Tampa stuns Florida on last-second score

Ross Colton scored with 3.8 seconds remaining, giving the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning a 2-1 victory over the host Florida Panthers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Thursday night.

The stunning finish put the Lightning up 2-0 in the best-of-seven series.

The game appeared headed for overtime before Colton scored from right in front of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky off a no-look, backhand pass from Nikita Kucherov, who chased down a loose puck behind the net.

“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,” Colton said of Kucherov. “He giftwrapped it for me. Luckily it just squeaked under the bar there, but unbelievable play by him.”

Tampa Bay’s power play once again was the catalyst, producing Corey Perry’s first-period goal.

The goal by Perry — who suffered a facial cut in warmups — was the Lightning’s fourth in seven power-play chances to start the series.

Florida’s lone goal came on a 30-foot shot from Eetu Luostarinen.

St. Louis 4, at Colorado

1: David Perron scored twice as the Blues switched up their line combinations and Jordan Binnington made 30 saves as St. Louis tied the series at a game apiece.

Jordan Kyrou added a goal for the Blues as they rode another stellar performance from Binnington, who stopped 51 shots during a 3-2 overtime loss in Game 1.

Gabriel Landeskog scored on a power play early in the third for Colorado to make it 2-1. But Perron answered 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.