Kucherov’s Late Goal Sends Lightning Past Sharks

Fresh off a big win over the Anaheim Ducks, the Tampa Bay Lightning aimed to end October with a winning record. They accomplished that goal, thanks largely to Nikita Kucherov’s game-winning goal with under a minute remaining in a 4-3 triumph over the San Jose Sharks.

Game Flow

The Lightning were ready to play from the outset. Half a minute in, Victor Hedman fired a shot that beat Sharks netminder James Reimer. That made it 1-0.

Less than a minute later, Erik Karlsson tied things up with a top shelf shot that eluded Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.

From there, the Bolts continued getting chances. It finally paid off, with Ross Colton taking advantage of a rebound and firing the puck into a wide open net to give the team a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes.

In the middle frame, both teams saw offensive zone time. The Sharks held a slim advantage in shots, 9-8, but each team scored.

Nico Sturm took advantage of a defensive breakdown by the Bolts five and a half minutes in to tie the game at two apiece.

With under two minutes remaining in the second, Alex Killorn’s wrist shot gave the Lightning a 3-2 lead after 40 minutes.

Entering the final period of play, it was important for the Bolts to stay disciplined and play smart hockey. That wasn’t the case early, as both Hedman and Kucherov took stick penalties.

Hedman’s proved to be costly, with Karlsson scoring his second goal of the game to tie things up once again.

As time wound down, the Lightning pushed for the game winning goal. Multiple chances yielded nothing until a final rush up ice resulted in Brandon Hagel finding Kucherov. He didn’t miss this time, beating Reimer to make it 4-3.

Game Notes

• After starting the season 1-3, the Lightning ended the month of October with a winning record of 5-4.
• Brandon Hagel continued his hot streak, with six points in his last four games.
• Nick Paul has a four game point streak.
• Brayden Point scored his 375th and 376th career point in this game.

Next Up

Coming off a relatively successful California trip, going 2-1, the Lightning finally return home. They start a four game home stand on Tuesday night against the Ottawa Senators. Puck drop is set for 7pm EST.