Lightning 3, Flyers 2 (OT)
TAMPA, Fla. -- Defenseman Jason Garrison scored on a breakaway in overtime -- his second goal of the night -- to give the Tampa Bay Lightning a 3-2 overtime win over the Philadelphia Flyers in Thursday night's season opener at Amalie Arena.
Garrison scored on a breakaway with 2:43 left in overtime, shortly after Tampa Bay goalie Ben Bishop blocked a penalty shot -- the Flyers also missed one wide in the first period -- to preserve a 2-2 tie in the first three-on-three overtime in NHL history.
Tampa Bay (1-0-0) started the season where they dominated last season with the NHL's best home record. Philadelphia (0-0-1) had chances in overtime but ended up with a point in its first game.
The third period was a defensive stalemate that ended 2-2. The teams combined for just three shots in the first 14 minutes of the period.
The Lightning finished with just three shots in the period -- one in the final 15 seconds -- and the Flyers had six.
Tampa Bay grabbed momentum at the end of the second period, tying the score 2-2 with a power-play goal with 1:38 left as right winger Ryan Callahan took a rebound on a long shot by defenseman Victor Hedman and poked it behind Flyers goalie Steve Mason.
Hedman and left winger Jonathan Drouin were credited with assists. It was Drouin's second of the game.
Philadelphia scored two goals in a span of 1:49 earlier in the second period, turning a 1-0 Lightning lead into a 2-1 Flyers advantage.
The go-ahead goal was scored on a power play by center Brayden Schenn, who poked a rebound past Bishop with 7:57 left. Philadelphia got the power play on a tripping penalty against Lightning defenseman Anton Stralman.
Tampa Bay outshot the Flyers 13-3 in the second period, but Philadelphia got goals on two of their three shots.
The Flyers didn't have a shot on goal for the first 10 minutes of the second period, then scored on their first shot, tying the score 1-1 with 9:46 left as center Scott Laughton fed trailing right winger Matt Read for the goal, beating Bishop between his legs.
The Lightning had jumped ahead just 1:25 into the second period when Garrison fired a long shot past Mason. Callahan and Drouin were credited with assists on the goal.
The teams had played to a scoreless tie in the first period, with the Flyers outshooting the Lightning 13-10. Philadelphia had the best opportunity when a penalty shot was called for hooking on a breakaway, but right winger Claude Giroux missed the shot wide after beating Bishop.
Tampa Bay nearly scored again just a minute after their first goal. Left winger Ondrej Palat had a breakaway, but Mason made the save to keep the score 1-0.
NOTES: The Lightning raised a banner to celebrate their 2014-15 Eastern Conference championship last season. Tampa Bay lost the Stanley Cup finals to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games. ... Tampa Bay played without C Cedric Paquette, who took a puck off his left leg in preseason, and D Nikita Nesterov, who was a healthy scratch. ... Philadelphia had two former Lightning players as scratches, C Vincent Lecavalier and D Radko Gudas, as well as C Sam Gagner. ... The lone addition to the Lightning lineup from last season is F Erik Condra, who played in his 300th career NHL game.