Last-second heroics give Lightning win
Blues make line changes, top Avs
SUNRISE, Fla. — In four games over a pressure-filled week, the Tampa Bay Lightning has gone from the brink of playoff elimination to a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Ross Colton scored with 3.8 seconds remaining, giving the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions a 2-1 victory over the Florida Panthers in Game 2 of their best-of-seven series on Thursday night.
The Lightning has won four straight since falling behind Toronto 3-2 in the first round and will look to take a commanding series lead over the Presidents Trophy-winning Panthers when the matchup moves across the state to Tampa for Game 3 on Sunday.
Colton said he was just trying not to get scored on in the final minute. He wound up being the hero when Nikita Kucherov retrieved a loose puck behind the Florida net and flicked a perfect no-look, backhand pass that Colton lifted over Sergei Bobrovsky’s right shoulder to win it.
“I was kind of trying to sit back and let the plays come to us. But when you’re on the ice with (Kucherov), you have to be ready for anything. Once I saw the puck behind the net, I just went to the front of the net,” Colton said.
“He’s got eyes in the back of his head, as you can see, because I didn’t even know he knew I was there. He gift-wrapped it for me,” Colton continued. “Luckily it just squeaked under the bar there, but unbelievable play by him.”
Florida now has to win four of the final five games in the series to advance to the Eastern Conference final.
The Lightning, meanwhile, is playing like a team determined to become the first to win three straight Stanley Cup titles since the New York Islanders captured four in succession in the early 1980s.
“We’re two games closer to where we want to be, but we’re not there yet,’’ Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “I told you this in the last series, and I’m going to tell you again: Tonight was just one game. We’re here to win a series.”
BLUES 4, AVALANCHE 1: In Denver, David Perron scored twice as St. Louis switched up its line combinations, Jordan Binnington made 30 saves and the Blues beat Colorado to tie their second-round series at a game apiece.
Jordan Kyrou added a goal and Brandon Saad sealed it with an empty-netter for the Blues as they rode another stellar performance from Binnington. The Blues goaltender stopped 51 shots during a 3-2 overtime loss in Game 1.
Binnington’s flashing his 2019 form, when as a rookie he led the Blues to a Stanley Cup title with a 16-10 mark and a 2.46 goalsagainst average.
Gabriel Landeskog scored on a power play early in the third for Colorado to make it 2-1. But Perron answered right back with his seventh goal of these playoffs.
Darcy Kuemper stopped 28 shots. Two of the goals he allowed were redirected off the stick of a defenseman.
Nathan MacKinnon and the Avalanche found open ice a scarce commodity against a physical, hard-checking and more determined Blues squad.
Game 3 is Saturday in St. Louis.
Among the line changes by the Blues was pairing Pavel Buchnevich with Ryan O’Reilly and Perron.
“Move some guys around to see if we can create some balance throughout our lines,” St. Louis coach Craig Berube explained.