Vatrano scores twice in Ducks win against Lightning

ANAHEIM -- Frank Vatrano had two goals and an assist for the Anaheim Ducks in a 4-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Honda Center on Sunday.

The performance came after Vatrano signed a three-year, $18 million contract with the Ducks earlier in the day.

"When you have security, you don't have to think about it anymore," Vatrano said about his new contract. "Put it in the past and just focus on hockey."

Troy Terry had a goal and an assist, Ryan Strome had two assists, and John Gibson earned his 200th NHL victory by making 36 saves for the Ducks (17-18-4), who have won four of five.

“He means everything to us," Vatrano said of Gibson. "He's the longest-tenured guy here now. He’s our backbone. He's a competitor, he wants to win. Guys love him and I couldn't be more happy for him and his family.”

Jake Guentzel scored, and Jonas Johansson made 22 saves for the Lightning (20-15-2), who have lost four straight in regulation for the first time this season.

“We're a really good team, so we just have to come out from the first puck drop, be ready to go from the start, and get back to playing the game that makes us successful," Tampa Bay forward Anthony Cirelli said. "That's playing hard and playing fast. Obviously, not the way we want to start the new year, but we'll go over some video here and look at the things that we can do better and be better at and be ready to go for the next one”

Terry gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead at 5:24 of the first period. He took a drop pass from Strome at the blue line, slowly skated to the top of the right circle, and scored with a wrist shot that went in off the arm of Johansson.

"For our line, we're good friends off the ice," Vatrano said of Strome and Terry. "With our relationships, we can criticize each other jokingly and, also, when we need to say something serious, we listen to each other."

The Ducks extended the lead to 2-0 at 17:03 of the first when Vatrano tipped in Jacob Trouba's shot from above the left circle.

Guentzel cut the lead to 2-1 at 9:12 of the second period, burying a one-timer from the right circle while on the power play.

"We knew they were going to come. They're a good team," Gibson said. "They didn't have a good first period, so we expected them to come hard in the second and third. It's about finding a way to win a hockey game, and that's what we've been able to do lately."

Jackson LaCombe pushed it to 3-1 at 16:26 of the third period with a one-timer from the right circle off a pass from Alex Killorn on a 2-on-1.

Vatrano then scored into an empty net with 1:32 left for the 4-1 final.

"By the 10-minute mark of the third we could have been up three, but unfortunately we weren't," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "And then we pressed again and gave up that 2-on-1, which probably was a by-product of us not scoring and then us not sticking with it."

Tampa Bay, which outshot Anaheim 32-14 in the final two periods, has scored five goals in its past four games.

"It's tough to win when you're not scoring," Cooper said. "It's unfortunate because a lot of guys on this team are used to putting it in. We couldn't put them in on this trip, and it's a lot of stress on the defense.

"There's times you go through win streaks and you're playing great and everything's going in the net, and there's times you lose games and you thought you deserved a better result."

NOTES: The Lightning had won eight of their previous nine games against the Ducks. ... Strome extended his point streak to five games (two goals, five assists). ... Tampa Bay was 1-for-1 on the penalty kill. It has not allowed a power-play goal in its past six games (14-for-14). ... Tampa Bay defenseman Erik Cernak played in his 400th NHL game.