Drag them back to Tampa.
Before the Tampa Bay Lightning left for Quebec this week, forward Corey Perry said he and the Tampa Bay Lightning needed to dig deep and take care of business against the Montreal Canadiens in Game 6 of their First Round Stanley Cup Playoffs matchup on Friday.
Consider it done.
A 30-save shutout from goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy and an overtime game-winning goal from Gage Goncalves on Friday made for a 1-0 Game 6 victory over the Montreal Canadiens and set up a do-or-die Game 7 on Sunday at Benchmark International Arena.
“I think that was just an incredible hockey game,” forward Jake Guentzel said. “Chances back and forth. Both goalies played well. That’s just a gritty group, our team. A lot of emotions, but we just stayed even-keeled and we just had to get it back to Tampa.”
For the fourth time in six games, the matchup required overtime. Both teams have spoken about the tight-checking nature of the series, but Friday brought more chances.
Tampa Bay started the game with pressure in the offensive zone, and a Yanni Gourde wraparound try just missed after Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes overplayed the puck outside his net.
The teams traded looks over the rest of a high-flying, fast-paced first period, but neither could solve the opposing goalie.
Early in the second period, the Lightning appeared primed to make it 1-0 on a chance at the net following an Arber Xhekaj turnover when a Perry shot snuck through Dobes’ legpads in the blue paint. Canadiens forward Philip Danault had other ideas, waiting to sweep what looked to be a sure goal off the goal line.
Vasilevskiy denied four separate 2-on-1 chances before the second period ended. With under 90 seconds to play in the middle frame, the Lightning goalie slammed one pad down to deny Ivan Demidov’s one-timer on a power play and then gloved the forward’s second chance as well.
“I didn’t have much emotion,” Vasilevskiy said of how he felt during the back-and-forth game. “For the fans, it was probably a rollercoaster. But for me, it was pretty even. I’m pretty experienced, so I don’t want to show my emotions.”
Guentzel was stopped on a breakaway look in the opening moments of the third period, and the team hit goalposts twice on the ensuing power play. Montreal erased a Lightning power play with just over three minutes left in regulation, and Tampa Bay then denied a Canadiens power play 5:30 into overtime.
Shortly after, Canadiens fans were quieted at the Bell Centre—Brandon Hagel deked around a Canadiens player at the top of the offensive zone and got the puck to Dominic James in the corner, who then passed to Goncalves in the slot.
Goncalves buried his second look just past the ninth minute of overtime for the 1-0 win to keep the Lightning season alive.
“If you watch tonight’s game, that game didn’t need a goal. All it needed was one goal to end it,” coach Jon Cooper said. “It was thrilling. It was epic. It was goaltenders making extraordinary saves, players doing things that were of grace and skill and magic, and there was intensity, there were hits. It was everything. And there wasn’t a goal scored. And yet, everybody in the building was on the edge of their seats. I guess that’s how epic games become epic.”
Vasilevskiy finished with 30 saves in the shutout win for Tampa Bay, who will return home to host Game 7. The Lightning can advance to Round 2 with a victory in Sunday’s 6 p.m. series finale.
“I thought a lot of guys gave everything they’ve got,” Brandon Hagel said.
“Obviously we needed to win that game, and it was kind of a win or lose situation. But I think at the end of the day, no matter the result, I think we had probably 20 guys that could have looked themselves in the mirror and said they gave everything. So credit to everyone out there, but we haven’t won anything yet. And I think everyone in the room knows that.”
Benjamin’s Three Stars:
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TBL (30-SV shutout)
Gage Goncalves, TBL (OT GWG)
Jakub Dobes, MTL (32 SVs)