Bolts one win from shot at Cup
PITTSBURGH— The Tampa Bay Lightning are one victory away from a return trip to the Stanley Cup final.
Tyler Johnson deflected Jason Garrison’s wrist shot past Marc-Andre Fleury’s glove 53 seconds into overtime to give the Lightning a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final Sunday night. The Lightning lead the best-of-seven series 3-2 with Game 6 Tuesday night in Tampa.
Nikita Kucherov scored twice, boosting his post-season total to an NHL-best 11, and Alex Killorn picked up his fifth of the playoffs as the Lightning handed the Penguins consecutive losses for the first time since January. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 31 shots.
Brian Dumoulin, Chris Kunitz and Patric Hornqvist replied for the Penguins, who lost for the first time all season when leading after two periods. Marc-Andre Fleury made 21 saves in his first start since March but couldn’t a glove on Johnson’s redirect.
Fleury played the role of dutiful backup when coach Mike Sullivan stuck with rookie Matt Murray even after Fleury recovered from a concussion sustained on March 31. Sullivan turned to the franchise’s all-time leader in wins for the third period of Game 4, after Murray surrendered four goals, and stuck with Fleury after watching him turn aside all seven shots he faced as the Penguins nearly came all the way back.
Back in his customary starting spot for the first time in 52 days, Fleury appeared fresh. He sprinted in full gear onto the Consol Energy Center ice for his 100th career playoff appearance and was his usually steady self —including a split save on Johnson in the second period that few of his brethren can make. He was helped by teammates more than willing to get on their bellies. The Penguins blocked 22 shots before they even made it to the goal crease and continued their series-long dominance in creating pressure at the other end.
Dumoulin gave Pittsburgh the lead with less than a second to go in the first. His first goal in more than 17 months was set up by a spectacular effort from five-foot-11 forward Bryan Rust, giving away seven inches to Victor Hedman yet somehow keeping the Tampa Bay defenceman behind him as he crashed the net. Du- moulin’s rebound beat the clock and gave the Penguins a boost they carried into the next period when Hornqvist converted a beautiful touch pass from Carl Hagelin to make it 2-0 just 90 seconds in.
The Lightning, as they’ve done all series, counterattacked beautifully.
Killorn drew Tampa Bay within a goal 13:15 into the second on a wrist shot from the left circle that went in and out of the goal so quickly that play continued for a few seconds before referees pointed to the red goal light. Kucherov tied it 70 seconds later as Pittsburgh’s defence collapsed around Vladislav Namestnikov, who slid it cross ice to Kucherov for an easy one-timer.
Kunitz put the Penguins back in front, his rebound coming at the end of a sequence set up by a slick entry by Olli Maatta, who worked around two Tampa Bay players on his way to the net.
Maatta was back in the lineup because Trevor Daley is out for the playoffs with a broken ankle.