Wild top Lightning to remain unbeaten in regulation

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Matt Boldy broke a tie 54 seconds into the third period, and the Minnesota Wild remained unbeaten in regulation, topping the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2 on Thursday night.

Minnesota improved to 5-0-2. Marc-Andre Fleury made 23 saves for his first victory of the season and the 562nd of his career.

Boldy’s power-play goal gave Minnesota a 3-2 lead. Kirill Kaprizov scored twice, the second into an empty net, and Joel Eriksson Ek had a goal.

Brandon Hagel and Nikita Kucherov scored in the second period for Tampa Bay. The Lightning lost for the first time in four home games.

Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 14 saves in his third loss in a row.

Kaprizov gave the Wild a 1-0 lead at 6:23 of the first period. Tampa Bay rallied on second-period goals 2:36 apart by Hagel and Kucherov. Ek tied it late in the second.

The Wild’s streak of not trailing in regulation ended at 391:31 when Kucherov put the Lightning ahead 2-1 It’s the second-longest streak from the start of the season in NHL history; the 1969-70 Boston Bruins didn’t trail for the first 457:21.

Kucherov leads the NHL with eight goals. He has points in each of the Lightning’s first seven games.

Boldy scored 21 seconds after Nick Paul’s needless high-sticking penalty gave the Wild their fourth power play.

The Wild have scored first in each of their seven games. They’ve outscored opponents 8-1 in the first period.

Tampa Bay, which had the NHL’s top power play last season, was 0 for 1 on Thursday and is 0 for 8 with the extra man in its four home games.

The Wild continue a seven-game trip Saturday at Philadelphia. The Lightning host Washington on Saturday night.

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