Lightning defeat Oilers, push winning streak to 6

TAMPA -- The Tampa Bay Lightning won their sixth straight game, 4-1 against the Edmonton Oilers at Amalie Arena on Tuesday.

Nikita Kucherov had two assists, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 23 saves for the Lightning (33-20-4), who have allowed a total of 12 goals during the winning streak.

"We have not given up much the last few games," Vasilevskiy said. "Playing good defense and when we have scoring chances we're scoring goals. It's simple."

Leon Draisaitl scored for the sixth straight game and extended his point streak to nine games for the Oilers (34-20-4), who have lost four in a row. Stuart Skinner made 32 saves.

Edmonton has been outscored 17-7 in losing its first three games since the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off.

"We're a fragile group right now and we're reluctant to play our game," Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. "Confidence is a little hard right now. I think everyone's a little discouraged. They put a lot of pressure on themselves to win and they view themselves as one of the best in the League. We've got to put those adversity moments behind us."

Draisaitl gave Edmonton a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 11:53 of the first period. Draisaitl and Connor McDavid executed a give-and-go, with Draisaitl sending a snap shot past Vasilevskiy from low in the right face-off circle.

"We're in a bit of a hole right now as a team," Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm said. “It's about resiliency, it's about sticking with it. We're going to have to dig one out sooner or later."

Draisaitl leads the NHL with 43 goals and has scored seven during his goal streak. He has 13 points (eight goals, five assists) during his point streak and has had at least one point in 17 of his past 18 games (28 points; 14 goals, 14 assists).

Michael Eyssimont tied it 1-1 at 13:11 after he forced a turnover in the neutral zone and went to the backhand to beat Skinner from the low slot off a pass by Gage Goncalves.

"There are a lot of momentum swings in a game, especially when there are a lot of great players on each team," Eyssimont said. "So just to take it right back was important."

Brandon Hagel put Tampa Bay ahead 2-1 lead 29 seconds into the second period when he scored on a wraparound, beating Skinner to the left post.

Victor Hedman extended the lead to 3-1 at 5:38 with the Lightning on a 5-on-3 power play. He scored with a slap shot from the point that deflected off the stick of Oilers forward Mattias Janmark.

"We're not giving up a slew of chances,” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. “The odd-man rushes aren't there. We've done a good job in concentrating on the area that you need to to win. It sounds simple and boring, but puck management is a big thing. How we've managed the puck ... we're letting the game come to us. The guys are working their tails off."

Nick Paul made it 4-1 at 7:23 of the third period when he chipped the puck past Skinner off a pass from Jake Guentzel on the rush. Kucherov started the sequence by retrieving the puck deep in the defensive zone and sending a stretch pass off the left boards.

"We know what these points mean and everyone is just buying in," Paul said. "We're not forcing plays right now. Look at Hagel's line (with Anthony Cirelli and Zemgus Girgensons) -- they were putting pucks deep, hounding pucks and winning battles. When their best players are on the ice and we're making them work in the D-zone, it's tiring for them. With top players like that, the best defense is a strong offense."

NOTES: McDavid assisted on a Draisaitl goal for the 210th time in his career and passed Alex Delvecchio (209, with Gordie Howe) for the fifth-most assists on a teammate’s goal in NHL history. ... Kucherov has 12 points (three goals, nine assists) during an eight-game point streak. ... Hagel has 11 points (six goals, five assists) during a six-game point streak. ... Paul has scored in each of the past four games. ... Lightning center Brayden Point (assist) has seven points (three goals, four assists) in a five-game point streak.