Kucherov scores before game misconduct, Lightning get chippy 4-0 win over Panthers

SUNRISE, Fla. - Nikita Kucherov scored before he was ejected for kneeing Matthew Tkachuk, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Florida Panthers 4-0 in a chippy game on Monday night.

Jake Guentzel and Mitchell Chaffee also scored for Tampa Bay in its fifth win in six games. Brandon Hagel had an empty-netter, and Anthony Cirelli and Victor Hedman collected two assists apiece.

Jonas Johansson made 36 saves in his first shutout of the season and No. 4 for his career.

Florida had won four in a row, including a 4-2 victory at Tampa Bay on Sunday.

Tkachuk had to be helped off the ice and to the dressing room after Kucherov crashed into his right leg late in the first period. Kucherov was given a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for the hit, and Tkahcuk returned a couple minutes into the second.

Teammates congratulate Nikita Kucherov #86 of the Tampa Bay Lightning after he scored a first period goal against the Florida Panthers at the Amerant Bank Arena on December 23, 2024 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)

Sergei Bobrovsky made 25 stops for the Panthers.

Takeaways

Lighting: Hagel scored a short-handed goal with 5:42 left. The Lighting allowed two short-handed goals in the opener of the home-and-home set.

Panthers: Went 0 for 4 on the power play. They got off to a slow start and then played better in the second period, but couldn’t finish their offensive chances.

Key moment

Chaffee made it 3-0 with his seventh goal of the season 16:24 into the first period. It was Tampa Bay’s ninth power-play goal in December and No. 26 on the season.