TAMPA (SNN-TV) – The Lightning were on the edge of hard times, flirting with being swept, entering Sunday’s Game 3, trailing in the series 2-0 to the Rangers.
Just when it appeared New York might be ready to push Tampa Bay to the brink of elimination, the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning showed they were nowhere near finished.
Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos scored to wipe out a two-goal deficit, and Ondrej Palat finished a dramatic comeback with the 10th winning playoff goal of his career yesterday in a 3-2 victory that cut the Rangers’ lead in the Eastern Conference final to 2-1.
Palat scored with 42 seconds left, off a nifty back pass from Kucherov, to cap the late rally.
Game 4 is set for tomorrow at Amalie Arena at 8pm.
