TAMPA BAY 5 DALLAS 4 (OT) (Lightning lead series 3-1)
Kevin Shattenkirk scored the game-winning goal 6:34 into the first overtime period to give Tampa Bay a 5-4 win in Game 4 on Friday night. It was a redemptive moment for the veteran defender after Dallas’ game-tying goal went off him and into the net. The Lightning hold a commanding 3-1 series lead with a chance to win the Stanley Cup on Saturday night.
Shattenkirk’s third goal of the postseason was scored on the power play, which went 3-for-4 in the contest. He also picked up an assist on Friday to give him 13 points in 23 matches after he had eight markers and 34 points across 70 appearances during the regular season.
John Klingberg opened the scoring on Friday night with his third goal of the postseason after his initial shot was blocked. He scored on the first shot of the match for the Stars at 7:17 of the first period. Joe Pavelski gave Dallas a 2-0 lead in the final two minutes of the opening frame with his 11th goal since the restart.
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Brayden Point displayed tremendous speed and quick moves in tight when he netted his 12th goal of the postseason just under one minute after Pavelski’s marker. Point tied the game at 2-2 just 2:08 into the second stanza on a Tampa Bay power play when he batted the puck out of the air on an aerial pass by Alex Killorn from behind the net. He currently leads the postseason with 13 goals in 21 matches.
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Corey Perry ended a 19-game goalless drought and gave the Stars a 3-2 advantage when he went hard to the net and followed up a great individual effort by Tyler Seguin. Perry has potted three goals in the playoffs. Dallas scored three times on their first seven shots.
Yanni Gourde scored the other power-play goal for the Lightning at the 18:54 mark of the second period to even the score at 3-3 going into the third period. He has seven goals in the postseason after scoring 10 times in 70 games during the regular season.
Alex Killorn snapped his 10-game goalless slump 6:41 into the third period to give the Lightning their first lead of the game. He turned and fired close to the faceoff dot in the attacking end for his fifth goal of the postseason. Killorn also added an assist in the contest.
Pavelski’s second goal of the game at the 11:35 mark of the third period sent Game 4 into extra time. It also gave him 60 career goals in the playoffs, which ties him with Joe Mullen for the most among American-born players.
Nikita Kucherov, Mikhail Sergachev and Seguin earned two assists apiece on Friday night. Kucherov leads the pack with 25 helpers and 32 points in 23 postseason contests. Seguin only had one assist in 12 outings going into Game 4, but he turned in a great effort and came very close to ending his extended goalless skid.
Anthony Cirelli led the game with 10 hits, while Jamie Oleksiak led all skaters with six blocks. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 26 of 30 shots for the victory. Anton Khudobin blocked 30 of the 35 shots he faced in the defeat. It wouldn’t be a surprise if both netminders were back in goal for their respective teams in the second half of the back-to-back situation on Saturday.
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NOTES: Montreal signed Jeff Petry to a four-year contract extension worth $25 million. The Canadiens also agreed to a one-year, two-way deal with Joseph Blandisi. Philadelphia inked Alex Lyon to one-year extension worth $700,000. Ottawa placed Bobby Ryan on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract.
Craig Smith, Dale Weise and Craig Anderson made their intentions to test unrestricted free agency known on Friday. Mikko Koivu, who will become a UFA as well, hasn’t made a decision yet on his future, but he intends to start training in Finland
