<p>TAMPA, Fla. — Nino Niedereitter, Jordan Staal and Steven Lorentz scored second-period goals to lead the Carolina Hurricanes to a 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night.</p>
<p>Carolina remains tied for first place in the Central Division with the Florida Panthers. The Hurricanes have played two fewer games.</p>
<p>Florida and Carolina open a two-game set on Thursday in Sunrise, Florida.</p>
<p>Jordan Martinook added an empty net goal with 2.2 seconds left. Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 26 shots for the victory.</p>
<p>Brayden Point scored for Tampa Bay, which sits three points behind the division leaders in the Central with 10 games remaining.</p>
<p>Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 32 saves.</p>
<p>After a scoreless first period, Niederreiter opened the scoring 7:48 into the second period, cutting to the slot and taking a backhand feed from Vincent Trocheck before slipping a wrist shot into the top corner for his 16th of the season.</p>
<p>Staal scored 25 seconds later as he battled with Yanni Gourde at the right circle, but was able to deflect Dougie Hamilton’s shot past Vasilevskiy. Lorentz made it 3-0 at 16:45, taking a pass from Morgan Geekie out of the corner and getting a free look from the bottom of the right circle for his second of the season.</p>
<p>Point answered with his 20th goal of the season 18 seconds later, pushing a pass from Ondrej Palat past Nedeljkovic at 17:03.</p>
<p>RARE DOUBLE PLAY</p>
<p>Tampa Bay turned to Vasilevskiy in net for the second consecutive night, a rare double dip for the former Vezina Trophy winner. The last time Vasilevskiy started on back-to-back nights in the regular season came on Nov. 28-29, 2017, which was the second time he did so during the 2017-18 season, after starting on consecutive nights to open the season. Vasilevskiy did start on back-to-back nights in the playoffs last season, including Games 4 and 5 of the Stanley Cup Final against Dallas.</p>
<p>NOT THE RIGHT TIMING FOR TERAVAINEN</p>
<p>Carolina LW Teuvo Teravainen remains sidelined with concussion symptoms, missing his 22nd consecutive game on Tuesday. But coach Rod Brind’Amour hinted a return is getting closer.</p>
<p>“We’re still waiting on him,’’ Brind’Amour said. “Hopefully we’ll get him in soon. I don’t think it’s in the next day or two, I think we’re still a few days away, but that’s kind of up to him at this point.’’</p>
<p>UP NEXT</p>
<p>Carolina: At Florida Panthers on Thursday.</p>
<p>Tampa Bay: Host Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday.</p>
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