AP

Stamkos has 1st 100-point season, Bolts top Blue Jackets 4-1

Apr 26, 2022, 6:36 AM | Updated: 7:49 pm

Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91) celebrates his goal during the second period of an N...

Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91) celebrates his goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Columbus Blue Jackets Tuesday, April 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. The goal gave Stamkos 100 points this season. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

(AP Photo/Jason Behnken)


              Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) makes a save on a shot from Columbus Blue Jackets center Gustav Nyquist (14) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)
            
              Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91) and center Brayden Point (21) celebrate Stamkos' goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Columbus Blue Jackets Tuesday, April 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)
            
              Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak (81) and center Brayden Point (21) get the puck from Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Jakub Voracek (93) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)
            
              Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Carson Meyer (55) and Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (41) battle for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)
            
              Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91) scores a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Columbus Blue Jackets Tuesday, April 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. The goal gave Stamkos 100 points this season. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)
            
              Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91) celebrates his goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Columbus Blue Jackets Tuesday, April 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. The goal gave Stamkos 100 points this season. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)
            
              Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91) and right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) celebrate Stamkos' goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Columbus Blue Jackets Tuesday, April 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. The goal gave Stamkos 100 points this season. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)
            
              Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) doesn't like the call as after he is called for slashing during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Columbus Blue Jackets Tuesday, April 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)
            
              Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91) celebrates his goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Columbus Blue Jackets Tuesday, April 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. The goal gave Stamkos 100 points this season. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Steven Stamkos reached the 100-point mark for the first time in his NHL career by scoring two goals and assisting on two more, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1 on Tuesday night for their fourth consecutive victory.

Stamkos had an assist and a power-play goal in the first period, then got point No. 100 when he took a pass from Nikita Kucherov and beat Elvis Merzlikins from the right circle at 7:29 of the second to put Tampa Bay ahead 3-1.

Stamkos also assisted on Ondrej Palat’s third-period goal for his 101st point; his previous career high was 98 points in 2018-19. He has at least three points in each of his past five games and is the eighth NHL player to reach 100 points this season.

“It’s been a pretty good run here in the last couple of weeks,” Stamkos said. “If you would have asked me about this a couple of weeks ago, I would’ve settled for something less than 100.”

Kucherov had a goal and three assists, giving him nine points in his past two games, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 20 saves for Tampa Bay, which will look to extend its Stanley Cup championship streak to three straight when the playoffs begin next week.

“Everything is coming together at the right time,” Stamkos said of the Lightning, who reached the 50-win mark for the fourth time since entering the NHL in 1992. “That’s more important. We want to be feeling good about ourselves going into the postseason and we’re certainly trending in that direction.”

The Stamkos-Kucherov combination has fueled Tampa Bay, which has outscored its opponents 26-8 during the winning streak.

“That line has been extremely hot,” coach Jon Cooper said, “and it’s no surprise that we’re winning.”

Oliver Bjorkstrand scored a first-period power-play goal and Merzlikins finished with 28 saves for the Blue Jackets, who are 1-4-1 in their last six games.

But Columbus coach Brad Larsen wasn’t unhappy with his team’s effort, even with the loss.

“You make mistakes with a team like that, they’re lethal,” he said. “One little mistake and it ends up in your net. They’ve won two Cups for a reason.”

Each team scored before the game was three minutes old.

Kucherov extended his goal streak to seven games when his wrist shot from the high slot sailed through traffic and past Merzlikins at 1:37. The Blue Jackets tied it at 2:59 when Bjorkstrand beat Vasilevskiy with a power-play one-timer from the top of the left circle for his 26th of the season.

Stamkos put the Lightning ahead 2-1 with about three minutes left in the first, beating Merzlikins with a power-play one-timer from the lower left circle and got his second in the second period.

Palat converted Kucherov’s passout with 5:07 remaining in the game for his 18th goal.

“This game is something for our group to learn from,” Bjorkstrand said after the Lightning allowed Columbus just 21 shots on goal while blocking 25 others.

The Lightning played the final 2 1/2 periods with five defensemen after Erik Cernak was hit in the face by a deflected shot during a first-period power play.

THE 600 CLUB

Victor Hedman’s assist on Stamkos’ first goal was the defenseman’s 600th NHL point. All 600 have come with the Lightning, who selected him No. 2 in the 2009 NHL Draft, one year after taking Stamkos with the No. 1 overall pick.

“It’s been an honor with him and call him my friend,” Stamkos said. “I see him game in and game out, all the minutes he plays, and he’s not even close to being done.”

NOTES

Stamkos passed Martin St. Louis on Thursday to become the Lightning’s career scoring leader. He is one goal shy of his sixth season with at least 40 goals … Kucherov has 13 goals in his past 13 games and 28 points in 14 games this month. … Tampa Bay was 1 for 2 on the power play and is 11 for 21 with the extra man in its past six games. … The Lightning have won five in a row against the Blue Jackets and have outscored Columbus 11-3 in two wins this season.

UP NEXT

The Blue Jackets and Lightning head for Columbus, where they play the second of their home-and-home series on Thursday.

___

More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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

Stamkos has 1st 100-point season, Bolts top Blue Jackets 4-1