Brayden Point scores twice, Nikita Kucherov has 4 assists in Lightning’s 4-1 win over Sharks

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Brayden Point scored two goals, Nikita Kucherov had four assists and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the San Jose Sharks 4-1 on Thursday night for their fifth straight win.

The Lightning, currently on a five-game road trip, extended their lead for the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference to four points over the Red Wings.

Point broke a 1-1 tie with a power-play goal 34 seconds into the third period, scoring on the rebound from point-blank off a shot by Kucherov. It was Point’s 14th goal in his last 15 games. Kucherov – who leads the NHL with 122 points – extended his assist streak to 12 games, the longest in franchise history.

Tampa Bay picked up the energy in the third period with three unanswered goals, responding after “falling into that trap” in the first two periods, as captain Steven Stamkos said. In the locker room prior to the third period, Stamkos said the message was: “Listen, these points are too valuable for our group at this time of the year, no matter who we’re playing.”

“And I thought we responded really well in the third,” Stamkos said. “Obviously, big two points for us.”

Anthony Duclair, who was traded to the Lightning from the Sharks at the deadline, extended the lead to 3-1 at 6:50 of the third period. Point then added his 40th goal of the season on a spectacular pass from Kucherov, who delivered a no-look feed from behind the goal line while on his knees battling for a loose puck.

Lightning coach Jon Cooper said that Point has been “a heck of a player for us for a long time.”

“That’s a special mark,” Cooper said on Point reaching 40 goals. “Not a lot of guys get to that every year.”

Nicholas Paul also scored for Tampa Bay, and William Ecklund had…