Anthony Cirelli scored twice in his 500th NHL game, Nikita Kucherov surpassed 100 points in a three-point showing, and the host Tampa Bay Lightning swept the three-game season series from the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 6-1 victory on Tuesday night.
The Lightning (41-25-5, 87 points) blew away the Penguins with a four-goal onslaught in the first period to climb to 25-8-2 at home and 13-2-5 against Metropolitan Division opponents.
Kucherov produced a power-play goal and two assists to hit 101 points, tying Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl for second in the league in scoring.
In his 999th game, Ryan McDonagh recorded a goal and an assist for the first time this season. Brayden Point netted his team-leading 35th goal and Brandon Hagel added a goal and a helper. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 14 of 15 shots in his 34th win.
Pittsburgh (29-33-11, 69 points) lost in regulation for just the second time in its past eight games (5-2-1). Bryan Rust found the net, while Sidney Crosby assisted to stretch his point streak to eight games.
Goalie Tristan Jarry surrendered four goals on just seven shots before being replaced late in the first by Alex Nedeljkovic (18 saves).
In an explosive first, Cirelli was struck by a puck in the slot, found it and whipped home a shot for a 1-0 lead at 12:13 that opened the floodgates.
Nick Paul and McDonagh recorded assists as Cirelli became the fifth Lightning skater to post at least 25 goals.
The home side doubled the lead 1:17 later when McDonagh centered a pass that clipped the right skate of Rickard Rakell and bounced in for the defenseman’s third goal.
Cirelli and Point created a giant gap on the scoreboard as each tallied — giving the Lightning four goals on four straight shots — to chase Jarry after 16 ineffective minutes.
In the second, Kucherov ripped his 31st goal, while Hagel tapped in his 33rd at 19:19.
Rust spoiled Vasilevskiy’s shutout bid with a redirection, his 198th career goal, at 14:15 of the third.
Evgeni Malkin missed the game with an upper-body injury and was replaced by Emil Bemstrom.
–Field Level Media
