Two goals in the opening 97 seconds spelled a perfect start and a 6-2 win for the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday at AMALIE Arena.
Mitchell Chaffee scored 30 seconds into Tuesday’s win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Nikita Kucherov doubled the lead just over a minute later.
Columbus defenseman Zach Werenski made it 2-1 late in the first period. Jake Guentzel and Victor Hedman each scored in the opening half of the second period before a shorthanded goal from Werenski made it 4-2.
Hedman’s second goal of the night made it 5-2 in the third period and was followed by a Guentzel empty-netter.
Tampa Bay goalie Jonas Johansson made 31 saves for the Lightning, which improved to 36-21-4 with the win.
The Lightning host the Buffalo Sabres at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Scoring summary
First period
TBL 1, CBJ 0
00:30 Mitchell Chaffee (12) - Emil Lilleberg, Darren Raddysh
Lightning forward Mitchell Chaffee skated to the front of the net on the game’s first shift, where he got his stick on a point shot by Emil Lilleberg.
TBL 2, CBJ 0
1:37 Nikita Kucherov (28) - Jake Guentzel
Tampa Bay’s leading contributor on offense scored on his breakaway chance just over 90 seconds into the game, burying a shot top shelf after linemate Jake Guentzel sprung the former in alone on Columbus goalie Elvis Merzlikins.
TBL 2, CBJ 1
17:20 Zach Werenski (19) - Unassisted
One of the NHL’s leading defensive goal scorers halved the Lightning advantage late in the first period. Werenski dashed down the left side of the offensive zone before shooting into the top right corner.
Shots on goal: TBL 10, CBJ 10
Second period
TBL 3, CBJ 1
1:27 Jake Guentzel (28) - Victor Hedman, Brayden Point
The Lightning needed less than 90 seconds in period two before ballooning their lead, as Jake Guentzel redirected a Victor Hedman pass near the blue paint.
TBL 4, CBJ 1
6:36 Victor Hedman (10) - Kucherov, Raddysh
Tampa Bay’s captain extended the Lightning lead with his windup shot from the left wall that bounced off a Columbus player and beat Merzlikins in the top left corner of the net.
TBL 4, CBJ 2
10:49 Werenski (20) - Adam Fantilli, Kent Johnson - SH
Werenski’s second goal of the night made it 4-2 on a shorthanded 2-on–1.
Shots on goal: TBL 18, CBJ 7
Third period
TBL 5, CBJ 2
9:44 Hedman (11) - Point, Kucherov - PP
Tampa Bay’s power-play group scored the final goal of the night, this one coming on a one-timer from Hedman atop the setup.
TBL 6, CBJ 2
17:53 Guentzel (29) - Unassisted - EN
Guentzel's empty-net goal closed the scoring.
Total shots: TBL 40, CBJ 33
