There are some times when your goalie just has it, and is able to stand on his head to get a win. But there are also many times when you just have to keep scoring in order to keep up with the other team. This was an example of one of those second type of games.
Lightning Center Cedric Paquette was called for a penalty just 26 seconds into the game and the Rangers would take advantage quickly. Derick Brassard got the power play for his sixth goal of this postseason just 66 minutes into the game and he was assisted by both Dan Boyle and Derek Stepan. The Rangers would tack on another one to take a two goal edge to the midway point of the first period as Jesper Fast got a goal with 10:05 left in the period after some nice passing by Chris Kreider and Ryan McDonagh. This would not last long though as the Lightning prepared to go on a run of their own.
Steven Stamkos added a goal of his own just 72 seconds later, assisted by Alex Killorn, to finally get the Lightning on the board, and that is how the first period would end, 2-1 Rangers lead. Brassard, who got the opening goal, was called for a penalty midway through the second period, which ended up leading to the tying goal as Ondrej Palat scored the power play goal, assisted by both Tyler Johnson and Stamkos. Johnson wanted in on the action himself, so he scored his 12th postseason goal this year just about 3 minutes later to give the Lightning the lead. He was assisted by Palat and Victor Hedman. Killorn decided to light up the lamp as well and Hedman got another assist with 2:42 left in the second period and the Lightning had a 4-2 edge. The Rangers would answer though as Fast got his second goal of the game just 29 seconds later and was assisted by both Kevin Klein and Stepan. Surely after a wild second period, both Lightning goalie Ben Bishop and Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist would be able to slow things back down in the third period, right?
Well, that's not what happened at all. Andrej Sustr took a two minute minor for tripping early in the period and then McDonagh would score a tying goal, assisted by Kevin Hayes and Keith Yandle, as it was all even at 4. Palat went and was able to add another Lightning goal past Lundqvist though with just under 6 minutes left and he was assisted by the Nikitas, Nikita Nesterov and Nikita Kucherov. With just under two minutes left in the game the Rangers would tie it up at 5 to send it to overtime on Boyle's goal, assisted by J.T. Miller and Yandle. Another wild period and even though the game was heading to overtime, no one could really expect the goalies to hold down the fort from there on.
Just over 3 and a half minutes into overtime Nikita Kucherov took the pass from Nikita Nesterov to give the Lightning the win they were seeking and sent the home crowd home happy.
These two teams will play again Friday night at Amalie Arena where the Lightning will try to keep their newfound home ice advantage as they lead the series 2-1.