Lightning mount late comeback to win OT thriller against Senators
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) —Tampa Bay kept its focus after falling behind in the first period and pulled even early in the third. When it trailed again with less than five minutes remaining, the Lightning were resilient again.
Brayden Point tied the score on a power play with 27 seconds remaining in regulation and assisted on Yanni Gourde's winner 14 seconds into overtime to lift Tampa Bay to a 4-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Sunday night.
"I really thought our guys chipped away and it did not come easy," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "They had to continue to work, obviously all the way to the very end, but the group has showed that this year with us and I thought they deserved the two points."
Cedric Paquette and Mathieu Joseph also scored for the Lightning, and Louis Domingue stopped 22 shots. Ryan McDonagh had three assists.
Point tied the score on a two-man advantage with Domingue pulled for an extra attacker, taking a pass from Tyler Johnson to send the game to the extra period.
"It went from game over to three of their guys going the other way and somehow (McDonagh) kept it in after taking a shot off the back of his foot or leg or whatever it hit," Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos said. "It was a pretty amazing play and it goes to (Johnson) and he makes a great play to (Point). Game-saver right there for us."
Bobby Ryan, Maxime Lajoie and Cody Ceci had the goals for the Senators. Craig Anderson finished with 41 saves a day after giving up three goals on 10 shots before being pulled in a 9-2 loss to Buffalo.
Ottawa, which has lost six of seven, held a closed-door, players-only meeting after its latest defeat.
"As a group, collectively, we've got to take some ownership for our play and our results," defenseman Mark Borowiecki said. "It's been a few too many years here for us where the players haven't taken ownership.
"We're going through a rough patch here and this is where it's a true test of our personalities and a true test of the group we have in here."
Trailing 2-0 after 20 minutes, the Lightning got on the board early in the second as Paquette scored 38 seconds in, jumping on a rebound in the crease.
Joseph tied the score with the first goal of his career at 3:04 of the third. Anthony Cirelli spotted Joseph and he made no mistake, beating Anderson far side.
Anderson kept the Senators in the game as the Lightning outshot Ottawa 10-1 through the first 10 minutes of the final frame.
Ottawa regained the lead on a delayed penalty call as Chris Tierney found Ceci all alone in front with 4:44 left in regulation.
However, the Senators have been outscored 21-12 in the third period this season, including Point's tying tally in the final minute.
"We've been a bit of a punching bag at times in the third period where we're not able to break a team's momentum and create some of our own, so that's something as a group we need to address and we did," forward Matt Duchene said.
"It's unfortunate because we did do some really good things. We had a big game from (Anderson), but the thing we're having trouble with is putting it together for 60 (minutes)."
The Senators took a 2-0 lead on power-play goals by Ryan and Lajoie 10 minutes apart in the first period.
NOTES: Lajoie's fifth goal of the season tied him with Ryan Dzingel for the team lead. ... D Borowiecki made his to the Senators' lineup after serving a three-game suspension for a hit to the head on Vegas Golden Knights forward Cody Eakin. ... Ottawa and Tampa Bay, who both entered the league in 1992, each played its 2,000th game.
UP NEXT
Lightning: Host Edmonton on Tuesday night to open a three-game homestand.
Senators: Host New Jersey on Tuesday night.