Kucherov's 5-Point Hat Trick Leads Lightning Past Kraken

Tampa Bay forward scores three goals and adds two assists in 6-2 rout of Seattle

Mar. 18, 2026 at 8:57am

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Nikita Kucherov scored three goals and recorded two assists as the Tampa Bay Lightning cruised to a 6-2 victory over the host Seattle Kraken on Tuesday. Brandon Hagel added a goal and three assists, while Anthony Cirelli and Gage Goncalves also scored for the Lightning, who earned just their second win in the last five games. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made 16 saves for Tampa Bay.

Why it matters

The win helps the Lightning maintain their position in the tight Eastern Conference playoff race, while the loss ends a modest two-game winning streak for the Kraken, who are fighting to secure a postseason berth in the Western Conference.

The details

The Lightning jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, converting on a pair of Seattle turnovers. Kucherov scored twice, including a goal off a takeaway, to give Tampa Bay a comfortable advantage. The Kraken briefly pulled within 3-2 in the second period, but the Lightning pulled away with three unanswered goals in the third, including Kucherov's empty-net tally to complete his hat trick.

  • The game was played on Tuesday, March 18, 2026.
  • The Lightning scored twice in the first period to take a 2-0 lead.
  • The Kraken scored two goals in the second period to make it 3-2, but the Lightning pulled away in the third.

The players

Nikita Kucherov

A star forward for the Tampa Bay Lightning who scored three goals and added two assists in the game.

Brandon Hagel

A Lightning forward who had a goal and three assists in the victory.

Andrei Vasilevskiy

The Lightning's starting goaltender who made 16 saves in the game.

Bobby McMann

A Kraken forward who scored one of Seattle's two goals in the loss.

Philipp Grubauer

The Kraken's starting goaltender who stopped 19 of 24 shots faced.

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What they’re saying

“We knew we had to come out strong against a tough team like Seattle. Kucherov really set the tone for us with his play tonight.”

— Jon Cooper, Lightning Head Coach (therinklive.com)

What’s next

The Lightning will continue their four-game road trip on Thursday when they visit the Vancouver Canucks, while the Kraken will look to bounce back at home against the New York Rangers on Saturday.

The takeaway

Kucherov's dominant performance highlighted the Lightning's ability to overcome recent struggles and maintain their position in the Eastern Conference playoff race, while the Kraken missed an opportunity to gain ground in the tight Western Conference standings.