Stamkos lifts Predators past Lightning in shootout
Nashville won 5-4 as Steven Stamkos scored the third-period equalizer and shootout winner; Nikita Kucherov had three assists for Tampa Bay.
Steven Stamkos brought Nashville level in the third period and then settled the shootout as the Predators defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-4 at Bridgestone Arena on Saturday.
His power-play goal at 7:27 of the third erased a 4-3 Tampa Bay lead. Stamkos later beat Andrei Vasilevskiy in the fourth shootout round, while Justus Annunen denied every Lightning attempt. Annunen finished regulation and overtime with 22 saves; Vasilevskiy made 29.
Nikita Kucherov assisted on three Tampa Bay goals in his first appearance since Sportsnet reported Friday that he had requested a trade. The Lightning have said they intend to keep him.
Reid Schaefer, Adam Edstrom and Jayden Struble supplied Nashville’s other goals. John Carlson contributed a goal and an assist for Tampa Bay, which also got goals from Jake Guentzel, Victor Hedman and Conor Geekie. Geekie had put the Lightning ahead early in the third before Stamkos answered.
