Caps’ Kuemper continues mastery over Tampa Bay
WASHINGTON — Darcy Kuemper got the best of Tampa Bay again, making 28 saves to backstop Washington to a 5-1 victory Friday against the team he beat for the Stanley Cup last summer in a game full of boiling tensions and a couple of fights.
Kuemper was facing the Lightning for the first time since defeating them in Game 6 of the Final while with Colorado. He notched his fifth win in 12 starts since leaving the Avalanche.
Sonny Milano scored twice, and Anthony Mantha and Aliaksei Protas each had a goal for the Capitals, who played almost two periods down a forward after right wing Nicolas Aube-kubel received a match penalty for an illegal check to the head of Tampa Bay defenseman Cal Foote, who did not return.
Rookie defenseman Nick Perbix scored with 7:51 left to end Kuemper’s shutout bid. Andrei Vasilevskiy allowed five goals on 24 shots as the defending Eastern Conference champion Lightning lost their sixth in seven games.
■ Sharks 5, Stars 4: At Dallas, Tomas Hertl, Alexander Barbanov, Logan Coture and Timo Meier each had a goal and an assist for San Jose, which built a threegoal lead and halted a five-game slide. Jake Oettinger gave up five goals on 18 shots after coming in leading the NHL in goals-against average (1.40) and save percentage (.952). Jamie Benn scored twice in the first period for Dallas.
■ Penguins 4, Maple Leafs 2: At Toronto, Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist for Pittsburgh to back Casey Desmith, who stopped 28 shots, as the Penguins won their second straight after a seven-game slide. Las Vegas product Jason Zucker scored a go-ahead goal in the second period for Pittsburgh.
■ Wild 1, Kraken 0: At Seattle, Marcandre Fleury stopped 28 shots in his
72nd shutout and first this season, fellow former Golden Knight Jon Merrill assisted on Mats Zuccarello’s goal with 1:41 left in the first period, and Seattle’s five-game win streak ended.