Nikita Kucherov Nets Natural Hat Trick in Lightning's 8-3 Rout of Sabres

Nikita Kucherov posted a natural hat trick and added an assist—all during the third period—to power the Tampa Bay Lightning to an 8-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night. Kucherov's explosive performance marked his eighth career NHL hat trick and effectively put the game out of reach after Buffalo pulled within a single goal early in the final frame. The star forward had previously requested a trade on Oct. 30, but spearheaded Tampa Bay's fourth win in five games.