Anthony Cirelli and Brayden Point scored 2:39 apart midway through the third period, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 on Thursday night.
Mikhail Sergachev scored a power-play goal in the first period, and Cedric Paquette added an empty-netter. Backup Curtis McElhinney made 32 saves for Tampa Bay, which had dropped two in a row.
The Lightning played without NHL MVP Nikita Kucherov, who led the league last season with 128 points. Kucherov is day to day after suffering an upper-body injury in the second period of Tuesday’s 3-1 loss at St. Louis.
Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Curtis McElhinney (35) keeps his eye on the puck landing on the back of Braydon Coburn, off a shot by Chicago Blackhawks' Jonathan Toews during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, in Chicago. (AP PhotoCharles Rex Arbogast)
Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford (50) makes a save as defenseman Duncan Keith (2) keeps Tampa Bay Lightning's Erik Cernak from getting a rebound during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, in Chicago. (AP PhotoCharles Rex Arbogast)