COLUMBUS — Mikhail Sergachev scored his first two NHL goals and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 43 saves for his fifth career shutout in the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 2-0 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night.
Nikita Kucherov assisted on both goals to push his NHL-leading points total to 14. His goals streak was stopped at seven games.
The Lightning took advantage of the few openings offered by Sergei Bobrovsky, who stopped 19 shots for the Blue Jackets and lost for the first time this season. Columbus had won four straight.
The Lightning, coming off an overtime loss to New Jersey on Tuesday night, improved to 6-1-1 for their best start opening 7-0-1 in their Stanley Cup-winning 2003-04 season.
Columbus dropped to 5-2-0, hurt by uncharacteristic sloppy passing and continued power-play problems in its first shutout loss of the season.
Sergachev opened the scoring with 2:12 left in the first period when he unloaded from the left point and beat Bobrovsky just inside the near post. Kucherov assisted, as did Vladislov Namestnikov, who wrested the puck away from Columbus’ Cam Atkinson in the corner.
Sergachev got his second with 4:23 left in the second. He scored from the high slot off a nice feed from Kucherov. Steven Stamkos also was credited with an assist, giving him six in the last four games.
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, right, of Russia, celebrates his goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets with teammate defenseman Dan Girardi during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Columbus, Ohio, Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon)
http://www.limaohio.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2017/10/web1_119012079-3861d94122a64490a3fe60dba0e2a0b6.jpgTampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, right, of Russia, celebrates his goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets with teammate defenseman Dan Girardi during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Columbus, Ohio, Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon)
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, left, of Russia, controls the puck against Columbus Blue Jackets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Columbus, Ohio, Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon)
http://www.limaohio.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2017/10/web1_119012079-02b1a13204804d8ebfadb9398168a4f7.jpgTampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, left, of Russia, controls the puck against Columbus Blue Jackets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Columbus, Ohio, Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon)
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman David Savard, right, checks Tampa Bay Lightning forward Yanni Gourde during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Columbus, Ohio, Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon)
http://www.limaohio.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2017/10/web1_119012079-a7ed0e166d2040fb9ad7529aadadcf71.jpgColumbus Blue Jackets defenseman David Savard, right, checks Tampa Bay Lightning forward Yanni Gourde during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Columbus, Ohio, Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon)
