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Kucherov scores 2, Bolts beat Canucks 4-3 to end 3-game winless skid

Thatcher Demko makes 31 saves for Vancouver in a losing cause
Associated Press
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Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev (98) knocks Vancouver Canucks left wing Nils Hoglander (21) off the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

Nikita Kucherov scored twice and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the visiting Vancouver Canucks 4-3 on Thursday night to end a three-game winless streak.

Nicholas Paul and Michael Eyssimont also scored, and Jonas Johansson made 26 saves for the Lightning. Steven Stamkos had an assist after missing the previous two games because of an undisclosed lower-body injury.

Thatcher Demko stopped 31 shots for Vancouver, and Brock Boeser, Tyler Myers and J.T. Miller scored. Demko had 40 saves Tuesday night in a 2-0 loss at Philadelphia.

Kucherov put Tampa Bay up 4-2 at 4:42 of the third on the Lightning’s second power-play goal. Miller cut it to 4-3 with 1:49 remaining.

The Lightning went ahead 3-2 on Eyssimont’s goal with 4:17 left in the second, and Kucherov scored from the top of the right circle 1:09 later.

Kucherov and Stamkos each had six shots through two periods. Kucherov hit the post early in the third.

Boeser scored 14 seconds into the second before Myers made it 2-1 48 seconds later. Myers had his first goal of the season to match his total from both 2021-22 (82 games) and 2022-23 (78 games). He hass 89 goals in 922 career games.

Boeser — who had four goals in a season-opening victory over Edmonton — is the first Vancouver player with five goals in his first four games of the season since Alexander Mogilny in 1995-96.

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Elias Pettersson had two assists to give him seven overall and joined Daniel Sedin (2014-15) and Henrik Sedin (2013-14) as the only Vancouver players in the past 35 seasons to have six or more helpers in their first four games of the season.

Paul scored his third power-play goal of the season at 11:10 of the first after a turnover by Myers. Demko made a pair of strong saves on Stamkos before Paul put home a loose puck.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Lightning: G Andrei Vasilevskiy (back surgery) remains on target to be back in late November or early December.

UP NEXT

Canucks: At Florida on Saturday night.

Lightning: Host Toronto on Saturday night.

Mark Didtler, The Associated Press