Kucherov Goes Off for Hat Trick and 2 Assists as Lightning Dismantle Kraken 6-2
The Seattle Kraken came into Tuesday night at Climate Pledge Arena looking to build on back-to-back wins from the weekend. Instead, they ran headfirst into Nikita Kucherov playing like a man possessed, and Tampa Bay's star forward absolutely torched the defense. The Lightning won 6-2, and honestly, it could have been worse for the home team.
Kucherov's Masterclass
Kucherov scored three goals and added two assists for his sixth career hat trick. The six-time All-Star got things rolling with 1:11 left in the first period to open the scoring. He made it 3-0 less than a minute into the second, then sealed it with an empty netter with 2:44 remaining in the third to finish with his 37th goal of the season. This was Kucherov's second multigoal game this month and his seventh of the season overall. Yeah, he entered the night tied for 10th in NHL goal scoring. Make that past tense.
McMann and McCann Give Seattle a Spark (That Wasn't Enough)
The Kraken didn't roll over completely. Bobby McMann, acquired from Toronto at the trade deadline, scored his fourth goal in just three games with the team to get Seattle on the board. McMann's debut had been delayed by a visa issue that finally got resolved Friday. Jared McCann also lit the lamp, pulling off a nifty move on Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy and beating him over his left shoulder to make it 3-2 late in the second period. That's when the Lightning flexed their muscles. Anthony Cirelli wrapped one around for a wraparound goal early in the third to push it to 4-2, and Brandon Hagel added a power play goal at 16:54. Cirelli also chipped in two assists on the night, while Hagel had three assists alongside his goal.
Where the Season Stands
With the loss, the Kraken sit at 31-27-9 with 71 points, tied with Los Angeles for that final playoff spot in the West. Not exactly where you want to be in March. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay improved to 41-21-4 and remains four points behind first-place Buffalo in the Atlantic Division. Philipp Grubauer made 19 saves for Seattle, while Vasilevskiy stopped 16 for the Lightning. The 17,151 fans at Climate Pledge Arena watched their Kraken fall short on a night where they needed to capitalize. Next up, Nashville comes to town on Thursday night. No time to feel sorry for yourselves.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.