Lightning Fans Play Mario Kart On The Ice During Intermission [VIDEO]
FRED GOODALL, AP Sports Writer
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Sidney Crosby and Co. kept pressing and shooting until the Pittsburgh Penguins finally imposed their will.
Crosby, Phil Kessel and Chris Kunitz scored third-period goals, helping the Penguins beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals Wednesday night.
Carl Hagelin snapped a scoreless tie late in the second period and Matt Murray had 26 saves for the Penguins, who took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series and proving that they're far from a one-man show.
"You don't win consistently without depth," Crosby said after scoring the winning goal for the second time in three nights.
Game 4 is Friday night at Amalie Arena.
Crosby's power-play goal off a pass from Evgeni Malkin restored a two-goal lead midway through the final period. Kunitz also beat goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy from the right circle to make it 4-1.
"It was a 4-on-3 so we had a one-timer on either side and (Malkin) was in a good spot to shoot it at the top of the ice," Crosby said. "He's just smart with the puck and he's going to make the right decision. I don't think I called for it but maybe I did."
Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat scored for the Lightning. They have lost two straight after winning the series opener in Pittsburgh. The defending Eastern Conference champions were outshot 48-28, including 38-16 over the last two periods.
"Every team is good offensively when they play in their system," Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang said. "Our system is to play north-south and get the puck deep. When we do that we have a good chance to win."
Vasilevskiy won Game 1 in relief of the injured Ben Bishop and the Penguins took Game 2 in Pittsburgh when Crosby scored the first overtime playoff goal of his career less than a minute into the extra period.
The Lightning were outshot by a combined 76-41 in the first two games, but weren't as concerned with that disparity as much as by a lack of good scoring chances — a problem they hoped to rectify by coming out more aggressive to try to put more pressure on Penguins goalie Matt Murray on Wednesday night.
And for a while, they did.
Murray, though, had 12 saves in the opening period, but the Lightning couldn't keep up the pace. Pittsburgh controlled the puck for much of the second period, taking 21 shots to Tampa Bay's six and finally breaking through against the 21-year-old goaltender when Kessel chased down a loose puck before flicking a shot from the right circle.
Vasilevskiy, who had stopped Kessel on a breakaway earlier in the period, blocked the shot directly toward Hagelin, who tipped it in with 10 seconds remaining before the second intermission.
"It was a great second period," Crosby said. "I thought we created a ton of chances, and to get one that late in the period felt good."
Kessel's team-leading seventh goal this postseason gave the Penguins a short-lived two-goal lead. Johnson countered for Tampa Bay just 14 seconds later, taking a pass from Nikita Kucherov and barreling in on Murray, who was unable to stop a shot that bounced off his upper body before continuing into the net.
Vasilevskiy, making his third career playoff start, finished with 44 saves. He's stopped 115 of 123 shots since taking over for Bishop during Game 1.
"Vasilevskiy has been excellent. He has really kept us in (the last two) games," Lightning defenseman Anton Stralman said.
The Lightning have lost consecutive games for the first time this postseason.
They've been one of the NHL's moist resilient teams, though, and aren't counting themselves out.
"We have been to three playoffs together and we have been in every different situation," coach Jon Cooper said. "Up two, down two, up 2-1, down 2-1, so it's nothing we haven't seen before."
Notes: Bishop worked out in full gear before Wednesday's morning skate, and Cooper said he's hopeful that the Vezina Trophy finalist can practice Thursday. He hasn't played since leaving Game 1 with a lower left leg injury. "He's progressing. ... I think now we're teetering on whether he can be back or not, but there's obviously no guarantees in that. But he's been making gradual steps every day," Cooper said. ... The Penguins went 1 for 3 on the power play. Tampa Bay was 0 for 1. ... Crosby's goal was his fifth of the playoffs. The Penguins star scored for the second straight game after going eight in a row without a goal. ... Kucherov, who's tied with San Jose's Joe Pavelski for the postseason lead for goals with nine, had assists on both Tampa Bay goals — his first points of the series.
(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
