Anthony Beauvillier on Wednesday scored 68 seconds into overtime as the New York Islanders forced a winner-take-all showdown for a berth in the Stanley Cup Final by defeating defending champions the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2.
The victory deadlocked the best-of-seven series 3-3 and set up a seventh game today in Tampa, Florida.
The winner next faces either the Montreal Canadiens or the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final.
Photo: AFP
Montreal leads that series 3-2 and yesterday hosted Game 6.
Lightning center Brayden Point stretched his playoff scoring streak to nine consecutive games, one shy of the NHL record, on a chip-in backhander from just outside the crease to open the scoring with 3 minutes, 58 seconds to play in the first period.
It was Point’s 14th goal of the playoffs, matching his league-best total from last year’s title run.
The 25-year-old Canadian joined NHL legends Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux as the only players with back-to-back playoff runs of 12 or more goals.
Point also matched the Buffalo Sabres’ Pat LaFontaine from 1992 as the only players to score in each of the first six games of a playoff series.
The Lightning’s Anthony Cirelli, who assisted on Point’s goal, gave Tampa Bay a 2-0 edge 12:36 into the second period on a breakaway goal, firing the puck between the legs of Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov.
New York answered 1:46 later on a backhand goal from Jordan Eberle, which lifted the hosts to 2-1.
Before the Lightning could manage a shot on goal in the third period, the Islanders had netted an equalizer, Scott Mayfield scoring the unassisted goal high into the near upper corner 11:16 into the third period to lift the hosts level at 2-2, setting the stage for overtime and Beauvillier’s winner.
The Lightning are trying to become the first team to win back-to-back Stanley Cup titles since the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016-2017, while Tampa Bay are seeking a third NHL title after 2004 and last year.
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