Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) and teammates celebrate against the Florida Panthers during the first period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Rhona Wise)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Nikita Kucherov scored before he was ejected for kneeing Matthew Tkachuk, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Florida Panthers 4-0 in a chippy game on Monday night.
Jake Guentzel and Mitchell Chaffee also scored for Tampa Bay in its fifth win in six games. Brandon Hagel had an empty-netter, and Anthony Cirelli and Victor Hedman collected two assists apiece.