Knights 6-2 on Tuesday night.
The Lightning (7-2) are off to their best start since opening 7-1-1 in 2020-21,
when they repeated as Stanley Cup champions.
Vegas had won seven of eight.
Kucherov has at least one point in all 15 games he's played against the Golden
Knights. That ranks behind only Mario Lemieux (26 games against Calgary) and
Tomas Sandstrom (17 games against Tampa Bay) among players who scored in every
game against an opponent. Connor McDavid had a 17-game streak against New
Jersey that ended in January.
With a goal and two assists, Kucherov increased his total to 1,137 career
points, pulling even with former teammate Steven Stamkos for the club record.
Brandon Hagel, John Carlson and Victor Hedman also scored for the Lightning.
Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 32 shots.
Ivan Barbashev scored his first goal of the season for the Golden Knights, and
Mark Stone got his fifth in three games. Carter Hart made 15 saves on 21 shots.
Cirelli gave Tampa Bay a 3-2 lead 6:44 into the second period off a pass from
Kucherov, then scored unassisted to make it 4-2 at 10:09.
Both teams played a wide-open game. Each side scored twice in the first period
before the Lightning broke it open with three goals in the second for a 5-2
lead. Those five goals came on 14 shots, the last from the left point by Hedman
that somehow got by Hart late in the second.
Kucherov's breakaway goal early in the third made it 6-2.
Golden Knights forward Brett Howden, drafted 27th overall by the Lightning in
2016, played in his 500th career game. It was his 322nd for Las Vegas.
Up next
Lightning: Visit the Colorado Avalanche on Friday.
Golden Knights: Visit the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.
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