Just as easily as the Tampa Bay Lightning fell behind the Boston Bruins 3-0 after one period, they tied the game 3-3 after two periods in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Two goals by Teddy Purcell 1:03 apart and one by Sean Bergenheim erased Boston’s early lead and set up what should be an intense third period.
Mike Smith relieved Dwayne Roloson to begin the period, and Tampa Bay killed off the Bruins power play that began the second. Then the Lightning scored three goals in 3:58 to tie the game. First, Tim Thomas tried to hand off the puck to Zdeno Chara behind the net, but when Ryan Malone checked Chara, it was left behind for Simon Gagne. He passed it to a cutting Purcell, who deked around Adam McQuaid and backhanded a shot past Thomas to get Tampa Bay on the board.
A little over a minute after that, the Lightning scored again. On a 3-on-2, Vincent Lecavalier passed across the middle to Purcell, who zipped a wrist shot over Thomas’s glove hand and underneath the crossbar to cut Boston’s lead to 3-2. The Lightning then tied it shortly after a power play expired, when Bergenheim outworked Tomas Kaberle behind the net, circled out front, and beat Thomas with a low wrist shot to tie the game 3-3.
Steve Downie may not be available for the rest of the game after Nathan Horton checked him head-first into the glass late in the second period. Also, let the record show that referee Tim Peel, standing no more than 10 feet away from the play, called Downie for diving in addition to the boarding penalty on Horton. Because everyone will slam their heads into the boards and risk a concussion to try and sell a penalty. That makes lots of sense.