TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Andrei Vasilevskiy made 28 saves for his second shutout of the season and 42nd of his career, Darren Raddysh scored on a power play late in the second period, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Utah Mammoth 2-0 on Monday night.
Brandon Hagel added a power-play goal in the final minute for the Lightning, who have won 15 of 17 and swept the season series against Utah. Tampa Bay moved atop the Eastern Conference standings with 70 points, one ahead of Carolina and Detroit.
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Vasilevskiy, who leads the league in goals-against average, improved to 2-0-0 against the Mammoth, both shutouts. He blanked them last season, the inaugural campaign for the Utah franchise.
Raddysh took a feed from Nikita Kucherov and one-timed it above the shoulder of Karel Vejmelka for a 1-0 lead with 2:22 left in the second.
Vejmelka made 25 saves for Utah, which lost in regulation for only the second time in its past 12 games.
Kucherov’s assist was his team-best 53rd of the season. He ranks third in the NHL in points with 79 and is second in assists.
Hagel’s goal was his 26th, matching Kucherov for the team lead.
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Tampa Bay’s Nick Paul dropped the gloves with Utah’s Ian Cole after Cole put a big hit on rookie Dominic James along the boards early in the second period. Paul and Cole each received 5-minute penalties for the fight.
Up next
Mammoth: Stay in Florida and visit the Panthers on Tuesday night.
Lightning: Host Winnipeg on Thursday night.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl