Columbus Blue Jackets vs Tampa Bay Lightning Match Player Stats On Apr 12, 2019

Matt Duchene had a goal and three assists as the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the host Tampa Bay Lightning 5-1 Friday night, taking a stunning 2-0 lead in an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

Duchene, who was acquired at the trading deadline from the Ottawa Senators, produced more than two points in a playoff game for the first time in his career.

Tampa Bay lost each of the first two games of the best-of-seven series at home after tying the NHL single-season record for wins (62). Nikita Kucherov, who led the NHL with 128 points this season, was held pointless and had just three shots on goal.

Kucherov's frustration was apparent, as he was assessed a minor penalty for tripping, a major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct for an incident involving Columbus' Markus Nutivaara with 4:26 remaining.

The Lightning star will have a hearing Saturday with the NHL's department of player safety to discuss that hit. Per the NHL, boarding is the grounds on which the league is considering additional discipline -- which could include a suspension.

Artemi Panarin and Zach Werenski both had a goal and an assist for Columbus, and Cam Atkinson and Riley Nash also scored for the Blue Jackets, who return home for Game 3 on Sunday. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves.

Mikhail Sergachev scored the lone goal for the Lightning, who cruised to the Presidents' Trophy as the team with the most points but now find themselves in a big hole. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 22 of 27 shots.

Since being outscored 3-0 in the first period of Game 1, the Blue Jackets have nine goals to one for the Lightning. Columbus rallied for a 4-3 victory in the series opener.

Atkinson opened the scoring Friday at 5:15 of the first period, tipping a pass from Duchene past Vasilevskiy.

Werenski scored a power-play goal at 11:44 of the first on a wrist shot from the point after a Columbus faceoff win in the Lightning zone.

The Blue Jackets extended the lead to 3-0 in the second as Duchene scored 1:28 in, jamming his own rebound into the net from the top of the goal crease.

The Lightning finally got on the board at 5:00 of the third. Sergachev took a snap shot from the top of the left faceoff circle that deflected off a defender and into the net.

Nash scored at 9:06, taking a pass from Boone Jenner and scoring on a wrister from the high slot, and Panarin tallied at 12:15 as the Blue Jackets pulled away.

--Field Level Media