PITTSBURGH _ Three goals. Ninety-one seconds. Brayden Point scored the sixth-fastest hat trick in NHL history Thursday.
It was the second-fastest of the expansion era and the second-fastest on the road, the NHL said.
"That's pretty cool," Point said. "Guys made good plays."
Point's goals, which were broken up by the first intermission, put the Lightning on the board and then gave them the lead on the way to a 4-3 win over Pittsburgh.
The first goal was a big one to keep the Lightning in the game. They had given up the first goal for the ninth time in 10 games and there's a big difference between going into the dressing room down 2-0 and 2-1 with a power play that continues after the break. Point scored with 2.7 seconds left to put the Lightning in that latter category.
"We needed to get at least one," Steven Stamkos said. "It's a huge momentum swing."
A minute and a half of hockey later, and it was a different game.
All three goals came on the power play, as the Lightning were four-of-six on the night. The Penguins took two simultaneous penalties and then another 20 seconds later to set up Point's three goals, two of which came on 5-on-3s.
"Sometimes on a 5-on-3, you get too cute passing," Point said. "We did a good job putting the puck on net."
Point's hat trick was part of the effort to come back from having allowed the first goal for the ninth time in 10 games.
