The Tampa Bay Lightning evened the series with the Boston Bruins on Monday night thanks to a 4-2 win in Florida.
During the opening minutes of the first period, the Tampa Bay Lightning took control; parking themselves in the Bruins’ defensive end, and jumping on Tuukka Rask early, pestering him with shots.
That would be the pattern for the majority of the night, as the Lightning recorded 31 shots on goal in the victory to send the series back to Boston tied at one.
Halfway through the first period, the Lightning received their second power play of the night as Torey Krug was called for slashing against Brayden Point. The Lightning scored 1:47 into the power play as Yanni Gourde slithered one past Tuukka Rask to put the Lightning up 1-0.
The Bruins’ first shot on net came 14:02 into the first period as Patrice Bergeron stuffed a rebound into Andrei Vasilevskiy. Tampa Bay’s Tyler Johnson was whistled for roughing after the stoppage of play and the Bruins went on their first power play of the game.
Boston then went on a two-man advantage as Ryan McDonagh hit Brad Marchand from behind 15 seconds after Johnson’s roughing penalty was called. Pastrnak had the best shot of the power play as he hit the post and the puck flew behind Vasilevskiy and out, not crossing the goal line.
Charlie McAvoy would go on to score from a no-look pass from Bergeron and tie the game at one6:47 after Gourde’s goal. The goal was McAvoy’s first postseason goal of his professional career.
Johnson scored the only goal of the second to put the Lightning ahead 2-1.
In the third period, Marchand turned the puck over in the neutral zone, and the Lightning took a convincing two-goal lead from Ondrej Palat. However, Torey Krug gave the Bruins some hope and pulled the Bruins within one less than two minutes later.
The Bruins would go on to pull Rask for the extra-man, but that would not be enough as Point scored an empty-netter to seal the victory for the Lightning.
Game three is Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. in Boston.
