(The Sports Xchange) – Highlights from National Hockey League games on Monday:
Lightning 3, Wings 2
Nikita Kucherov scored twice, including the game-winner in the third period, as the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 on Monday.
Kucherov slammed the rebound of a Steven Stamkos shot past Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard 1:47 into the third to snap a 2-2 tie.
Kucherov has now scored in all six games this season, the first NHL player to do that since Keith Tkachuk of the St. Louis Blues in 2008-09. The Tampa Bay winger has seven goals in all.
The Lightning (5-1-0) beat the Red Wings (4-2-0) for the eighth consecutive regular-season meeting.
Tampa Bay opened the scoring 9:15 into the game while killing a penalty. Lightning forward Tyler Johnson pounced on a turnover, burst past Red Wings defenseman Trevor Daley into the clear and slid the puck between Howard’s pads.
Kucherov whipped a shot by Wings defenseman Jonathan Ericsson and past a screened Howard (23 saves) on a Tampa Bay power play at 10:56 of the first period.
Darren Helm thought he got the Wings on the board 2:30 into the second period when he drove a hard shot past a fallen Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy (29 saves). However, after video review, it was determined that Detroit forward Justin Abdelkader committed goalie interference just prior to Helm’s shot.
In a bizarre twist, Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman was also called for hooking while Abdelkader was breaking in alone on Vasilevskiy, and since Helm’s goal was disallowed, Abdelkader was awarded a penalty shot. Abdelkader cut to his left and put a low show through the legs of Vasilevskiy for his second goal of the season.
Detroit defenseman Mike Green, who came into the game leading the team in scoring with eight points — all assists — tallied his first goal of the season 16:02 into the second period. Following his shot to the net, Green jammed the rebound past Vasilevskiy.
