TAMPA, Fla. — The Lightning’s season — and their chase for a third straight Stanley Cup — wasn’t facing elimination going into the third period of Game 3 Sunday. But it did seem to be hanging by a thread.
Down by a goal to the Rangers and facing the possibility of a 3-0 Eastern Conference final series hole, the Lightning certainly needed to dig deep and draw from their championship pedigree.
The Lightning did just that, scoring two third-period goals, including Ondrej Palat’s game-winner with 41. 6 seconds left to give Tampa Bay a 3-2 win.
Palat’s goal came following a remarkable no-look, back-to-the-net touch pass from Nikita Kucherov, sending thewinning shot to Palat’s stick along the right post.
They tied the score on the power play with Steven Stamkos rocketing a one-timer from the top of the left circle past Igor Shesterkin on a pinpoint cross-slot feed from Corey Perry.
The Lightning had 51 shots on goal, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 28 saves on 30 shots.
At times, the Lightning were their own worst enemy. They failed to score — and nearly allowed a goal — on a 4-on-3 power play in a scoreless game, then allowed two second-period power-play goals.
The game wasn’t without its controversy. Mika Zibanejad’s power-play goal, which made the score 1-0, came after Corey Perry was called for slashing after getting his stick up on Shesterkin, who wildly fell to the ice on the play.
Perry argued Shesterkin embellished the play, slamming the penalty box door and arguing with officials after exiting.
Less than a minute after Zibanejad’s goal, Riley Nash — playing his first game in 1 ½ months — saw a centering pass in the slot hit off his skate before he slid into Shesterkin, prompting a second goaltender interference call.
The Rangers capitalized on that one as well, as Chris Kreider scored a power-play goal to put New York up 2-1 and send the 300 level of Amalie Arena — where many Rangers fans were perched — into a frenzy.
The Lightning played better after that, and Kucherov’s franchise-record 50th career postseason goal on the power play cut the gap to one goal with 9:10 left in the second period.
Midway through the third, Kucherov was called for a four-minute high-sticking double major after he whiffed on a shot and found himself chasing Zibanejad the other way. But Alex Killorn drew a tripping call on a short-handed breakaway to force 4-on-4 play for two minutes.
