TAMPA, Fla. — The Lightning always have an answer. Dating to the beginning of last postseason, they refuse to lose back-to-back games, winning all nine times when coming off a loss.
Their streak was in danger when the Hurricanes took a two-goal lead with 7:19 left in the second period of Saturday’s Game 4. Carolina’s back-to-back scores over a span of 2:06 took the air out of Amalie Arena.
Then something happened with the Lightning. Maybe they got angry. Maybe they became focused. Maybe they suddenly got a sense of urgency. Maybe it was just time to show how Stanley Cup champions play.
And what an answer it was.
The Lightning emerged from a head swirling, eight-goal second period with three straight scores to take a one-goal lead on their way to a 6-4 win over the Hurricanes.
With the victory, the Lightning take a 3-1 series lead over the Central Division champions and are now one win away from the Stanley Cup semifinals. Tuesday’s Game 5 is in Raleigh, N.C.
After the Lightning’s Game 3 loss on Thursday, coach Jon Cooper was calm in defeat, calling the postseason a “big damn roller coaster.”
Saturday’s second period alone was a wild ride.
Lightning captain Steven Stamkos scored the go-ahead goal, Tampa Bay’s third over a span of 4:59 down the stretch. It was his second goal in a three-point night. Nikita Kucherov, who assisted on the go-ahead goal, had two goals of his own, giving him six in the postseason.
The first three games of the series were defensive minded. Goals were hard to come by. But in the second period Saturday, the pace flipped, and though up for the task, the Hurricanes found themselves in a fast-paced, open-ice track meet that didn’t favor their style.
After starting the game 0 for 3, the Lightning power-play unit scored on three straight man-advantage opportunities. The Hurricanes were persistent in keeping the Tampa Bay power-play unit on the ice.
With the score tied, Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov went to the box for a roughing penalty with 52 seconds remaining in the second, his third penalty of the game.
Victor Hedman prevented a Carolina clear, sweeping his stick forward, getting the puck to Anthony Cirelli in the far corner. Cirelli passed to Kucherov coming over the right circle, who quickly tapped a pass to Stamkos. The captain had an open shot from the left circle, beating Carolina goaltender Petr Mrazek top shelf near post with 23 seconds left in the second.
Down two goals with 5:22 left in the period, Kucherov took the puck off the boards after Stamkos’ one-timer hit off iron. Kucherov then launched a rising wrister from above the right circle that filled the net.
Tyler Johnson tied the game with his first goal of the postseason, rocketing a shot from above the right circle after a cross-ice feed from Ross Colton.
The eight-goal second period was the 12th time in postseason history at least that many were scored in a single frame and the first time since 2006.
After Carolina’s Ondrej Palat stole a puck in the neutral zone, he fed a trailing Kucherov, who leaned into a slap shot from the high slot that beat Mrazek glove side to give the Lightning a 6-4 lead 6:01 into the third.
