Some of the most exciting moments in sports have happened when playoff races have come down to the final night of the season. The Tampa Bay Lightning are certainly determined to have that happen this year. The Bolts still need help from Toronto and the New York Islanders, but they did their part on Friday night with a 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens.
The Lightning got a very early power play opportunity in this 1, but Carey Price made some big time saves to keep the Bolts off of the board. The Bolts were able to ultimately get on the board 1st, later in the period. Yanni Gourde sent the puck home after a Nikita Kucherov shot went off of the crossbar. Kucherov would get that 40th goal of the season though. He fired the puck past Price with less than 10 seconds remaining in the period to double the lead.
The Canadiens had an early power play in the 3rd, but Vasilevskiy and the defense held serve to keep the lead at 2. Montreal would change that right at the halfway mark of the period. Dwight King scored a breakaway goal for his 1st since being acquired from the Los Angeles Kings at the trade deadline. The lead would be extended back to 2 goals, later in the period. Alex Killorn’s 19th goal of the season would be the culprit.
The Lightning had to kill off another Montreal penalty very early in the 3rd when Jake Dotchin was called for tripping less than a minute into the frame. The Bolts did their job and then got a power play chance of their own immediately after. The Bolts committed a horrible mistake when they allowed a short-handed goal on that power play, but Gourde came back seconds later to bring the lead right back to 2 goals. That would be plenty to hold on to the 4-2 victory.
Only 1 final game now remains on the Bolts’ schedule. Tampa Bay will return to the friendly confines of Amalie Arena to face the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday evening. The puck is scheduled to drop at 5 pm with pregame coverage beginning 30 minutes prior on News Radio 970 WFLA.
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST PERIOD
1. Tampa Bay - Gourde - (Kucherov, Witkowski) - 11:42
2. Tampa Bay - Kucherov - (Palat, Point) - 19:50
2ND PERIOD
1. Montreal - King - (Lehkonen, Nesterov) - 9:59
2. Tampa Bay - Killorn - (Conacher) - 14:19
3RD PERIOD
1. Montreal - SHG - Lehkonen - (Unassisted) - 4:36
2. Tampa Bay - Gourde - (Conacher, Dotchin) - 4:57
PENALTY SUMMARY
1ST PERIOD
1. Montreal - Nesterov - (Cross Checking) - 1:30
2ND PERIOD
1. Tampa Bay - Palat - (Interference) - 4:33
3RD PERIOD
1. Tampa Bay - Dotchin - (Tripping) - 0:38
2. Montreal - Galchenyuk - (Hooking) - 2:50
3. Tampa Bay - Coburn - (Delay of Game) - 10:32
4. Tampa Bay - Stralman - (Tripping) - 17:53
SHOTS ON GOAL
Tampa Bay - 22
Montreal - 28