Lightning Defeat Blackhawks at the Buzzer, 3-2

The Tampa Bay Lightning (16-4-1) rallied back from a two-goal deficit and scored an overtime buzzer beater to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks (12-7-5) 3-2 on Thursday. The Lightning now have a six-game winning streak.

Slow Start

The game got off to a sluggish start with a scoreless first period. The Blackhawks opened up the scoring seven minutes into the second period with a goal from Ryan Carpenter, killing Andrei Vasilevskiy’s shutout streak. Carpenter’s goal was the first shorthanded goal the Lightning have allowed all season and the first goal Vasilevskiy has given up in 228:09 of ice time. At the 14:04 mark, Alex DeBrincat widened Chicago’s lead by deflecting a shot from Patrick Kane.

Exciting Finish

The Lightning finally showed up in the third period, scoring two goals in the first three minutes to tie the game. Anthony Cirelli lead Tampa Bay’s comeback with a shorthanded goal just over a minute into the third. From the slot, Cirelli redirected Jan Rutta’s shot past Lankinen for a shorthanded goal. One minute and 51 seconds later, Steven Stamkos tied the game with toe drag move around Patrick Kane and a quick shot from the slot. The Lightning controlled much of the third period, holding off the Blackhawks and forcing overtime.

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With less than one second remaining in overtime, Alex Killorn deflected Victor Hedman’s point shot to score the go-ahead goal. The puck crossed the line with 0.1 second remaining to secure the win for Tampa Bay. Killorn and Hedman were mobbed by teammates as the buzzer sounded, and the goal was upheld following a video review.

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Despite the end of his shutout streak, Vasilevskiy had another great night in the net with 35 stops. After the game, Hedman said the Lightning were just pleased the come away with the win Friday.

“We’re a resilient group,” Hedman said. “Like I said earlier, we want to win games and it doesn’t matter how it looks.”

Up Next

The Lightning will face the Blackhawks in two more games, Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.