Lightning extend win streak to 7 with shutout of Flames

Andrei Vasilevskiy recorded his fourth shutout, Brandon Hagel notched a goal and an assist, and the hot Tampa Bay Lightning extended their season-best winning streak to seven games in a 3-0 blanking of the visiting Calgary Flames on Thursday night.

In his 38th career shutout, Vasilevskiy made 27 saves for his 28th victory this season.

Hagel moved his point streak to seven games (seven goals, six helpers) with an empty-net goal for the final margin as Tampa Bay improved to 8-0-1 over the past nine games. Erik Cernak and Nikita Kucherov had markers for the Lightning, while Victor Hedman had two assists.

Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf stopped 20 shots, but the Pacific Division club was shut out for the third time this season and the first time by a team other than the Vegas Golden Knights.

Left winger Blake Coleman skated in his 600th NHL game, but Calgary fell to 2-3-1 in its past six games.

After 11 goals were scored in the first matchup in Calgary, an 8-3 Lightning win on Dec. 12, the first period was played with fewer offensive chances, but Vasilevskiy and Wolf were up to the challenge of the best ones presented.

On the Lightning's first power play after Nazem Kadri was called for tripping, the home side beat Calgary, owning the NHL's worst road penalty-kill unit at 68.4 percent, on a fortunate break.

Kucherov's feed from a sharp angle struck Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar's right skate and ricocheted in with 45 seconds left in the frame.

Calgary's zone time picked up in the second half of the second period, but Vasilevskiy kept the Flames, who had two power-play chances, off the board by making 11 saves. The Lightning fired eight on Wolf, but he also stopped a pair of man advantages.

In the third, Tampa Bay created separation when Cernak trailed into the slot on a possession, grabbed a pass from Hagel and beat Wolf on the far side at 3:51 for a 2-0 lead on just his third goal thus far before Hagel sealed the win nearly six minutes later.

--Field Level Media