Lightning defeat Ducks in overtime to clinch playoff berth

Anthony Cirelli scored 1:58 into additional time and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Geese 4-3 on Thursday night time to clinch a berth within the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Ross Colton, Alex Killorn and Nikita Kucherov additionally scored for the Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 10 saves earlier than being changed by Brian Elliott, who stopped all 13 pictures he confronted.

The Lightning certified for the playoffs for the eighth time in 9 seasons. The 2-time defending NHL champions are attempting to turn out to be the primary workforce to win the Stanley Cup thrice in a row for the reason that Islanders received 4 straight from 1980-83.

Adam Henrique scored twice, and Troy Terry added a aim for Anaheim. Anthony Stolarz, making his first profession begin in opposition to Tampa Bay, made 27 saves.

The Lightning tied the sport with 12.3 seconds remaining within the third interval when Kucherov’s wrist shot from the excessive slot sailed by way of site visitors and previous Stolarz to make it 3-all.

“The final 10 minutes of the sport it appeared like we saved it easy and we had some alternatives,” Killorn mentioned. “Kucherov made a fantastic shot to tie it up.”

After Killorn had an obvious additional time winner washed out due to an offside name, Cirelli received it when he was left alone to the left of Stolarz and shot the puck right into a wide-open internet.

“We scored greater than sufficient objectives to win tonight, sadly a number of of them acquired known as again,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper mentioned. “However it was how they did it in the long run, and I’m so happy with the blokes.”

The Geese trailed 2-0 earlier than scoring three consecutive objectives within the second interval, together with two in a 22-second span. Henrique made it 2-1 at 3:42 and made it 2-2 at 10:19, earlier than Terry scored his team-leading thirty fourth on a deflection at 10:41.

Anaheim captain Ryan Getzlaf, who introduced he’ll retire on the finish of the season, assisted on each objectives after receiving a video tribute earlier within the recreation.

“I actually appreciated the followers and what went on on the market. It was a superb, enjoyable, hard-fought recreation. It was enjoyable to be on the market competing with a few guys I’ve performed with.”

Geese coach Dallas Eakins mentioned Getzlaf isn’t hanging up his skates after 17 NHL seasons, all with Anaheim, as a result of he can’t play anymore.

“I’m unsure what number of occasions prior to now {that a} man mentioned he’s going to retire, and he’s nonetheless the workforce’s No. 1 heart, “ Eakins mentioned. “He’s enjoying like he’s our No. 1 heart, and he’s.”

Anaheim went 1-1-2 on a four-game journey. The Geese made their first go to to Amalie Enviornment since dropping 6-2 on Nov. 23, 2019.

The Lightning dominated the primary interval and wasted little time leaping out to a 1-0 lead. Steven Stamkos acquired a stick on Dominik Simon’s tried cross and deflected the puck to Colton, who was alone in entrance of the web and beat Stolarz with a fast backhander at 2:37 for his seventeenth of the season.

The lead went to 2-0 at 16:42, when Killorn was left alone within the slot to take Cirelli’s cross and zip a wrist shot previous the glove of Stolarz for his twenty second of the season and first in eight video games.

The Geese, listless for many of the first interval, acquired a spark when Henrique scored at 3:42 of the second to make it 2-1. Kevin Shattenkirk took a shot from the suitable level that Henrique deflected previous Vasilevskiy.