Lightning defeat Sharks 6-3 behind Stamkos’ 2 goals


Reuters | Updated: 20-01-2019 10:03 IST | Created: 20-01-2019 10:03 IST
Lightning defeat Sharks 6-3 behind Stamkos’ 2 goals

Steven Stamkos had two goals and an assist while Alex Killorn and Yanni Gourde both snapped goal droughts as the Tampa Bay Lightning entered their bye week on a positive note with a 6-3 victory over the visiting San Jose Sharks on Saturday night. The Sharks played without star defenseman Erik Karlsson.

Killorn went 10 games without a goal before putting the NHL-leading Lightning up 2-0 with 2:09 left in the first period on his 11th of the season. Following consecutive goals by the Sharks' Evander Kane, late in the first and 58 seconds into the second, Gourde gave Tampa Bay the lead for good when he snapped a nine-game drought with his 12th at 7:29 of the second.

Stamkos, meanwhile, extended his point streak to six games with his 25th and 26th goals in the third, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 36 saves as the Lightning bounced back from Thursday's 4-2 loss to Toronto that ended a nine-game home winning streak. Rookie Mathieu Joseph opened the scoring with his 12th, and Victor Hedman had a goal and an assist as Tampa Bay also avenged a 5-2 loss at San Jose two weeks ago.

The Lightning won't play again until Jan. 30, when they begin a three-game trip at Pittsburgh. With their bye week extended, thanks to next weekend's All-Star festivities, forward Tyler Johnson sat for some extra healing time on a lower-body injury suffered against the Maple Leafs. San Jose, which has dropped two straight following a season-high seven-game winning streak, was minus defenseman Karlsson, scratched due to an apparent lower-body injury. Just named to his sixth All-Star team, Karlsson, who has 26 assists and a goal over his last 18 games, was hurting Tuesday against Pittsburgh, but played at Arizona on Wednesday.

It's uncertain if he will be ready Monday, when the Sharks remain in the Sunshine State to continue their four-game trip against the Florida Panthers. Teammate Martin Jones had a 2.26 goals-against average during an eight-game winning streak entering this contest, but stopped just 20 of the 26 shots he faced.

Kane, meanwhile, has three of his 19 goals in the last two games, and four against Tampa Bay in 2018-19. --Field Level Media

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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