Lightning beat Blackhawks 2-1 in shootout in their 15th straight game without a regulation loss

CHICAGO (AP) — Dominic James scored in the fifth round of a shootout and the Tampa Bay Lightning made it 15 straight games without a regulation loss, outlasting the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1 on Friday night.

Tampa Bay is on a 14-0-1 tear, winning three straight after a shootout loss a week ago in St. Louis. The Lighting are 32-13-4 overall.

Nikita Kucherov tied it at 1 late in the second period with his 25th goal of the season and also scored in the shootout. Gage Goncalves scored in the fourth round of the tiebreaker to keep Tampa Bay alive and, after Oliver Moore failed for Chicago, James slipped the winner past Arvid Soderblom.

Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 17 shots for Tampa Bay.

Ryan Greene scored for Chicago, and Soderblom made 30 saves. Chicago had won two straight, beating Carolina 4-3 in shootout Friday night in Raleigh.

Andre Burakovsky nearly ended it for Chicago in overtime, but couldn’t get the puck in at the side of that net as it slid across the crease.

Tampa Bay outshot Chicago 13-2 in the second period and had a 21-6 overall advantage through 40 minutes. Both teams were 0 for 3 on the power play.

Kucherov tied it with 1:18 left in the second. He cut through the slot, taking Brandon Hagel's pass on his forehand and lifting in a backhander.

Greene opened the scoring on a power play with 2:18 left in the first period with a goal that withstood a lengthy review after the Lightning challenged for offsides. Greene cut across the front and beat Vasilevskiy with a forehand shot.

Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno fought Jack Finley early in the first, with Finley getting an extra two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Lightning: At Columbus on Saturday night.

Blackhawks: Host Florida on Sunday.

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

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) makes a save on the Chicago Blackhawks during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago Blackhawks center Oliver Moore (11) and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Max Crozier (24) crash against the boards during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Louis Crevier (46) and Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Brandon Hagel (38) fight for control of the puck in front of the net during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh (43) handles the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago Blackhawks left wing Landon Slaggert (84) collides with Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

GUWAHATI, India (AP) — Opener Abhishek Sharma hit a whirlwind 68 not out off 20 balls as India beat New Zealand with ease, winning the third Twenty20 match by eight wickets on Sunday with 10 overs to spare.

India took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.

Sharma reached his 50 off only 14 deliveries, including four sixes, and put on 102 off 40 balls with skipper Suryakumar Yadav (57 not out off 26) as India reached 155-2 in 10 overs in reply to New Zealand's 153-9 in 20 overs.

Sharma's innings was India’s second fastest fifty in men's T20s.

“This is what my team wants from me – I want to execute it all the time,” Sharma said. “It is not easy to do it, but I keep trying.”

Jasprit Bumrah returned for India and took 3-17 in four overs as New Zealand was restricted to a sub-par score.

Glenn Phillips top-scored for the Black Caps with 48 off 40 and Mark Chapman was out for 32.

India won the first T20 in Nagpur by 48 runs, and the second T20 in Raipur by seven wickets.

The fourth T20 is at Visakhapatnam on Wednesday.

Chasing 154, India started badly by losing Sanju Samson for a golden duck to Matt Henry.

But Sharma hit five sixes and seven fours overall to put New Zealand’s bowling to the sword.

Ishan Kishan hit 28 off 13 deliveries as the pair added 53 off only 19 balls for the second wicket. Kishan then holed out off Ish Sodhi, yet it didn’t end New Zealand’s misery.

India set a hectic pace scoring 100 in only 6.3 overs. Yadav got his second consecutive half-century – off 25 balls. He finished with three sixes and six fours overall.

New Zealand was put into bat but failed to make a good start. Bumrah bowled Tim Seifert for 12 after Harshit Rana dismissed Devon Conway for one.

Hardik Pandya (2-23) made it 34-3 in 5.1 overs with Rachin Ravindra's dismissal for four.

New Zealand never really recovered from those early blows despite a 52-run partnership between Phillips and Chapman, who both fell to wrist spinner Ravi Bishnoi (2-18).

Bumrah then returned for another spell and got two more wickets.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

India's captain Suryakumar Yadav reacts as he celebrates after scoring fifty runs during the third T20 cricket match between India and New Zealand in Guwahati, India, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

India's Jasprit Bumrah celebrates the dismissal of New Zealand's captain Mitchell Santner during the third T20 cricket match between India and New Zealand in Guwahati, India, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

India's Jasprit Bumrah, second left, celebrates with teammates after the dismissal of New Zealand's Tim Seifert during the third T20 cricket match between India and New Zealand in Guwahati, India, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

New Zealand's Glenn Phillips plays a shot during the third T20 cricket match between India and New Zealand in Guwahati, India, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

New Zealand's Matt Henry, left, run out by India's Jasprit Bumrah during the third T20 cricket match between India and New Zealand in Guwahati, India, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

India's captain Suryakumar Yadav, right, greets India's Abhishek Sharma as he scores fifty run during the third T20 cricket match between India and New Zealand in Guwahati, India, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

India's Abhishek Sharma plays a shot during the third T20 cricket match between India and New Zealand in Guwahati, India, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)