Brandon Hagel scores winner as Lightning beat Avalanche 4-2

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Brandon Hagel snapped a third-period tie with his 20th goal of the season to lead the Tampa Bay Lightning to their eighth consecutive win with a 4-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night.

Jake Guentzel and Zemgus Girgensons also scored for the Lightning, and Anthony Cirelli added an empty-netter. Nikita Kucherov recorded his seventh straight multipoint game with a pair of assists.

Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 31 saves for his sixth consecutive win.

Parker Kelly and Brock Nelson scored for Colorado, which has dropped consecutive games in regulation for the first time this season. The Avalanche had just three regulation losses on the season entering Tuesday.

Scott Wedgewood stopped 24 shots for Colorado.

Hagel scored the winning goal after Kucherov protected the puck near the left circle, found Max Crozier who cut down the slot before finding Hagel for a sweeping one-timer at 8:31 of the third period. Cirelli scored an empty-net goal with 1:25 left.

Guentzel put Tampa Bay up 1-0 coming out of the corner on the power play with space to get out front and find the top far corner with 12 seconds left in the opening period.

Colorado scored twice in six minutes to take the lead. Kelly found a loose puck in the paint at 3:22 before Nelson fired a shot from the left faceoff dot that deflected off the stick of Erik Cernak and knuckled past Vasilevskiy at 9:31.

Girgensons pulled the Lightning even again late in the second, getting inside position on Cale Makar on top of the crease and getting his stick down for Yanni Gourde to find for the redirect at 17:22.

Colorado played without captain Gabriel Landeskog and defenseman Devon Toews, who both returned to Denver earlier in the day. Landeskog was injured after running into the net against Florida on Sunday and Toews was injured on Saturday against Carolina. Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said both are expected to miss weeks.

Avalanche: Host Ottawa on Thursday.

Lightning: Visit Philadelphia on Saturday.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) makes a save on a shot by Colorado Avalanche center Martin Necas (88) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29, left) blocks a shot by Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Pontus Holmberg (29) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood (41) pushes the puck away from Tampa Bay Lightning center Dominic James (17) after a save during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) stops a shot by Colorado Avalanche center Brock Nelson (11) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta's Dyson Daniels and New York's Mitchell Robinson were ejected from Game 6 of the Hawks-Knicks playoff series Thursday night after a fight that prompted offsetting technical fouls, part of a game in which New York would go on to win by 51 points.

It was already decided when the scuffle took place. OG Anunoby extended the Knicks' lead to 50 points with a pair of free throws and 4:39 remaining in the first half.

Robinson boxed out Daniels and things got heated, with an official even taking a tumble as many people tried to calm them down. The Hawks' Onyeka Okongwu and the Knicks' Jalen Brunson held Robinson back as the fight inched toward fans sitting courtside.

“It’s tough because when you’re up that big, stuff happens," Knicks coach Mike Brown said after New York's 140-89 series-clinching win. “If somebody feels like something that shouldn’t happen to them happened, it’s hard to keep your composure in that moment.”

Nickeil Alexander-Walker and several coaches pulled Daniels away, including Hawks head coach Quin Snyder.

It was easy to understand why the Hawks were frustrated. Atlanta's 83-36 deficit was the largest at halftime in NBA playoff history.

“I couldn’t see the details of the situation, who did what to whom," Snyder said. “I know that both teams were competing and they were having their way with us on many, many levels — as evidenced by the scoreboard.”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) and Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) fight in the first half during Game 6 in a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) and Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) fight in the first half during Game 6 in a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) and Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) fight in the first half during Game 6 in a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) and Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) fight in the first half during Game 6 in a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) shoots during the first half of Game 6 in a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Atlanta Hawks' Jalen Johnson scored during the first half of Game 6 in a first-round NBA playoff basketball game Thursday, Apr. 30, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) shoots during Game 6 in a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) shoots during Game 6 in a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Atlanta Hawks Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)