Lightning score 4 straight, rally for win against Canadiens

TAMPA -- Nikita Kucherov had a goal and an assist, and the Tampa Bay Lightning scored four straight goals in a 4-3 win against the Montreal Canadiens at Amalie Arena on Sunday.

Kucherov leads the NHL with 61 points (26 goals, 35 assists).

"I've just watched this kid grow into one of the best players in the world," Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said of Kucherov. "Whether he's the league MVP or not, he's definitely been ours."

Brayden Point scored, and Victor Hedman had two assists for the Lightning (18-15-5), who had lost two straight and were coming off a 5-1 loss against the New York Rangers on Saturday. Jonas Johansson made 27 saves.

Tampa Bay has won four of its past six games (4-2-0).

"We talked about that Christmas six, we took four of them," Cooper said. "We're happy with that and now we have to navigate this upcoming road trip. Our playoffs are starting now. This was a great night for us, but tomorrow is a new day and we've got to get ready for Winnipeg on Tuesday."

Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki scored for the Canadiens (15-16-5), who have lost three straight. Sam Montembeault made 16 saves.

"I think the first two periods the shots were on our side, we spent a lot of time in their zone and we were creating a lot," Montreal defenseman David Savard said. "We had some good chances. Their goalie made some awesome saves and kept them in the game. It's a team that's going to come back and haunt you when you can't score those."

Caufield gave Montreal a 1-0 lead at 3:58 of the second period. Nick Suzuki forced Steven Stamkos into a turnover, and Caufield took control of the loose puck and flipped it past Johansson.

Jonathan Kovacevic extended it to 2-0 at 11:59. Montembleaut made a save on a shot from Darren Raddysh and he held the puck as if he were going to freeze it. He dropped it to Kovacevic and the whistle never blew, but players from both sides skated toward the bench believing play had been stopped.

Kovacevic, realizing the play was still alive, scored on a 200-foot shot into the empty Lightning net.

"The building was loud, so I couldn't hear if there was a whistle or not," Kovacevic said. "I saw that no one was really in the area for the whistle to go, so I said 'Let's go, let's play it'. I saw the goalie go in for a skate and … I might as well shoot it. I was pretty sure he didn't blow the whistle and we could just catch them by surprise."

Cooper said it was one of the strangest things he had ever seen in the NHL.

"You go into every single game and you never know what you're going to see," Cooper said. "That was a first. The big thing I learned is that Johansson leaves the net early when he thinks the whistle was blown. I guess you can make light of it now."

The goal appeared to give Tampa Bay a new burst of energy and led to more zone time and scoring chances.

Point cut it to 2-1 at 14:01 with a shot from the slot off a pass from Nicholas Paul.

Austin Watson tied it 2-2 at 17:36 when he lofted the puck toward the net and Montembleaut misplayed it off the bounce.

"I thought the whistle was blown and the music was playing and all," Johansson said. "At the end I felt like it gave us some energy. We came back and won the game and that's the biggest thing. The whole team played better after that situation."

Calvin de Haan put the Lightning ahead 3-2 at 7:49 of the third period when he beat Montembleaut with a shot to the far post. It was his first goal of the season.

Kucherov extended it to 4-2 at 14:54 after Victor Hedman found him with a backdoor pass in the slot.

Suzuki made it 4-3 at 17:55 when he sent a shot to the top corner from the goal line.

"We had control over a long period of the game," Suzuki said. "I thought we deserved to win, but they found a way. They are a good team."

Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos, who had an assist, was honored for setting the record for games played with the Lightning at 1,038, passing Vincent Lecavalier. Stamkos is the Lightning leader in goals (530) and points (1,093).

"It's special, it brings back a lot of early memories with this organization," Stamkos said. "Just proud to be with this team for as long as I have. I have some amazing memories, some amazing coaches, teammates, everyone that's helped me get here. It was a special night and a big win for our team."

NOTES: Tampa Bay was down to four defensemen after Erik Cernak left the game in the first period after taking a check from Anderson, and Haydn Fleury left in the second period after blocking a shot with his hand. Cooper said Fleury's injury might be the more serious of the two. ...Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson had an assist to extend his point streak to six games (goal, six assists). ...Suzuki has 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in the past eight games.