TORONTO (AP) The Tampa Bay Lightning eliminated Columbus from the Stanley Cup playoffs in five games on Wednesday, rallying from a two-goal, third-period deficit before beating the Blue Jackets 5-4 on Brayden Point’s goal 5:12 into overtime.
Point also delivered the winner in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series, a five-overtime thriller that wound up being the fourth-longest game in NHL history.
Kevin Shattenkirk and Anthony Cirelli scored in the final eight minutes of regulation to wipe out a 4-2 deficit. Earlier, Columbus scored four consecutive times to overcome an early two-goal deficit of its own.
Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 37 of 41 shots for Tampa Bay, which was swept from the first round by the Blue Jackets last season.
Joonas Korpisalo had 20 saves for Columbus.
Tyler Johnson and Blake Coleman scored within a 61-second span to give the Lightning an early 2-0 lead that Columbus answered with goals by Nick Foligno, Kevin Stenlund and Alexander Wennberg, who put the Blue Jackets ahead 3-2 with 15.8 seconds remaining in the second period.
Oliver Bjorkstrand’s third goal of the series made it 4-2 early in the third. Tampa Bay rallied, with Shattenkirk beating Korpisalo from the top of the right circle and the Lightning pulling even when the puck glanced off Cirelli’s left skate into the net with 1:38 remaining in regulation.
NOTES: The Lightning didn’t have a power-play opportunity and finished 0-for-10 for the series. … The Blue Jackets had six power-play chances in regulation, but only scored once – on Stenlund’s first career playoff goal at 9:35 of the second period. … Vasilevskiy’s 21st postseason victory moved him into a tie with Ben Bishop and Nikolai Khabibulin for the most in Lightning history.
Photo credit – Cole Burston / The Canadian Press via AP / Toronto, ON
