The Tampa Bay Lightning are back in the Eastern Conference Finals. They needed two overtimes but defeated the Boston Bruins 3-2 to win the best of seven series four games to one.
After a scoreless first period, the Lightning got the scoring started at the 4:21 mark of the second period. Ondrej Palat, who has played really well throughout this series, came through with the goal to give the Lightning the early lead. The Bruins answered on a power play opportunity when David Pastrnak scored at the 12:38 mark and the game would be tied 1-1 heading into the third.
In the third Anthony Cirelli scored at the 12:03 mark to give the Lightning a 2-1 lead. The Lightning would hold that lead coming down the stretch run of the third period until David Krejci scored at the 17:27 mark of the third to tie the game 2-2 and force overtime.
Both teams got opportunities in the first overtime but neither could score. Then in the second overtime it would be Victor Hedman coming through at the 14:10 mark with the game winner that sent the Lightning back to the conference finals for the fourth time in the past six years as well as the fifth time in the last decade.
Andrei Vasilevskiy went 45-for-47 in net to pick up the win for Tampa Bay, while Jaroslav Halek went 32-for-35 in net for Boston to take the loss.
The Lightning will now travel to Edmonton for the Eastern Conference Finals, which will be against either the New York Islanders or the Philadelphia Flyers. Keep it locked to 95.3 WDAE & AM 620 for the absolute latest.