Corey Perry’s second goal of the night was the winner to give the Dallas Stars a 3-2 overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night in Edmonton, keeping their Stanley Cup hopes alive.
Perry grabbed a loose puck during a scramble, held off the defenders while he waited to get the right angle and then slipped the puck home 9:23 into double overtime to net his second goal of the night for the Stars, who trail the best-of-seven series 3-2.
Game 6 is Monday night.
Tyler Seguin netted three assists and Anton Khudobin made 39 saves for Dallas, which completed yet another comeback.
Perry gave the desperate Stars first blood late in the opening period. While Tampa Bay’s Mikhail Sergachev was struggling — appearing winded after he tried to throw a check — Perry grabbed a loose puck in the slot and his shot banked off the post and into the net with 2:08 remaining in the period.
The Lightning responded with a much better second period and were rewarded when Ondrej Palat tied the clash. Palat took a pass as he headed down the wing, cut sharply to the net after gaining a step on the defender and then moved the puck from his backhand to forehand before tucking home a deke at 4:37 of the period.
The roller coaster ride befitting a final series continued in the third period.
Sergachev put the Lightning ahead early in the frame when he unloaded a rocket of a point shot at 3:38 of the period, however Joe Pavelski replied for the Stars with 6:45 remaining in regulation by being on the spot for a loose puck that he batted home. Pavelski’s goal is officially the 61st playoff marker of his career, the most by any U.S.-born player in NHL history.
Andrei Vasilevskiy made 30 saves for the Lightning.
–Field Level Media