PHILADELPHIA — The Lightning were just seconds away from a hard-earned road win Thursday, but Wells Fargo Center came to life when the Flyers scored an equalizer with 8.1 seconds left.
Flyers captain Claude Giroux scored his second goal of the night, capitalizing on a faceoff win in the Lightning zone and flicking a wrister from above the left circle through traffic past Andrei Vasilevskiy.
But after a quick-paced overtime in which Vasilevskiy saved the game with a terrific pad save on Cam Atkinson, the Lightning earned a 4-3 win on shootout goals by Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point.
The Lightning spent the majority of the third period chasing the Flyers through their zone, managing just two shots until the final few minutes of the period. But Stamkos’ goal with 1:56 left gave them a late lead.
Tampa Bay made its first trip to Philadelphia in 22 months, and seeing a unfamiliar foe offered a welcome change of scenery following last week’s trifecta of playoff rematches.
The Lightning went into the first intermission having dominated the game in practically every way, except on the scoreboard. They dominated in zone time, scoring chances and possession but had three bad defensive breakdowns that led to odd-man rushes, two of which ended in the back of their net.
But the Lightning evened the game with two second-period goals — including one on the power play — before Stamkos scored in the final moments to give Tampa Bay its first lead at 3-2.
The Flyers applied pressure throughout the third period, pestering Vasilevskiy in front of the net. But the Lightning managed to dodge any damage, including two crucial penalty kills.
The Lightning entered the night riding an eight-game point streak that was built on defense. They held opponents to two or fewer goals in seven of those games.
So, allowing two goals in the first period after outshooting the Flyers 13-5 had to be frustrating.
Giroux scored just 1:34 into the first period, beating Vasilevskiy following a Lightning turnover. And Travis Konecny put Philadelphia up 2-0 when Cal Foote’s shot was blocked at the Philadelphia blue line and bounced into the neutral zone, creating a 3-on-1 that ended with Konecny scoring.
Two straight Flyers penalties gave the Lightning back-to-back power plays early in the second period, and Tampa Bay took advantage on the second opportunity.
Point scored in his third straight game, his first on the power play this season, 1:51 into the second period.
Stamkos, whose one-timer had been denied several times on the first power play, made a pass that was seemingly intended for Ondrej Palat, who was set up for a backdoor one-timer. But Point picked off the pass in front of the net, used Anthony Cirelli as a screen and fluttered a shot through traffic into the net.
Mathieu Joseph evened the game at 2 with an even-strength goal with 5:08 left in the second period. From along the far wall, Alex Killorn flicked a puck toward the net, and Joseph put in the rebound on the doorstep for his third goal of the season.
The Flyers made a charge late in the second, gaining momentum with a penalty kill in which they disrupted the Lightning’s push but cutting through their passing lanes. Vasilevskiy made nine saves in the period.
Ross Colton had three of the Lightning’s top scoring opportunities, including one that could have put Tampa Bay up in the third but was denied by Flyers goaltender Carter Hart.
