The Edmonton Oilers eight-game winning streak ended Thursday night at Rogers Place with a 7-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevsky stole the show with 51 saves.
Leon Draisaitl was penalized for tripping in the first minute and the Lightning power play promptly went to work, creating a goal by Steven Stamkos 1:07 into the game. Tyler Motte would swat in a backhand to make it 2-0 Lightning before the game was eight minutes old.
The Oilers finally solved Vasilevsky early in the second when Darnell Nurse got in behind the defence for a shorthanded goal. The Oilers power play then connected for goals 2:42 apart. Connor McDavid found a loose puck in front and chipped home his eleventh. Zach Hyman earned his 17th when Evan Bouchard’s slapper went in off of him. Stuart Skinner preserved the Oilers advantage with a diving blocker save on Brandon Hagel late in the second.
Stamkos batted a rebound out of the air and under Skinner to make it 3-3 with 13:12 to go in the third. Six minutes later, Nikita Kucherov worked in one-on-one against Cody Ceci and maneuvered the puck under Skinner to give Tampa Bay a 4-3 lead. Stamkos completed the hat trick with a long wrister 1:15 later.
With Skinner pulled for an extra attacker, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins knifed in his seventh with 2:22 to go. Anthony Cirelli dashed the Oilers comeback hopes with an empty netter. Stamkos added another empty net goal in the dying seconds.
Bouchard extended his point streak to 13 games while McDavid stretched his to eleven.
The Oilers, 13-13-1, will host Florida on Saturday (630 CHED, Face-off Show at 6:30 p.m., game at 8 p.m.).
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