SUNRISE, Fla. — Ross Colton scored with 3.8 seconds remaining, giving the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning a 2-1 victory over the Florida Panthers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Thursday night.
The stunning finish put the Lightning up 2-0 in the best-of-seven series that heads to Tampa for Game 3 on Sunday.
The game appeared headed for overtime before Colton scored from right in front of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky off a backhand pass from Nikita Kucherov, who chased down a loose puck behind the Florida net.
Tampa Bay’s power play once again was the catalyst, producing Corey Perry’s first-period goal. Perry’s goal was the Lightning’s fourth in seven power-play chances to start the series.
Eetu Luostarinen scored for the Panthers on a 30-foot shot that trickled past Andrei Vasilevskiy with 1:53 remaining in the second period.
Vasilevskiy stopped 34 of 35 shots for Tampa Bay. Bobrovsky finished with 25 saves.
BLUES 4, AVALANCHE 1
DENVER — David Perron scored twice as St. Louis switched up its line combinations, Jordan Binnington made 30 saves and the Blues beat Colorado to tie the second-round series at a game apiece.
Jordan Kyrou added a goal and Brandon Saad sealed it with an empty-netter for the Blues.
Gabriel Landeskog scored on a power play early in the third for Colorado. Darcy Kuemper stopped 28 shots. Two of the goals he allowed were redirected off the stick of a defenseman.
Game 3 is Saturday in St. Louis.