WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington’s Darcy Kuemper got the best of the Tampa Bay Lightning again, making 28 saves to lead the Capitals to a 5-1 victory Friday night against the team he beat for the Stanley Cup last summer in a game full of boiling tensions and a couple of fights.
Kuemper was facing the Lightning for the first time since defeating them in Game 6 of the final while with Colorado. He picked up his fifth win in 12 starts since leaving the Avalanche and signing a long-term deal with the Capitals.
Sonny Milano scored twice and Anthony Mantha and Aliaksei Protas each had a goal for Washington.
The Capitals won despite playing almost two periods down a forward after Nicolas Aube-Kubel was given a match penalty for an illegal check to the head of Lightning defenseman Cal Foote, who did not return.
Rookie Nick Perbix scored for Tampa Bay in the third period, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 19 saves.
The defending Eastern Conference champion Lightning have lost two in a row and six of their past seven.
SHARKS 5, STARS 4
DALLAS (AP) — Tomas Hertl scored early in the third period, and San Jose stopped a five-game losing streak.
Alexander Barabanov, Logan Couture, Timo Meier and Hertl each had a goal and an assist, and Evgeny Svechnikov also scored to help the Sharks get their first win since Oct. 27. James Reimer had 25 saves to end a personal four-game losing streak.
Couture also had a fighting penalty, giving him a Gordie Howe hat trick.
Jamie Benn scored twice in the first period and Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski also scored for the Stars. Jason Robertson had two assists.
WILD 1, KRAKEN 0
SEATTLE (AP) — Marc-Andre Fleury made 28 saves, leading Minnesota to the road win.
It was Fleury’s 72nd career regular-season shutout. Mats Zuccarrello scored in the first period as the Wild snapped the Kraken’s five-game win streak.
Fleury made three stops in the closing seconds on Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde.
Zuccarello scored his sixth of the season at 18:19 of the first period, finding open space in the slot and beating Seattle goalie Martin Jones.
PENGUINS 4, MAPLE LEAFS 2
TORONTO (AP) — Brock McGinn and Jake Guentzel scored in the third period, leading Pittsburgh to the victory.
Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist for Pittsburgh, which earned its second straight win since its seven-game slide. Jason Zucker also scored, and Casey DeSmith made 28 stops.
William Nylander and Zach Aston-Reese scored for Toronto in its second straight loss. Erik Kallgren made 19 saves.
McGinn snapped a tie with his third goal of the season 1:54 into the third. McGinn fired a shot that went through the legs of Toronto defenseman Mark Giordano and Kallgren.
___
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
