RALEIGH, N.C. — The Lightning were opportunistic Tuesday night in their 2-1 win over the Hurricanes at PNC Arena. And they needed to be in Game 2.
They were outshot by Carolina 32-15. The Hurricanes quieted the Tampa Bay power play. The Lightning struggled through the neutral zone for most of the night.
The Lightning didn’t dominate the Hurricanes in Raleigh, and it’s fair to say they stole both games of the second-round playoff series. But their games against Carolina all season have been tight, seven of 10 decided by two goals or fewer.
The Lightning went into a near-capacity PNC Arena, known as one of the most raucous venues in the NHL, and took the first two games from the Central Division champions. Now the series heads back to Tampa on Thursday.
Alex Killorn’s goal 7:09 into the second period wasn’t pretty but it was persistent, and it gave the Lightning a 1-0 lead.
Coming off a line change, Victor Hedman’s stretch pass sprung Anthony Cirelli in the Carolina zone, and with Hurricanes defenseman Brady Skjei on his back, Cirelli beat Alex Nedeljkovic with a back-handed shot across the crease and inside the far post 8:06 into the third period.
After snapping his 28-game scoring drought, Cirelli has scored three postseason goals. And Hedman has 10 assists in the playoffs.
Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, who has made life difficult for the Hurricanes, recorded 31 saves. He has stopped 68 of 70 shots through first two games.
In the first period, the Hurricanes had a 2-on-1 rush, but Mikhail Sergachev broke up Andrei Svechnikov’s centering pass to Jordan Staal. Sergachev also blocked Cedric Paquette’s shot from the left circle on a 3-on-2 rush created when Lightning defenseman Luke Schenn slipped.
Killorn’s goal came after some blue-collar work on the forecheck by the Lightning’s second line. Cirelli battled for the puck behind the net and Steven Stamkos fed Killorn in the far corner.
Killorn shielded himself from Carolina wing Teuvo Teravainen as he circled back toward the blue line, and flicked a shot that just past Cirelli and Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin, who shielded Nedeljkovic from seeing it cleanly.
The score was Killorn’s fifth of the postseason, tying him with Brayden Point for the the team lead.
The Hurricanes brought even more pressure after Killorn’s goal, and Martin Necas had an open look far side of the net on Vasilevskiy, who reached out his stick to disrupt Necas from getting the puck on net, losing his stick in the process.
Early in the third period, the Lightning were forced to defend a one-goal lead on the penalty kill after Pat Maroon was called for high-sticking 2:45 into the period. On that penalty kill, Vasilevskiy stopped Necas, defenseman Erik Cernak made a big block on Teravainen’s shot from the left side and Sebastian Aho unloaded a wrist shot from the slot that just went wide of the far post.
The Hurricanes’ lone goal, from Svechnikov, came with 1:30 remaining in the game. Aho sent a puck of the far post in front of the crease in the final minute.
