Holding a three-goal third-period lead, the Tampa Bay Lightning were able to sit back and defend against a Pittsburgh Penguins comeback. They withstood the Penguins’ challenge easily, and Mattias Ohlund added an empty-net, shorthanded goal to finish a 5-1 win that tied their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal at one game apiece.
Eric Brewer scored the first goal of the game and added two assists, while Simon Gagne tied a Lightning playoff record with three assists. Vinny Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis each scored power-play goals, and Nate Thompson’s goal gave Tampa Bay a 3-0 lead after one period.
Dwayne Roloson made 35 saves for the Lightning, and the penalty-killing unit remains perfect through two games as Pittsburgh was 0-for-7 with the man advantage in Game 2. The Lightning’s 1-3-1 defensive setup frustrated the Penguins for much of the game and made sure that Tampa Bay’s early lead was never threatened.
Game 3 of this series is on Monday night at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa. Faceoff is 7:30pm.
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