Sports

Lightning Stop Coyotes Behind Vasilevskiy’s First Shutout

Published

7 years ago

January 10, 2020

Tampa Bay Lightning's Steven Stamkos and Andrei Vasilevskiy celebrate a goal against the Arizona Coyotes at Amalie Arena Thursday, January 9, 2019. Photo: NHL.

TAMPA BAY, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) – Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy recorded his first shutout of the season and the Lightning strolled to their ninth consecutive win by skating past the Arizona Coyotes, 4-0, at Amalie Arena on Thursday night.

The Lightning goalie has seen less pucks come his way during the streak because a gritty Tampa Bay forecheck has been in the grills of opponents’ offense while disallowing scoring opportunities that were available early in the season.

“It’s been a while,” acknowledged Vasilevskiy of the shutout, which was the19th of his career. “We played pretty well–all 60 minutes. We had some games in the past where we had shutouts, but give up late goals. We played really well and the whole team deserves credit.”

Vasilevskiy has been in a zone in the last month. He hasn’t lost a game in regulation since December 14, 2019 against Washington.

“He’s been playing really well,” noted Lightning coach John Cooper. “We’ve gone halfway through the year without one [a shutout] and it was bound to come at some point. He made some good saves. A big break away save. You need to get those to pitch a shut out and he did.”

Tampa Bay outshot the Coyotes, 34-25, as the 25 shots on goal gave Vasilevskiy only 48 looks in the last two games.

“We’ve talked to him about the things you have to do to keep yourself in the game if you’re not seeing the shots volume,” said Cooper. “Between TV timeouts and doing things to keep your focus–in the end, the goalies like wins.”

Nikita Kucherov scored two goals and Cedric Paquette, Pat Maroon, and Steven Stamkos had two assists as the Lightning continued its offensive assault that has been paramount in the streak.

“It wasn’t going to be easy against an opponent that defends well,” said Stamkos. “We’ve been on this streak for a reason. We are playing well and playing the right way. I thought we may have had our best performance of the year as we were moving our feet and back checking and allowing our defense to get a good gap. We had pucks and put them to the net and scored some goals.”

Alex Killorn tallied the Lightning’s first goal at 15:06 in the first period when he dug the puck past Coyotes goalie Adin Hill. It was his 18th of the season thanks to him pressuring Hill on the doorstep of the right crease.

Mikhail Sergachev scored the second Lightning marker at 18:24 in the first when he tried to feed Paquette, who was flying in the lane. The pass went off Coyotes defenseman Jordan Oesterle’s stick and into the net. Since the puck did not touch Paquette, Sergachev was credited with his third goal of the season.

Stamkos assisted the two Lightning goals in the second period as Nikita Kucherov scored off a wrist shot on the right wing at 6:15 and then subsequently tallied his second goal of the evening at 8:52. Brayden Point also assisted the first Kucherov goal and then Jan Rutta was the second assister on his second score.

“Obviously, there are some skilled guys on the line,” said Stamkos. “We are best at skating and using our skills after that. In the second period, we got some good looks and capitalized.”

For Vasilevskiy, he has won seven straight starts and is four wins away from matching the longest goalie win streak in franchise history, which is 11 consecutive wins by Louis Domingue last season from Nov. 29, 2018 to Feb. 19, 2019.

“Anytime you get a chance to get a shutout for the goalie, you want them,” commented Stamkos. “He has battled all year and is hard on himself and has been excellent during this streak. You don’t win without elite goal tending and he was elite tonight.”

Tampa Bay looks for that record-setting 10th straight win on Saturday evening when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers.

_____________________________________________

Ken Cross is a sports contributor for Florida National News. | info@floridanationalnews.com

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Sports

LIV Golf to begin winding down operations Nov. 9 after five years, $5 billion spent

Published

14 hours ago

November 7, 2026

FNN SPORTS

LIV Golf sign in a landscaped setting in Orlando, Florida. Photo by Florida National News

NEW YORK CITY, NY (FNN SPORTS) – LIV Golf plans to begin winding down operations Monday, Nov. 9, following five years and more than $5 billion in spending.

Attorney Matthew Williams outlined the league’s plans during a bankruptcy court hearing Thursday, Nov. 5, in New Jersey. The process includes selling its remaining assets.

“We believe the wind down path is the best path,” Williams told the court.

LIV Golf confirmed the decision after a proposed restructuring deal fell through. The league said it will continue considering alternatives during the shutdown process.

Basketball

USF Women’s Basketball Opens Season With 80–54 Victory Over Furman

Published

2 days ago

November 5, 2026

NISEY LOU S.

TAMPA, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — On Monday November 2, at the Yuengling Center, the South Florida women’s basketball team opened with a successful debut undernew head coach Kristy Curry.

The Bulls established control early with a 9–0 opening run, taking a 27–12 lead after the first quarter. Furman narrowed the margin before halftime, but South Florida maintained a 46–32 advantage heading into the break.

A dominant third quarter proved decisive, as USF outscored Furman 23–9 to extend its lead to 69–41 entering the fourth.

Balanced Scoring Leads the Bulls

Stefanie Ingram led South Florida with 15 points, followed by Hannah Kohn with 13 and Kendall Puryear with 12 points and nine rebounds.

The Bulls placed six players in double figures, shot 51.6 percent from the field and controlled the boards with a 48–25 rebounding advantage.

A Winning Debut for Kristy Curry

The victory marked Curry’s first win leading South Florida after arriving from Alabama.

Ahead of the season opener, Curry expressed confidence in the program’s potential:

“I’m so excited to be here. I truly think the sky’s the limit at USF.”

— Kristy Curry, USF Head Coach, in pregame remarks published by USF Athletics.

South Florida (1–0) will face Belmont on Friday, November 6, in Nashville, Tennessee.

– Nisey Spruill is a reporter and photojournalist for Florida National News (FNN), covering major news, sports and special events across Florida and nationwide. Contact sports@FloridaNationalNews.com

Central Florida News

USF Defeats UAB 30–10, Secures Fourth Consecutive Bowl-Eligible Season

Published

4 days ago

November 3, 2026

NISEY LOU S.

C.J. Hicks (#1) USF defensive end lines up before the snap during the Bulls’ 30–10 victory over UAB at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on October 31, 2026. Photo by Nisey Spruill / Florida National News

Bulls overcome early deficit behind defensive touchdowns and a record-tying performance from C.J. Hicks.

TAMPA, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — The University of South Florida (USF) secured its sixth victory of the season Saturday, October 31, defeating the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) 30–10 at Raymond James Stadium. The victory improved the Bulls’ record to 6–2 overall and 2–2 in American Conference play, making the program bowl-eligible for the fourth consecutive season.

Defense Turns the Game Around

UAB opened the game with a 10–0 first-quarter lead, but South Florida responded with 30 unanswered points, highlighted by two defensive touchdowns.

Defensive end C.J. Hicks delivered one of the game’s most significant performances, recording four sacks to tie the USF single-game record. Two of those sacks forced fumbles that resulted in touchdowns.

Late in the second quarter, Hicks forced a fumble by UAB quarterback Ryder Burton, allowing USF defender Asani Redwood to recover the football and return it six yards for a touchdown. The play gave South Florida a 17–10 halftime lead.

Asani Redwood and UAB #71 UAB defensive lineman #71 attempts to tackle USF’s Asani Redwood during the October 31, 2026, matchup at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Photo by Nisey Spruill / Florida National News

Hicks created another scoring opportunity in the fourth quarter, forcing a second fumble that linebacker Grayson Howard recovered and returned 13 yards for a touchdown, extending USF’s lead to 27–10.

South Florida’s defense finished with six sacks and 11 tackles for loss, limiting UAB to just 177 total offensive yards, including 17 rushing yards.

Offensive Adjustments Provide Momentum

Following an injury to starting quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr., sophomore Luke Kromenhoek entered the game and helped shift momentum in South Florida’s favor.

Luke Kromenhoek (#17) USF quarterback Luke Kromenhoek (#17) carries the football while facing pressure from a UAB defender during the Bulls’ 30–10 victory at Raymond James Stadium on October 31, 2026. Photo by Nisey Spruill / Florida National News

Kromenhoek finished with a career-high 92 rushing yards, including a 42-yard run that helped establish the Bulls’ offensive rhythm.

Running back Jason Collins Jr. added a six-yard rushing touchdown late in the second quarter to tie the game at 10–10.

Kicker Nico Gramatica contributed three field goals, connecting from 31, 30 and 33 yards to help secure the victory.

Bowl Eligibility Marks Another Program Milestone

With its sixth win, South Florida secured bowl eligibility for the fourth consecutive season, matching the second-longest such streak in program history.

The accomplishment allows USF to qualify for postseason bowl consideration, although an official bowl invitation and destination have yet to be determined.

The victory also kept the Bulls competitive in the American Conference standings, with four regular-season games remaining following the UAB matchup.

Looking Ahead

USF will return to conference competition Friday, November 6, traveling to face East Carolina as the Bulls continue their pursuit of a stronger conference finish and a postseason bowl invitation.

Final Score: USF 30, UAB 10