Nikita Kucherov recorded a hat trick and added an assist, leading the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 6-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night.
Kucherov scored on a one-timer in the first and second periods and completed his hat trick into an empty net.
Kucherov moved into first place in NHL scoring with 80 points, continuing his battle at the top with Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon.
Brayden Point and Brandon Hagel both had a goal and an assist for the Lightning, who have won six of their last seven outings. Michael Eyssimont also scored while Andrei Vasilevskiy made 29 saves.
Cam Atkinson had a goal and an assist for the Flyers, who lost their third straight game. Jaime Drysdale and Cam York also scored.
It was Drysdale’s first goal in a Flyers uniform, who acquired him from the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 8 in a trade involving prospect Cutter Gauthier.
Samuel Ersson blocked 15 pucks in his second straight start for the Philadelphia squad.
Anthony Sanfilippo, Associated Press
Roope Hintz scores twice as Stars beat Red Wings 5-4
PHOTO PAUL SANCYA, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Roope Hintz scored two goals and the Dallas Stars beat the Detroit Red Wings 5-4 on Tuesday night.
It was only the Red Wings’ second regulation-time loss in their last 10 games.
Jamie Benn, Mason Marchment and Esa Lindell also scored for the Stars, who beat the Red Wings for the seventh straight time. Wyatt Johnston had three assists.
David Perron, Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Larkin and JT Compher scored in the loss.
Jake Oettinger blocked 30 shots for the Stars. For the Red Wings, Alex Lyon and James Reimer stopped a total of 33 shots.
Benn opened the scoring after 3:24 of play, on the power play.
The Red Wings tied the game, then DeBrincat scored his 18e goal of the season, on the power play, to make the score 2-1 with 3:07 remaining in the first period.
With just 22 seconds remaining in the period, Marchment received Matt Duchene’s pass and tied the score at 2-2.
Hintz gave the Stars a 5-2 lead by scoring his 22e goal of the campaign.
Associated Press
Hill blocks 40 shots in his return and the Golden Knights win 3-2
PHOTO DENNIS SCHNEIDLER, USA TODAY SPORTS
In his return to action, goaltender Adin Hill blocked 40 shots to help the Vegas Golden Knights defeat the New York Islanders 3-2 on Tuesday.
Ivan Barbashev and Nicolas Roy each scored and added an assist in their team’s victory. Sheldon Rempal also found the back of the net. Alex Pietrangelo had two assists.
Hill was getting his first start since Dec. 17, after missing 22 games with a lower-body injury.
Brock Nelson and Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored the Islanders’ goals. Ilya Sorokin stopped 24 pucks.
The Golden Knights scored twice in 1:49 of each other to take a 3-1 lead in the second period.
Rampal scored his first career goal with a shot from a tight angle that found its way into the back of the net at 7:18 of the middle period. Jonathan Marchessault and Barbashev had assists on Rampal’s net.
Pageau hit the target shorthanded to cut the lead to just one goal for the Islanders, midway through the third period.
The Islanders had three power plays in the third period, but couldn’t tie the score.
Nelson got his 500e career point, all with the Islanders, early in the second period. He beat Hill with a glove-side wrist shot.
Scott Charles, Associated Press
Marcus Johansson scores twice to help Wild beat Capitals 5-3
PHOTO NICK WOSIKA, USA TODAY SPORTS
Marcus Johansson scored two goals against his former team and the Minnesota Wild defeated the Washington Capitals 5-3 on Tuesday night.
Eleven different players had at least one point for the Wild, including Joel Eriksson Ek and Marcus Foligno, who finished the game with a goal and an assist.
Rookie defenseman Brock Faber also lit the red light for the Wild, who have won four of their last five games after losing eight of the previous nine. Filip Gustavsson made 31 saves to sign a third consecutive victory.
Anthony Mantha scored two goals for the Capitals, who have lost four of their last seven games. TJ Oshie also scored in the loss.
Darcy Kuemper stopped 25 pucks for Washington, who scored more than two goals for only the third time in seven games. Blanked in St. Louis on Saturday, the Capitals began the duel against the Wild with a goals scored average of 2.34, the third worst average in the NHL.
Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin failed to find the back of the net for a seventh straight game. He had collected 37 points, including 19 goals, in 22 career games against the Wild.
Mike Cook, Associated Press