- - Kucherov and Goncalves power Lightning to 5-4 shootout win over Canadiens.

The December 29, 2025 at 1:16 AM

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Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Jonas Johansson (31) celebrates with teammates after the team defeated the Montréal Canadiens during a shootout in an NHL hockey game Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) ()

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Nikita Kucherov scored twice, Gage Goncalves added two assists and had the deciding goal in the shootout as the Tampa Bay Lightning held off the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 on Sunday.

Oliver Bjorkstrand had two assists for Tampa Bay. Nick Paul and Pontus Holmberg also scored for the Lightning, who won their fourth straight game. Jonas Johansson stopped 32 shots and both attempts in the shootout.

Juraj Slafkovsky scored twice, including the tying goal with 3.8 seconds left, and added an assist as Montreal rallied from deficits of 3-0 and 4-1 in the third period to secure a point. Noah Dobson had a goal and an assist, and Ivan Demidov also scored for the Canadiens. Jacob Fowler finished with 18 saves for Montreal, which played its first game coming out of the Christmas break.

Kucherov scored two of Tampa Bay’s three goals in the second period.

Goncalves fed Kucherov for a breakaway goal at 2:28 of the second. Kucherov scored again at 12:11 when Goncalves missed a 2-on-1 chance wide, but Brayden Point picked up the rebound and quickly fed Kucherov above the crease.

Paul made it 3-0 at 14:49.

Demidov broke up Johansson’s shutout bid 1:06 into the third period, poking in a Slafkovsky pass above the paint. But Holmberg answered 34 seconds later, deflecting a Bjorkstrand pass to score in his fourth consecutive game. Montreal then scored three times in the final 10:44 of the third.

BLUE JACKETS 4, ISLANDERS 2

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Columbus scored a pair of third-period goals in just over a minute and rallied to beat New York for their second straight win.

Kirill Marchenko scored his second goal of the night with 3:19 left in the game, just over a minute after Ivan Provorov knotted the score at 2-2. Cole Sillinger added an empty-netter, and Denton Mateychuk and Sean Monahan both had two assists. Jet Greaves stopped 24 shots.

Max Shabanov and Bo Horvat scored for New York, and David Rittich made 31 saves for the Islanders, who seemed to have the win in hand but instead dropped the first game of their two-stop road trip to end 2025.

RED WINGS 3, MAPLE LEAFS 2, OT

DETROIT (AP) — Simon Edvinsson scored with 3:14 remaining in overtime to give Detroit a win over Toronto.

Edvinsson skated toward the crease and scored on a backhanded shot, helping the Red Wings maintain a two-point lead over Tampa Bay atop the Atlantic Division.

Moritz Seider and Mason Appleton scored in regulation for Detroit. Cam Talbot made 25 saves.

Matthew Knies and Nicholas Robertson scored for Toronto, and John Tavares assisted on both goals. Tavares has 56 points in 43 career games against the Red Wings. Dennis Hildeby made 33 saves.

PENGUINS 7, BLACKHAWKS 3

CHICAGO (AP) — Justin Brazeau recorded first NHL hat trick, Bryan Rust scored twice and Pittsburgh rolled past the sliding Chicago.

Anthony Mantha had a goal and assist and Noel Acciari scored as the Penguins won their second game in three, but just their second in the last 11 (2-5-4). Ryan Shea had three assists, and Arturs Silovs made 21 saves.

Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno scored in his return after missing 19 games with a hand injury, and Wyatt Kaiser and Tyler Bertuzzi each had a goal. Last-place Chicago came out flat a night after snapping a six-game losing streak in Dallas with a shootout win and lost for the ninth time in its last 11 (2-9-0).

Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight stopped only three of the first seven shots he faced before being relieved by Arvid Soderblom 12:03 into the game. Knight returned for the third period and stopped both shots he faced in the frame.

Soderblom stopped 12 of 15 shots, including Sidney Crosby’s breakaway in the second period.

The Penguins led 4-0 midway through the first period.

KRAKEN 4, FLYERS 1

SEATTLE (AP) — Philipp Grubauer stopped 31 shots, Eeli Tolvanen scored twice in the third period, and Seattle defeated Philadelphia.

Jordan Eberle and Chandler Stephenson also scored for the Kraken, who extended their win streak to four games after losing 10 of 11. Tolvanen and Stephenson each added an assist.

Carl Grundstrom scored for the Flyers. Philadelphia did not capitalize on their three power-play opportunities. Dan Vladar made 16 saves.

Grubauer, the backup to Joey Daccord, earned his second straight win for Seattle. He made a season-high 40 saves in the Kraken’s 3-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 22. He allowed the lone goal to Grundstrom with 1:57 remaining in the final period.

After a scoreless first, the Kraken have not scored a goal in the opening period for 10 consecutive games. Seattle ranks second-to-last in the NHL with 2.54 goals per game in 35 games.

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Source: “AOL Sports”