Lightning outlast Ducks in shootout
TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Lightning picked up a much-needed win in dramatic fashion.
Brian Boyle had the deciding goal in the fourth round of the shootout to give Tampa Bay a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks at Amalie Arena on Saturday.
Nikita Kucherov, who finished with two assists, scored in the third round to keep the shootout alive.
Jonathan Drouin and Alex Killorn scored in regulaton for Tampa Bay. Nikita Kucherov had a pair of assists while Ben Bishop made with 14 saves through regulation and overtime before stopping two of four chances in the shootout.
The victory was just the second in the past eight games for Tampa Bay.
Brandon Montour, called up earlier in the day, and Ryan Getzlaf scored for the Ducks. Jonathan Bernier made 35 saves.
Anaheim opened the scoring during four-on-four play as Montour came zipping down the right side to take a pass from Jacob Silfverberg and one-timed a shot past Bishop at 8:14 for his first career goal.
Tampa Bay answered right back, however, as Drouin took control of the puck near the right circle, circled back high in the zone to force the defense back and open up space. With the crowd buzzing in anticipation of more magic from Drouin, he snapped off a wrist shot that hit the shoulder of Bernier and landed in the net at 9:48 for his 15th goal.
The Lightning dominated the second period, pinning the Ducks back in their own end. Despite all the possession, however, Tampa Bay only had one goal to show for it, a power-play tally from Killorn, who shot a laser one-timer off a pass from Kucherov to the top far corner at 10:56.
The Ducks, meanwhile, were held without a shot on goal until the 18:28 mark of the second period, and were on the verge of not getting any until Kucherov took a cross-checking penalty while on a four-minute power play. Dating to the first period, Anaheim went a span of 24 minutes, 19 seconds without a shot on goal.
The Ducks tied the game early in the third when Getzlaf outmuscled Andrej Sustr along the right boards and slipped in to open space at the right circle and fired a shot past Bishop at 4:02 of the period. It was just one of three shots on goal in the third for the Ducks, who had just seven in the final two periods.
NOTES: Anaheim was missing D Sami Vatanen, who sustained a lower-body injury on Friday at Florida. ... The Ducks recalled D Brandon Montour from San Diego of the American Hockey League on an Emergency basis. ... Tampa Bay LW Ondrej Palat suffered a lower injury in Thursday's loss to Ottawa and is listed as day-to-day. ... The Lightning scratched D Luke Witkowski. ... Tampa Bay D Andrej Sustr returned to the lineup after being a healthy scratch on Thursday. ... The Lightning recalled RW Joel Vermin from Syracuse of the American Hockey League. ... Tampa Bay LW Michael Bournival missed his fourth consecutive game with an upper-body injury. ... Anaheim scratched D Korbinian Holzer and RW Jared Boll.