TAMPA, Fla. — The Lightning played into overtime yet again Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Kings, their 11th game this season decided in extra time.
And the best defense in the wide-open 3-on-3 overtime is a good goaltender.
Moments after Andrei Vasilevskiy made a game-saving pad save on Anze Kopitar, the Lightning capitalized at the other end of the ice on Mathieu Joseph’s goal with 1:35 remaining in the extra session.
With the 3-2 victory, the Lightning have won seven of their 11 overtime games this season and six of seven games overall.
Rookie forward Taylor Raddysh tied the game at 2 with his fourth goal in his last six games, redirecting Jan Rutta’s shot on goal with 5:41 left in the second period.
Raddysh’s play briefly earned him a promotion to the Lightning’s top line with the flurry of injuries that the team has been dealt. But with center Anthony Cirelli returning following a two-game absence, Raddysh returned to the fourth line.
That didn’t stop his offense. Positioned in front of the net, Raddysh reached his stick blade out behind him, redirecting Rutta’s puck into the net.
The Lightning penalty-kill unit allowed its fifth goal in the past three games on the Kings’ first power play of the game as Drew Doughty’s seeing-eye shot found the back of the net to give Los Angeles a 1-0 lead 9:06 into the first period.
A Kopitar shot hit off Alex Iafallo’s skate and kicked out to Doughty, who rifled a shot from the center point into traffic. Iafello jumped into the air, allowing the puck to get through while providing a screen that prevented Vasilevskiy from getting a good look.
Victor Hedman’s goal with 1:59 left in the first tied the game at 1 going to the first intermission. Hedman called for the puck as he skated toward the top of the right circle and one-timed a feed from Steven Stamkos to beat Jonathan Quick top shelf on his gloveside.
Quick kept it a tie game in the waning moments of the first with a lunging glove save to cut off an open net from Ondrej Palat. Quick later turned away Stamkos’ wrister on a third-period breakaway.
The Kings went ahead 2-1 by crowding the front of the net again, as Matt Roy’s shot was deflected by Ross Colton’s stick and then Viktor Arvidsson before going into the net just 30 seconds into the second period.
The Lightning power play was scoreless in three man-advantage opportunities, including a full two-minute power play to open the third period. They are now 0-for-8 with the man-advantage over their past two games and 1-for-14 over their last four.
