THURSDAY AROUND THE NHL | Game recaps

Lightning 2, Blue Jackets 0

COLUMBUS

Mikhail Sergachev scored his first two NHL goals and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 43 saves for his fifth career shutout in the Tampa Bay Lightning’s victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Nikita Kucherov assisted on both goals to push his NHL-leading points total to 14. His goals streak was stopped at seven games. The Lightning took advantage of the few openings offered by Sergei Bobrovsky, who stopped 19 shots for the Blue Jackets and lost for the first time this season. Columbus had won four straight. The Lightning, coming off an overtime loss to New Jersey on Tuesday night, improved to 6-1-1 for their best start opening 7-0-1 in their Stanley Cup-winning 2003-04 season. Columbus dropped to 5-2-0, hurt by uncharacteristic sloppy passing and continued power-play problems in its first shutout loss of the season. Sergachev opened the scoring with 2:12 left in the first period when he unloaded from the left point and beat Bobrovsky just inside the near post. Kucherov assisted, as did Vladislov Namestnikov, who wrested the puck away from Columbus’ Cam Atkinson in the corner. Sergachev got his second with 4:23 left in the second. He scored from the high slot off a nice feed from Kucherov.

Predators 1, Flyers 0

PHILADELPHIA

Pekka Rinne stopped 28 shots, Colton Sissons scored in the third period and the Nashville Predators beat the Philadelphia Flyers. Sissons got his second goal of the season early in the third, giving the Western Conference champions their fourth win in five games. Rinne was strong in his 44th career shutout and first of the season. The Flyers had combined for 13 goals in their first two home games and scored 26 overall in their first six games. Philadelphia pulled goalie Michal Neuvirth on a power play and couldn’t score in the final minute with a 6-on-4 advantage.

Islanders 4, Rangers 3, SO

NEW YORK

John Tavares scored in the shootout to lift the New York Islanders over the Rangers for their eighth win in the last nine games against their struggling crosstown rivals. Anders Lee, Brock Nelson and Mathew Barzal scored in regulation, and Jaroslav Halak stopped 38 shots to help the Islanders recover after blowing a two-goal lead in the third to finish 2-2-0 on a four-game trip. David Desharnais, Mats Zuccarello and Kevin Hayes scored, and Henrik Lundqvist finished with 35 saves for the Rangers, who lost their fifth straight (0-3-2) to fall to 1-5-2. It’s their fewest points after eight games since they were 1-6-1 to start the 1959-60 season. Back then, teams got a point for a tie.

Bruins 6, Canucks 3

BOSTON

Patrice Bergeron had a goal and three assists in his season debut, moving up to seventh on Boston’s career scoring list as the Bruins beat the Vancouver Canucks. Anders Bjork scored twice for Boston, Brad Marchand had a goal and two assists and David Pastrnak added a goal and an assist for the Bruins, who scored five straight goals after falling behind 1-0 early in the first period. Anton Khudobin made 26 saves for Boston while starting in place of Tuukka Rask, who is out indefinitely with a concussion he suffered in practice Wednesday.

Associated Press