Brandon Hagel scored twice in 23 seconds during Tampa Bay’s five-goal first-period outburst as the Lightning trounced the visiting San Jose Sharks 8-1 on Thursday.
Cam Atkinson and Conor Geekie had a goal and an assist apiece before Hagel hit the net twice. Jake Guentzel, who finished with two points, scored to cap the explosive frame, putting the Lightning in position to improve to 8-0-1 in their past nine meetings with San Jose.
Anthony Cirelli, Nick Perbix and Nick Paul also scored for the Lightning, while Brayden Point dished out a career-high-tying four assists in his 600th NHL game. Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh each had two helpers.
Tampa Bay goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 20 shots to improve to 8-2-0 all-time against San Jose and win for the second time in his past five starts. The Lightning have alternated losses and wins for the past six games.
Alexander Wennberg scored for the Sharks, who slipped to 4-8-4 on the road. San Jose had a three-game winning streak end.
Sharks goalie Vitek Vanecek surrendered five goals on 12 shots and was pulled following the first period. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 20 of 23 shots in relief.
Playing without top-line right winger Nikita Kucherov, the Lightning were unfazed and got two goals from the third line on their first six shots.
Atkinson found the net on Tampa Bay’s third shot on Vanecek just 86 seconds in by tipping in his third goal after Geekie’s long shot. Geekie notched his fourth at 7:29.
Hagel tallied twice, neatly deking Vanecek at 8:32 before potting his 12th at 8:55 — giving the home side three tallies in 1:26. Guentzel’s 11th rounded out the period’s scoring on a power play at 17:45.
In the second period, McDonagh’s shot was tipped in by Cirelli for his 11th goal overall and ninth in the past 10 games at 4:16. Perbix managed his third goal to close the frame with a 7-0 edge.
Wennberg’s seventh goal broke the shutout bid 14 seconds into the third period.
Paul, in his return to the lineup after missing six games, answered with his sixth at 6:01 as Tampa Bay tied its season-high goal total.
–Field Level Media
