Brayden Point scored two goals and Anthony Cirelli added another as the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4-2, securing their seventh straight home win. Reigning NHL MVP Nikita Kucherov made his first home appearance since requesting a trade, receiving a warm welcome from fans holding "We Stand with Kuch 86" and "Pay Stay Kuch" signs. Lucas Raymond and J.
T. Compher scored for Detroit, which pulled its goalie for an extra attacker in the final three minutes but could not tie the game. Ryan McDonagh sealed the victory with an empty-netter with one second remaining.
Point opened the scoring on a power-play goal assisted by Kucherov. Kucherov, in the final season of his eight-year, $76 million contract, has recorded five assists in two games since informing the team of his desire to be traded. He stated he requested the move due to feeling disrespected by a lack of communication with general manager Julien Brise Bois, emphasizing the decision was not about money.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: ESPN NHL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing