Kucherov scores natural hat trick as Lightning beat Sabres 8–3

Nikita Kucherov scored three straight goals in the third period to lift the Tampa Bay Lightning to an 8–3 win over the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Wednesday. John Carlson set up all three goals and finished with a goal and four assists.

Tage Thompson had pulled Buffalo within one just 33 seconds into the third. Kucherov restored Tampa Bay’s two-goal lead 52 seconds later, scoring on a breakaway and chasing Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen from the net. He beat replacement Colten Ellis at 4:11 and again on a power play at 14:13 to complete his eighth NHL hat trick.

Kucherov then set up Brandon Hagel’s second goal of the night. Jake Guentzel finished with four assists, and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 28 shots for Tampa Bay.

The Lightning had led 4–0 in the second period before Josh Doan and Jason Zucker scored for Buffalo. Tampa Bay improved to 12–4–2 with its fourth win in five games. Buffalo fell to 8–7–3 after its third loss in four.