Jason Garrison usually plays in the shadow of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s star performers, but on Thursday, the defensive defenseman made NHL history with an overtime goal.
Garrison not only gave his team a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers with his overtime tally in the Lightning’s season opener, but it also marked the first goal in the new three-on-three extra session format.
“It’s hectic, it’s fun, you got a taste of it. Kind of up and down, chance after chance,” said Garrison, who also scored in regulation, giving him two goals on the night.
Photo: AFP
The 30-year-old Canadian scored just four goals in 70 games last season.
The Lightning raised the banner for their Eastern Conference championship, then watched as goalie Ben Bishop escaped two penalty shots, including one in overtime just before Garrison’s game-winner.
“That’s another new one for me — a bunch of firsts tonight,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “I don’t think I can remember a game where we stopped two penalty shots, one in overtime. We don’t even get to talk about Garrison unless Bish comes through the way he did.”
Photo: USA Today
The new three-on-three overtime format drew mixed reviews.
Cooper called it “lunacy” for its sheer chaos, and Bishop called it a “gong show,” saying he prefers the shootout as a fairer way to determine a winner in a tied game after regulation time.
Meanwhile, San Jose Sharks forward Raffi Torres on Thursday apologized for an illegal check to the head of Anaheim’s Jakob Silfverberg that resulted in the longest suspension in NHL history for a hit on another player.
Torres is not appealing his 41-game suspension for the hit on Silfverberg in a pre-season game. It is the fifth and most significant suspension for the Canadian in his NHL career.
In a statement released by the team, he said: “I am disappointed I have put myself in a position to be suspended again.”
He also said he was “extremely thankful” that Silfverberg was not seriously injured as a result of the play.
Torres’ previous longest suspension was for 21 games for a high hit on Chicago’s Marian Hossa in the first round of the 2012 NHL playoffs when he played for Arizona.
LIGHTNING 3, FLYERS 2
Defenseman Jason Garrison scored on a breakaway in overtime, his second goal of the game, to give the Tampa Bay Lightning a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.
Garrison scored with 2 minutes, 43 seconds left, shortly after Tampa Bay goalie Ben Bishop blocked a penalty shot, in the first three-on-three overtime in the NHL after rule changes earlier this year.
JETS 6, BRUINS 2
The Winnipeg Jets ended the franchise’s 13-game losing streak in Boston with a 6-2 victory over the Bruins.
The Jets, who last won in Boston as the Atlanta Thrashers on March 31, 2007, scored three goals in the second period and three in the third to clear out the sellout crowd.
Goaltender Ondrej Pavelec stopped 29 shots in the win.
SENATORS 3, SABRES 1
Center Kyle Turris scored twice to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres in the season opener for both teams.
Right winger Curtis Lazar added an empty-net goal late in the third period for Ottawa.
Senators’ goalie Craig Anderson made 26 saves, while second overall pick Jack Eichel scored in his first game with Buffalo.
In other NHL action, it was:
‧ Predators 2, Hurricanes 1
‧ Blues 3, Oilers 1
‧ Stars 3, Penguins 0
‧ Wild 5, Avalanche 4
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