Ryan Getzlaf scores overtime winner as the Anaheim Ducks beat the Tampa Bay Lightning
For only the second time this season, the Tampa Bay Lightning were held to scoring under three goals as the Anaheim Ducks won 3-2 in overtime on Wednesday, 3 November.
How it happened
The Ducks got the only goal of the first period when Teemu Selanne scored his sixth of the season on the power play.
The Lightning tied the score in the second period when Blair Jones got his first of the season firing a hard one-timer past Jonas Hiller after a nice feed in front by Ryan Malone.
Steven Stamkos then continued his torrid pace by scoring his tenth of the season on the power play to put the Lightning ahead 2-1 in the third period.
Down by a goal late in the third and it was rookie Kyle Palmieri who was the unlikely hero for the Ducks when he scored his first career NHL goal to tie the game and send it to overtime.
Ryan Getzlaf got the winner in overtime after Selanne skated around the Tampa net and fed a pass out in front for Getzlaf to bang home.
What they're saying
Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle talked after the game regarding his decision to place Palmieri in such a high pressure situation.
"Palmieri's a skill player and he can find the net. We've always tried to give our players an opportunity to have success. And if you have skill players, I don't think you should sit them on the bench
in situations where you need a goal. If it works, you're a hero. If it doesn't, then they question you about why you had him out there."
Carlyle's plan obviously worked, and Palmieri was delighted about being able to make a contribution.
"It was a dream come true," he said. "Just being out there on the ice, it was an honor. It was unbelievable. I was so excited. It's something I've been dreaming about since I was a little kid playing hockey
back in New Jersey. I really don't have any words right now. It hasn't really sunk in. The whole play seemed like it was slow in developing. I saw the puck come across from Bobby and it squirted around to my stick. He banked it off me. I didn't have to do
much."
Despite the loss the Lightning still remain tops in the Eastern Conference. They have to play two games in two nights with a confrontation against the Western Conference's best team upcoming as the Los
Angeles Kings host Tampa on Thursday, 4 November.
The Ducks, meanwhile, get set to host Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night.
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