SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) – Nikita Kucherov scored before being ejected for kneeing Matthew Tkachuk and the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Florida Panthers 4-0 in a heated game Monday night.
Jake Guentzel and Mitchell Chaffee also scored for Tampa Bay, which won for the fifth time in six games. Brandon Hagel scored an empty-netter, and Anthony Cirelli and Victor Hedman each had two assists.
Jonas Johansson had his first shutout of the season, making 36 saves, which ranks fourth in his career.
Florida had won four straight, including a 4-2 win at Tampa Bay on Sunday.
Kucherov hit his right foot late in the first period, and Tkachuk had to be helped off the ice to the locker room. Kucherov was given a serious five-minute penalty and a game violation for the hit, and Tkachuk was reinstated minutes into the second game.
Sergei Bobrovsky played in 25 games for the Panthers.
takeout
Lighting: Hagel scores a short-handed goal with 5:42 left. Lighting allowed two shorthanded goals in the first game of the home-and-home set.
Panthers: 0-for-4 on the power play. Although they started late, they played well in the second period but were unable to convert their attacking chances.
important moment
Chaffee scored his seventh goal of the season 16:24 into the first period to make it 3-0. This was Tampa Bay’s ninth power play goal in December and 26th of the season.
Main status
The Lightning had nine penalties in a total of 37 minutes, while the Panthers had nine penalties in 26 minutes.
to the next
Both teams will return to action on Saturday after the league break. The Panthers host Montreal and the Lightning host the New York Rangers.
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