TAMPA, Fla. — Nicholas Paul scored the profitable objective with 1:13 left within the third interval and added two assists because the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the injury-impacted and league-best Vegas Golden Knights 5-4 on Thursday night time.

Paul put residence a rebound for his second straight three-point sport.

“It was big game,” Paul mentioned. “I think it was just a lot of resilience from us.”

Tampa Bay proper wing and NHL factors chief Nikita Kucherov had a objective and two assists. Brayden Point had two targets and an help, and Alex Barré-Boulet additionally scored for the Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy turned apart 30 photographs.

Jiri Patera, taking part in in his third sport this season and fifth general, made 31 saves filling in for the injured Adin Hill (decrease physique) and Logan Thompson (higher physique).

The defending Stanley Cup champions, coming off a 6-3 loss at Carolina on Tuesday, bought two targets from Jonathan Marchessault. Ivan Barbashev and Paul Cotter had the opposite targets, whereas Jack Eichel prolonged his franchise-record level streak to 12 video games with two assists.

PHOTOS: Paul scores with 1:13 to play as Lightning beat Golden Knights 5-4

“It’s tough to swallow knowing that you did a lot of good things in the third to give yourself a chance to win,” Eichel mentioned. “It’s tough to find positives when you don’t get any points here.”

Eichel had an incredible scoring probability stopped by Vasilevskiy with three seconds left. The puck bought behind the goalie, who dove on it to maintain out of the web.

Marchessault bought Vegas inside 4-3 with an early third-period power-play objective after Kucherov acquired an unsportsmanlike penalty. Kucherov thought a penalty ought to have been referred to as on his breakaway and was despatched off after yelling at a referee.

“I was standing right besides him when the ref called the penalty,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper mentioned. “It was an uncharacteristic call for a referee. It struck a chord for some reason. I wasn’t putting anything on Kuch at all.”

Kucherov mentioned “like four words,” Cooper added. “None of them was profanity. It was something that probably gets said a thousand times in game.”

Cotter tied it 4 minutes later.

The Lightning went up 4-2 after scoring thrice in a 2:55 stretch late within the second. Kucherov had a 5-on-3 objective and assisted on Point’s power-play objective 33 seconds later. Kucherov arrange one other Point objective to finish the surge.

Kucherov now has 57 factors.

Marchessault and Barbashev had first-period targets.

Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman had three assists.

Tampa Bay defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, who took a shot off the again of his left foot Tuesday, didn’t play. Cooper is hopeful that Sergachev will solely miss a sport or two.

UP NEXT

Golden Knights: Continue a highway journey Saturday night time at Florida.

Lightning: Play at Washington on Saturday night time.

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