Shattenkirk scores in OT; Lightning on verge of Cup
Kevin Shattenkirk scored a power play goal in overtime, Brayden Point had two goals and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Dallas Stars 54 Friday night to take a 31 series lead in the Stanley Cup Finals in Edmonton, Alberta, and move to the cusp of winning the title.
With Game 5 Saturday night, Tampa Bay is potentially 24 hours away from its second championship in franchise history. The Lightning won the Cup in 2004, but this core has so far been unable to get over the hump despite being one of the best teams in the NHL for much of the past decade.
They’re on the verge thanks to Shattenkirk’s goal 6:34 into OT. The veteran defenseman said he signed with the Lightning in the summer of 2019 after being bought out by the New York Rangers because he felt they had a similar chip on their shoulder after winning the Presidents’ Trophy and getting swept in the first round.
“I still feel like we have something to prove,” Shattenkirk said. “We have one more to go.”
The Lightning got the winning power play when Dallas captain Jamie Benn was called for tripping Tyler Johnson on a play where Benn’s skates never made contact with Johnson’s as the trailing referee called it.
“Tyler Johnson steps in front of Jamie, and it has no real effect on the play,” said the Stars’ Joe Pavelski, a former Sharks captain who scored twice. “Jamie breathes on him and the guy calls it.”
Ottawa Senators wing Bobby Ryan was placed on waivers by the team for the purpose of a buyout.
Ryan won the Masterton Trophy, the NHL’s award for perseverance, on Sept. 7 after publicly sharing his battle with alcohol issues. He entered the NHL/NHL Players’ Assistance program on Nov. 20 to get help for his addiction issues.
Ryan, 33, has two years left on his contract at a $7.25 million cap hit and was owed $15 million in real cash. Buying out the contract will save the Senators $3.67 million in cap space in each of the next two seasons, but add a cap charge of $1.83 million in each of the following two years.