AP

Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman help Lightning beat Jets 7-4

Apr 16, 2022, 6:55 AM | Updated: 8:30 pm

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey (44) celebrates with teammates after scoring past Tampa Bay...

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey (44) celebrates with teammates after scoring past Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Brian Elliott (1) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 16, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

(AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)


              Winnipeg Jets left wing Kyle Connor (81) scores past Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Brian Elliott (1) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 16, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
            
              Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neal Pionk (4) send Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Brandon Hagel (38) flying with a check during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 16, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
            
              Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neal Pionk (4) upends Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Brandon Hagel (38) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 16, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
            
              Winnipeg Jets center Adam Lowry (17) and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Zach Bogosian (24) fight during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 16, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
            
              Winnipeg Jets left wing Zach Sanford (13) and Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Corey Perry (10) fight during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 16, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
            
              Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey (44) celebrates with teammates after scoring past Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Brian Elliott (1) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 16, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Nikita Kucherov scored twice and added two assists, Victor Hedman had four assists and the Tampa Bay Lightning tied a season high in goals in a 7-4 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday night.

Two-time defending champion Tampa Bay won consecutive games for the first time since a four-game winning streak from March 26 to April 1.

Steven Stamkos and Nick Paul each had a goal and an assist, Mikhail Sergchev, Alex Killorn and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare also scored, and Brian Elliott stopped 14 shots for his 10th victory of the season.

Kyle Connor, Paul Stastny, Josh Morrissey and Adam Lowry scored for Winnipeg. Connor Hellebuyck made 25 saves before being replaced by Eric Comrie, who stopped all five shots he faced. The Jets have just two wins in their last eight games.

“I don’t know whether it’s tired, lack of motivation from some guys in the room,” Connor said. “It’s definitely frustrating.”

The Lightning scored three goals in the third period to break a 4-4 tie.

Stamkos broke the tie with a backhander three minutes into the period Kucherov scored his second of the night at 6:50, tipping a shot-pass from Hedman before Sergachev capped the scoring at 11:55.

“It kind of felt like our old selves a bit in the third in terms of just the execution of the plays and the plays we were making,” Stamkos said. “That was kind of the hockey that we’re accustomed to playing and playing with confidence and poise.”

The Lightning scored seven goals in a game for the fifth time this season.

“We just want to win hockey games, that’s the bottom line, it doesn’t matter how it goes or how we win them,” Hedman said. “Today was a high scoring affair and we’re happy we get out with the two points.”

The teams traded goals in the first period, Stastny deflecting a Nikolaj Ehlers shot 56 seconds into the game, which was answered by a power play goal from Killorn at 6:05. Connor scored his 43rd of the season on a breakaway at 13:46, with Tampa Bay answered at 18:21 by Bellemare, who threw a puck from the side boards that hit the stick of Pierre-Luc Dubois and deflected past Hellebuyck.

Morrissey followed up a shot from Adam Lowry and poked in the loose puck to put the Jets in front 3-2 at 7:36 of the second period. Tampa Bay challenged the play for offside, but the goal was upheld after review and the Lightning were assessed a delay of game penalty. With two seconds remaining on the man advantage, Neal Pionk sent a wrist shot from the right point that was tipped by Blake Wheeler to give the Jets a 4-2 lead at 9:34.

The Lightning clawed back in with Paul taking a sweeping Kucherov backhand pass and settling the puck down for a wrist shot at 13:56 to make it 4-3. Then late in the period, Kucherov worked a give-and-go with Hedman, Kucherov finishing off the return pass to tie the game at 18:03.

“I thought we were in control of the hockey game,” Winnipeg interim coach Dave Lowry said. “We were up 4-2 and then they had a couple of shifts back-to-back where they were able to score that third goal and then equalize the game before the period was over. We did a lot of good things for two periods.”

ELLIOTT RE-UPS

The Lightning signed backup goaltender Brian Elliott to a one-year contract extension on Friday for $900,000 to ensure he remains as the No. 2 netminder behind Andrei Vasilevskiy. Elliott entered Saturday with a 9-3-3 record, 2.23 goals against average and .921 save percentage. The 37-year-old who has had stops in Ottawa, Calgary, St. Louis, Philadelphia and Colorado, was scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

“He’s another guy that’s a great pro and he’s an excellent complement to (Vasilevskiy),”‘ Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.

NOTES: Winnipeg C Mark Scheifele missed his third consecutive game with an undisclosed upper-body injury. … Jets RW Nikolaj Ehlers extended his scoring streak to a career-high nine games. … Stamkos ended a six-goal goals drought.

UP NEXT

Jets: At New York Rangers on Tuesday night.

Lightning: Host Detroit on Tuesday night.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Associated Press

Ex-Packer Guion gets 1 year for domestic violence assault

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest in a domestic violence assault at his home last fall. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh also ordered Guion on Tuesday to serve three years’ probation and complete a domestic […]

1 year ago

Joe Jarzynka...

Associated Press

Durant eager for Suns debut vs. Hornets after knee injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant has been through quite a bit during his 15-year NBA career — but joining a new team midway through the season is a new one for the 13-time All-Star. The 34-year-old Durant doesn’t seem all that worried. Durant makes his highly anticipated Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against […]

1 year ago

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the second half of an N...

Associated Press

Judge: NFL coach can press discrimination claims in court

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can pursue some of his discrimination claims against the league and its teams in court rather than through arbitration, a judge ruled Wednesday. The written decision by Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan was issued months after lawyers for the league tried to get the lawsuit moved to […]

1 year ago

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock cools off in the first period during an NHL hockey game ...

Associated Press

Kane trade reinforces hard reality of Blackhawks rebuild

CHICAGO (AP) — After days of speculation, the harsh reality of the Chicago Blackhawks’ situation was reinforced by one move in a flurry of transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Showtime is over, at least in Chicago, and a seemingly bright future is, well, way off in the distance. The reverberations of Chicago’s decision […]

1 year ago

FILE -  Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, wearing a protective face mas...

Associated Press

Disgraced ex-Haitian soccer president announces he’s back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s former soccer federation president whose lifetime ban from sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month announced Wednesday that he is reclaiming his position. Yves Jean-Bart’s defiant announcement could lead to a standoff with FIFA, which already has appointed an emergency management committee to lead the Haitian Football Association […]

1 year ago

FILE - Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the ...

Associated Press

Rodgers says decision on future will come ‘soon enough’

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future “soon enough” as the four-time MVP quarterback ponders whether to play next season and if his future remains with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, 39, discussed his future while speaking on an episode of the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that […]

1 year ago

Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman help Lightning beat Jets 7-4