ice-hockey
Lightning hold off Bruins to even series
SAN JOSE, Calif, May 1, (Agencies): William Karlsson and the expansion Vegas Golden Knights proved they can handle some adversity just as well as they can thrive as front-runners like they did most of their inaugural season.
The Golden Knights bounced back after allowing a late tying goal in regulation when Karlsson scored 8:17 into overtime to lead Vegas to a 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Monday night and a 2-1 series lead.
Karlsson was that hero — just as he has been so much this season. He scored 43 goals in the regular season and has added three more this series, but none was bigger than the wrist shot in transition that beat Martin Jones high to the stick side, sending the Golden Knights into a wild celebration around the player knows as Wild Bill.
It was an impressive bounce back from their first loss of the playoffs in double overtime at home in Game 2 and wouldn’t have been possible without Marc-Andre Fleury, who made 39 saves to hold off an early push by the Sharks and then robbed Logan Couture with a glove save in overtime.
The Sharks rallied to tie the game and force a second straight overtime with two goals in the third period. Evander Kane scored just seconds after the end of a power play midway through the third to set the stage for Hertl.
Hertl drove to the net with a strong power move. With the Sharks swarming in front of Fleury, Hertl whacked at a loose puck and knocked it in for the equalizer with 1:57 to go, sending the towel-waving crowd into a frenzy.
Colin Miller, Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith scored in a span of less than five minutes in the second period to put the Golden Knights in control, but they couldn’t hold onto the lead.
Timo Meier opened the scoring with a power-play goal for the Sharks, but undisciplined play in the second period helped erase that lead and put San Jose in a hole.
Brenden Dillon held David Perron to give Vegas a power play less than a minute after Meier’s one-timer off a perfect cross-ice pass from Chris Tierney gave the Sharks the lead.
San Jose had an 11-1 edge in shots on goal in the period at that point as the Sharks were controlling the play. But that quickly turned as James Neal held
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the puck below the goal line and fed Miller with a pass that Marc-Edouard Vlasic nearly broke up for a tap-in that tied the game.
About three minutes later, Hertl was called for roughing Neal well behind the play, giving the Golden Knights another chance with the man advantage.
They converted again when Marchessault one-timed a cross-ice pass from Alex Tuch past Jones to give Vegas the lead.
Smith then capped the three goals in 4:46 when Marchessault fed Karlsson, who was left alone at the side of the net. He deftly sent a blind, backhand pass through the crease to Smith, who tapped it in for the 3-1 lead.
The Sharks came out energized by a raucous crowd and the presence of celebrity door opener and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in their first home game of the series.
San Jose got 16 shots on goal in the first period, but were unable to get anything past Fleury, who rebounded well from his first loss of the postseason.
Yanni Gourde, Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat and Brayden Point each scored one goal, and the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the visiting Boston Bruins 4-2 Monday night at Amalie Arena.
The Lightning surged ahead 3-1 when Palat scored at 14:08. Point registered his third assist on the huge goal, which helped to secure the victory.
Krug got the Bruins within one goal at 15:58 – his third tally of the playoffs.
Tampa Bay went ahead 2-1 when Johnson flipped the puck over Rask’s shoulder and into the back of the net at 10:14 of the second.
The Lightning dominated most of the first, outshooting Boston 9-0 to open the game. On an early power play, Steven Stamkos skated in and fired a shot from a tough angle that was saved by Rask.