Point scores twice in 3rd, Lightning edge Golden Knights

LAS VEGAS -- Brayden Point scored twice in the third period, and Nikita Kucherov had a goal and three assists for the Tampa Bay Lightning in a 5-3 victory against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday.

“I've had a front row seat to these guys for a decade now, and so it's great to watch these guys play,” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. “They took a little accountability for what happened at the beginning of the game and, as the pros they are, they rallied and were a big reason we won tonight.”

Anthony Duclair and Anthony Cirelli scored, Steven Stamkos had two assists, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 24 saves for Tampa Bay (37-25-6), which has won four in a row.

“Moods great. We’re very confident,” Duclair said. “We know how important these points are. All the teams, especially in the East, are playing pretty well right now. It’s a tight race. It’s a business trip for us, and we’re looking forward to the next one.”

Jonathan Marchessault, Ben Hutton and Brett Howden scored, and Keegan Kolesar had two assists for Vegas (36-25-7). Adin Hill made 16 saves.

“We got to look in the mirror and remember what we do well,” Kolesar said. “Every guy’s got a job. That’s what makes us a good team, when everyone’s pulling their weight. You see it tonight. When things get loose in our game, it can fall apart.”

Marchessault gave Vegas a 1-0 lead at 1:14 of the first period, finishing a passing play with Shea Theodore and Jack Eichel on a 3-on-1.

Cirelli tied it 1-1 with a short-handed goal at 7:00. He scored off a return pass from Brandon Hagel on a 2-on-0.

Duclair gave the Lightning a 2-1 lead at 10:37, batting the puck into an open net after Kucherov swiped his own rebound back toward the crease.

“I want to get to the net as much as possible. I know the puck has been finding me there,” Duclair said. “It was a lucky bounce off of ‘Kuch.’ It just came right to me. I just had to bat it in the air, and luckily it went in.”

Howden tied it 2-2 at 16:52 of the second period. He took a stretch pass from Kolesar and beat Vasilevskiy glove side from the left circle on a 2-on-1.

“He plays simple, he plays to his identity,” Kolesar said of Howden. “We were able to come away with a couple tonight, but it wasn’t enough to get the win.”

Point put Tampa Bay back in front 3-2 at 4:52 of the third period, scoring short side from the right circle for a power-play goal.

Hutton tied it again 3-3 at 8:16, scoring with a wrist through a screen from the high slot.

“I didn’t leave the game anxious about how we’re playing,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “When I watch it again, I’ll look at it and say, ‘We played well enough to win but we didn’t.’ You got to make sure you’re putting yourself in position to win every night. We did do that.”

Point responded to make it 4-3 at 12:14. He scored underneath Hill's left pad from the bottom of the left circle after winning the race for an intentional dump-in by Kucherov.

Kucherov then scored an empty-net goal at 18:51 for the 5-3 final.

“I didn't realize he had four points tonight. I guess he's been doing that almost every night,” Cooper said. “But those are the guys that have to rally. They're on the ice for that first goal against, but they know that they've got better in them. They showed it as the game went on.”

NOTES: Kucherov extended his point streak to 11 games (five goals, 19 assists). ... Duclair has five points (three goals, two assists) in four games since being acquired from the San Jose Sharks on March 7. ... Point has scored six goals in his past four games. ... Hutton (undisclosed) left late in the third period. There was no update. ... Theodore extended his point streak to five games (five assists).