Lightning topple the Coyotes in first of four-game road trip
Mar 18, 2019, 7:59 PM | Updated: 8:10 pm
(AP Photo/Jason Behnken)
TAMPA, Fla. — Steven Stamkos scored his 36th goal of the season and the Tampa Bay Lightning clinched the Presidents’ Trophy with a 4-1 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Monday night.
The Lightning, who have 116 points, will have home-ice advantage throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Stamkos became the franchise leader in goals with his 384th.
Victor Hedman added his 10th goal of the season and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 28 shots. Anthony Cirelli scored his fifth short-handed goal of the season while Yanni Gourde notched his 20th goal of the season.
Clayton Keller scored for Arizona, which remains one point ahead of Minnesota for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
Darcy Kuemper finished with 20 saves.
Stamkos’ record-breaking goal was scored at 6:54 of the first period as Stamkos, battling in front of the Arizona net, got his stick on Ryan McDonagh’s shot and deflected the puck past Kuemper.
Arizona opened the scoring when Richard Panik knocked down a cross-ice pass attempt by Jan Rutta and fed Christian Dvorak who dropped a pass for Keller, who one-timed a shot past Vasilevskiy 5:03 into the game.
Stamkos tied the game 1:51 later.
After a scoreless second period, Hedman put Tampa Bay in front with a backhand pass across the crease down low from Cirelli 44 seconds into the third period. Cirelli added his fifth short-handed goal of the season with 44.8 seconds left while Gourde added an empty-net goal with 8.6 seconds left.
NOTES: Arizona RW Clayton Keller has four goals in four career games against Tampa Bay. … Vasilevskiy leads the league with 20 victories since Jan. 1, Kuemper is second with 19.
UP NEXT
Coyotes: At Florida Panthers on Thursday
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