Frank Vatrano celebrated a new contract with two goals and an assist, and the Anaheim Ducks continued their strong recent play by beating the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 on Sunday night.
Signed to a three-year extension earlier in the day, top left winger Vatrano tallied in a two-goal first period and iced the win with an empty-netter.
Troy Terry snapped the twine for the fifth time in six games and had an assist, and Jackson LaCombe scored late. Ryan Strome posted two assists in his 200th game for Anaheim.
A winner in Winnipeg Thursday, goaltender John Gibson totaled 36 saves for his 200th NHL win.
The Pacific Division club won for the fourth time in five games (4-1-0) with the three previous ones against the Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils and Jets.
Jake Guentzel produced his ninth power-play goal. Jonas Johansson made 22 saves for the Lightning, who were swept in their three-game California road trip and outscored 8-3.
Defenseman Erik Cernak played in 400th NHL game, all with Tampa Bay, which has lost four straight.
Beginning a stretch of eight games in 14 days, the Ducks came out with jump in the first period and took the lead behind a wicked snipe by Terry, the club’s leader in goals and points.
On helpers from Vatrano and Strome, the top-line right winger blistered the top right-hand corner above Johansson for his team-leading 14th goal at 5:24.
A night after failing twice on the power play in Los Angeles without a shot on goal, Tampa Bay got its first of the match when Vatrano committed a holding the stick infraction. However, the visitors again failed to put the puck on Gibson.
Vatrano, who tallied 37 times and had 60 points last season, got his redemption and made it 2-0 by tipping Jacob Trouba’s shot into the net at 17:03.
On their third power play, the Lightning finally did put a shot on Gibson as Guentzel ripped a one-timer from the right circle at 9:12 of the second.
Tampa Bay picked up its pace in the period, and Johansson kept it a one-goal game with a stop on Terry’s breakaway attempt with 2:16 left.
In the third, the Ducks caught the pressing Lightning in a two-on-one break, and LaCombe one-timed a pass from Alex Killorn with 3:34 remaining in regulation before Vatrano potted one into an open cage.
-Field Level Media
