OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Brayden Point had three goals and an assist to help the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Ottawa Senators 6-4 on Saturday night.
Nikita Kucherov had a goal and four assists, Victor Hedman and Michael Eyssimont also scored and Jonas Johansson stopped 22 shots. The Lightning improved to 5-3-3.
“It feels good to help contribute offensively,” Point said. “Still out there for too many (goals) against, but it feels good to contribute offensively, that’s for sure.”
Brady Tkachuk scored twice and Claude Giroux and Drake Batherson added goals for Ottawa. The Senators are 1-5-0 in their last six and 4-6-0 overall.
“Whenever you don’t win it’s frustrating,” Tkachuk said. “It’s frustrating the negativity from the outside. The constant booing … from the crowd tonight was frustrating, too. I understand they’re a passionate fan base, I understand, I love it, but when you face adversity you don’t turn your back on the guys out there.”
Ottawa scored three times in the second period to take a 4-1 lead.
Thirty-two seconds into the period, Point came down the wing and beat Joonas Korpisalo high. Four minutes later, Eyssimont battled his way through Jake Sanderson and Travis Hamonic and got a shot off to beat Korpisalo, who was then pulled after allowing three goals on 19 shots.
Tampa Bay struck again late in the period when Anton Forsberg, who allowed three goals on 19 shots, lost sight of the puck and Point was able to just get it across the goal line.
“It was a game of responses, to be honest,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “They get the first one and we came back and tied it and I thought that was big.”
UP NEXT
Lightning: At Toronto on Monday night.
Senators: At Toronto on Wednesday night.
___
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
