Tampa Bay Lightning edge past Washington Capitals, 4-3: NHL Play-off Recap
Steven Stamkos and Ryan Malone both found the back of the net early in the last period, as the Tampa Bay Lightning exploded for a 4-3 victory against the Washington Capitals in Game 3 of Eastern Conference semi-final series, at St. Pete Times Forum
on Tuesday night.
Vincent Lecavalier and Sean Bergenheim both also lit the lamp for Tampa Bay, which took a commanding 3-0 series lead and pulled closer to their First Conference Final and can close out the set with a home-win in Game 4 on Wednesday. Dwayne Roloson
turned aside 29 of 32 shots.
Mike Knuble and John Carlson both provided offence for Washington, which has not been swept since dropping the 1998 Cup Finals to the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Ovechkin also added a goal and Michal Neuvirth gave up four goals on 30 shots in the losing
effort.
"We weren't supposed to play safe. We knew they were going to come out in the third and we knew we had to keep pushing and doing what we've done," lamented Washington head coach Bruce Boudreau.
After Washington had a goal by Knuble was waved off for having too many men on the ice earlier in the opening period, the Lightning got the scoring of the game started with about nine minutes left in the period. The goal came when Dominic Moore passed
the puck to Bergenheim off a 2-on-1 break for a successful shot through Neuvirth's legs.
Washington outshot Tampa Bay 13-8 in the first period, but Roloson made a couple point-blank saves.
The Capitals knotted it at 1-1 just 59 seconds into the middle session, when Ovechkin failed on a break-away attempt and sent a nifty pass from the left corner to Knuble, who jammed a loose puck in the crease over Roloson.
Carlson put the Capitals on top by 2-1 lead just seven minutes later, as he fired a shot home from the right point, but Lecavalier pulled Tampa Bay even at 2-2 just under four minutes later, when he deflected St. Louis’ backhanded shot into the net
while standing in the crease.
Ovechkin then capitalised on a 5-on-3 power-play to recover the Capitals’ one-goal edge, 3-2, with about 2 ½ minutes left in the second period, as he lifted a shot over a goal-mouth scramble in front of the net.
"I think we were waiting for things to happen in the second period and our focus wasn't right," said Tampa Bay head coach Guy Boucher. "We just got back and reloaded and came out the way we're supposed to play."
Tampa Bay shifted the momentum suddenly by scoring two straight goals in the third period and notched the victory from the Capitals.
Stamkos pulled an equaliser, 3-3, about 5 ½ minutes into the third period and then Malone wrapped up the win at 4-3 just 24 seconds later, when he camped to the right of goalie, Neuvirth, and deflected Nate Thompson's pass into the
left corner of the net.
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