11/03/2026 08:48:00
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11/03 20:46 CST Brayden Point scores 2 goals to lift the Lightning to a 4-2
victory over the Red Wings
Brayden Point scores 2 goals to lift the Lightning to a 4-2 victory over the
Red Wings
By ROB MAADDI
AP Sports Writer
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) --- Brayden Point scored two goals, Anthony Cirelli got one
and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-2 on Tuesday night for
their seventh straight home win.
Reigning NHL MVP Nikita Kucherov had two assists in his first home game since
asking the Lightning for a trade, and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 19
shots.
Lucas Raymond and J.T. Compher scored Detroit's goals. The Red Wings pulled
their goalie for an extra shooter for the final three minutes and put plenty of
pressure on Vasilevskiy but couldn't get the tying goal. Ryan McDonagh slid an
empty-netter down the ice with 1 second left.
Point gave the Lightning 1-0 lead with a power-play goal in the first period.
He didn't quite get everything on his shot in the low slot off Kucherov's
centering pass but it went past goalie John Gibson.
Point snapped a shot over Gibson's glove 5:07 later to make it 2-0. Kucherov
set it up with another perfect pass. Gibson was replaced by Daniil Tarasov to
start the second period after stopping 11 of 13 shots in the first.
Cirelli lifted his fifth goal past Tarasov into the top left corner for a 3-0
lead in the second period.
Raymond fired a shot from the left point past Vasilevskiy midway through the
second to cut it to 3-1. The Red Wings got within 3-2 less than six minutes
into the third when Compher scored a power-play goal, blasting a shot from the
right circle underneath Vasilevskiy's left pad.
Kucherov has five assists in two games since informing the team he wants to be
traded. Kucherov said Monday he made the request because he feels disrespected
by a lack of communication with general manager Julien BriseBois.
Kucherov is in the final season of an eight-year, $76 million contract signed
in 2018 before he helped Tampa Bay win the Stanley Cup twice, led the NHL in
scoring three times and won the Hart Trophy in 2018-19 and 2025-26.
"It was never about the money for me," Kucherov said Monday. "More about poor
communication and respect. Over the last four months, we only have had two
conversations and Julien, in the end, made it clear that I'm free to walk on
July 1."
Up next
Red Wings: Host Las Vegas on Thursday night.
Lightning: Host Chicago on Thursday night.
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