Vasilevskiy, Kucherov help Tampa Bay Lightning end 4-game skid in 4-0 win over Stars
TAMPA, FL - DECEMBER 4: Nick Perbix #48 of the Tampa Bay Lightning against the Dallas Stars during the first period at Amalie Arena on December 4, 2023 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/NHLI via Getty Images)
TAMPA, Fla. - Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 25 shots for his first shutout of the season, NHL points leader Nikita Kucherov had a goal and an assist, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Dallas Stars 4-0 Monday night to snap a four-game skid.
Anthony Cirelli had two goals and Luke Glendening also scored for the Lightning, who were coming off an 8-1 loss at Dallas on Saturday in which Vasilevskiy allowed six goals on 25 shots before being pulled after two periods.
"I thought tonight the whole team played great," Vasilevskiy said. "Great result because of that."
Jake Oettinger stopped 19 shots as the Stars dropped to 8-2-2 on the road.
"You beat a team 8-1, especially a championship team, you know they’re going to respond," Dallas coach Pete DeBoer said. "Their best players to a man were on a diffefent level tonight."
Vasilevskiy made a terrific post-to-post save on Tyler Seguin’s left circle shot with 11.8 seconds left in the second en route to his 33rd career shutout, including six against Dallas. He is 2-3-0 in five games since returning from back surgery.
"Looks like he’s back," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.
Kucherov extended his point streak to 10 games when he opened the scoring from the low slot 7:47 into the game. The right wing has eight double-digit point streaks, which is the fourth-most among active players behind Connor McDavis (12), Sidney Crosby (11) and Leon Draisaitl (nine).
Kucherov tied the team record, held by Martin St. Louis and Brad Richards, with a 10-game assist streak by helping to set up Cirelli’s goal late in the first. He has 42 points in 25 games.
Glendening and Cirelli scored in the third period.
Dallas center Joe Pavelski had his nine-game point streak end. Pavelski came up one game short of matching his career high set in 2010-11. The 39-year old was bidding to become the second player to go 12 or more years between 10-game point streaks, joining Dave Keon who had double-digit runs in 1964-65 and 1979-80.
Stars defenseman Ryan Suter finished minus-4 in his 1,385th, which moved him past Larry Robinson into sole possession of 43rd place.
Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman became the third Lightning player and 383rd NHL player to play in his 1,000th game. The team wore Hedman 1000 jerseys during the pregame warmup.
"It’s super special," Hedman said. "Something a guy from a small town in Sweden never thought was possible."