The Tampa Bay Lightning became the first team in the NHL to take a regulation lead over the Minnesota Wild this season, but the latter left AMALIE Arena with a 4-2 win on Thursday.
The Lightning turned a 1-0 deficit after one period into a 2-1 lead with two consecutive goals. Brandon Hagel scored at 8:55 of the second period, and Nikita Kucherov stayed on his goal-scoring heater to start the season for a 2-1 lead at 11:31 of the middle frame.
The Wild had yet to trail this season prior to the Kucherov goal and entered Thursday with a 4-0-2 record.
A goal by Joel Eriksson Ek tied the game in the closing minutes of the second period, and Matt Boldy put the Wild back in front with a power-play goal 54 seconds into the third period.
Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 14 saves. The Lightning are now 4-3-0.
The Lightning host the Washington Capitals on Saturday at 7 p.m. at AMALIE Arena. The Capitals are 5-1-0 this season.
Scoring Summary
1st Period
MIN 1 , TBL 0
6:23 Kirill Kaprizov (3) - Marco Rossi, Jonas Brodin
Kirill Kaprizov gave the visitors an early advantage on Minnesota’s first shot of the game. Kaprizov connected on a one-timer from the right circle, a goal that stood despite an offsides challenge by Tampa Bay.
Shots: TBL 12, MIN 5
2nd Period
MIN 1 , TBL 1
8:55 Brandon Hagel (6) - Anthony Cirelli, Erik Cernak - SH
Brandon Hagel scored his fourth goal in two games to tie Thursday’s game with the Lightning on the penalty kill. Linemate Anthony Cirelli skated through a trio of Wild players to the left circle before feeding Hagel, who deposited the puck through Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury from the right hashmark.
TBL 2, MIN 1
11:31 Nikita Kucherov (8) - Nick Paul, Nick Perbix
Nikita Kucherov finished a back and forth passing play with Nick Paul for the Lightning’s first lead of the game midway through the second period. Kucherov ripped a shot from the right circle to beat Fleury.
TBL 2, MIN 2
18:22 Joel Eriksson Ek (3) - Zach Bogosian, Matt Boldy
Minnesota forward Joel Eriksson Ek was left alone in front of the Tampa Bay net and scored the game-tying goal in the final minutes of the second period.
Shots: TBL 8, MIN 8
MIN 3, TBL 2
00:54 Matt Boldy (4) - Mats Zuccarello, Kaprizov - PP
A power-play goal put Minnesota back in the lead less than a minute into the third period when Matt Boldy sent his shot into the Lightning net from the right circle.
MIN 4, TBL 2
19:26 Kaprizov (4) - Jakub Lauko, Jake Middleton - ENG
Kaprizov scored his second goal of the night into the empty Lightning net to close the scoring.
Final Shots: TBL 24, MIN 18
