Lightning top Habs in shootout

With their latest run, the NHL-best Tampa Bay Lightning have reached a new milestone: first in the league to 100 points.

Nikita Kucherov scored the tying goal in the third period and converted in the fourth round of the shootout, and Tampa Bay beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 on Saturday. The Lightning improved to 9-0-1 in their last 10 games, with six victories coming in overtime or in the shootout.

“You have to give credit to the guys. They’ve found a way to get points and that’s what you have to do,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.

Kucherov scored his 33rd of the season with 6:17 left in regulation, standing on top of the crease to convert a pass from Steven Stamkos to beat Antti Niemi and force overtime.

It was the seventh time in the past eight games that the Lightning were tied at the end of regulation.

The Canadiens — third-worst in the Eastern Conference with 62 points — gave the Lightning all they could handle, never trailing in the game. Montreal kept in check a Tampa Bay team that had scored three or more goals 14 times in its previous 15 games.

“I don’t want to make it sound like I’m OK with losing because I’m not and we’re not,” Montreal coach Claude Julien said, “but I appreciated the effort this afternoon. I thought our guys played hard and we really pushed.”

Artturi Lehkonen put Montreal in front early with a power-play goal on a one-timer after the rebound of Charles Hudon’s shot was blocked and landed right in his path at 4:10 of the opening period.

Tyler Johnson responded with his 20th of the season, also on the power play, at 13:43 to tie the game.

Alex Galchenyuk put the Canadiens back in front at 3:00 of the second period after Ryan McDonagh, playing his first game with Tampa Bay since being acquired from the New York Rangers on Feb. 26, had his cross-ice pass intercepted by Hudon, which led to a 3-on-1 break the other way.

But Montreal was unable to create more separation, failing to convert on a pair of thirdperiod power-play chances.

“You have to make sure to capitalize on those chances and get a two-goal lead,” former Lightning winger Jonathan Drouin said. “Especially when you’re playing a team like that with so much offence and so much power. We just couldn’t get it done.”