Jordan Staal’s OT winner gets Hurricanes back into series vs. Lightning

[June 04, 2021]    Jordan Staal tipped in a shot for the winning goal on a power play 5:57 into overtime as the visiting Carolina Hurricanes finally broke through against the Tampa Bay Lightning, winning 3-2 in Game 3 on Thursday night.

Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (21) shoots as Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Petr Mrazek (34) defends during the first period in game three of the second round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

With Nikita Kucherov in the penalty box for a holding penalty, the Hurricanes were able to keep the puck in the Tampa zone and convert against Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. Sebastian Aho notched the primary assist on the winning goal.

Carolina goalie Petr Mrazek made 35 saves. Vasilevskiy stopped 24 shots for the Lightning.

Brett Pesce and Aho scored in a stretch of less than 2 1/2 minutes in the second period for the Hurricanes. Aho also assisted on the first goal.

Tampa Bay's Brayden Point and Alex Killorn scored power-play goals later in the second period to even the game.

Game 4 in the best-of-seven, second-round series is scheduled for Saturday in Tampa.

The Hurricanes gave Mrazek his first action of this postseason because Alex Nedeljkovic had been used in the team's first eight playoff games. Earlier in the day, Nedeljkovic was named a finalist for the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie.

Pesce's second goal of the postseason came 5:15 into the second period. It marked just the second time in nine postseason games this year that the Hurricanes scored the first goal.

That provided the first lead of the series for the Hurricanes. Point answered for the Lightning just 77 seconds after Carolina's second goal.

Killorn tied the score on a goal with 3:42 to play in the second period. He was assisted by Kucherov and Point.

Those goals made the Lightning 2-for-2 on power plays at the time.

There hasn't been a first-period goal scored in the series. Tampa Bay held a 10-9 edge in shots through the opening period Thursday after finishing Game 2 on the short end of a 32-15 count on shots.

Neither team scored in the third period, though the Lightning had a large majority of the scoring chances.

Overtime was nothing new to the Hurricanes, who played four consecutive overtime games to conclude the first-round series with the Nashville Predators.

--Field Level Media

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