TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Falling behind Chicago and staging a comeback has become the norm for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Brayden Point scored a power-play goal 3:25 into overtime, and the Lightning rallied again to beat the Blackhawks 3-2 on Wednesday night.
Point took a pass from Steven Stamkos while positioned near the post and put the winner past Corey Crawford and complete a three-goal rally.
“To be down 2-0 to a team as good as Chicago, it was a great bounce-back performance,” Stamkos said.
Chicago was short-handed after Nick Schmaltz was sent off for slashing at 3:10.
Tampa Bay got also goals from Ondrej Palat and Chris Kunitz, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 29 saves. Ryan Callahan had two assists.
Patrick Kane scored twice and Crawford stopped 35 shots for the Blackhawks, who blew leads in losing both games between the teams last season.
“We had a great start,” Kane said. “Even after 40 minutes, we’re in a good position up 2-1.”
Tampa Bay scored four third-period goals Jan 24 for a 5-2 win in Chicago, and the Lightning battled back from a 4-1 deficit to win 5-4 in overtime at home Mar. 27.
Kunitz tied it 2 just 31 seconds into the third.
Kane opened the scoring on a 2-on-1 at 3:49 of the first and made it 2-0 with 4:06 left in the period as Chicago’s 26th-ranked power play unit converted a 5-on-3.
Kane has eight goals and 20 points in 14 games against Tampa Bay.
The Blackhawks’ 4th-ranked short-handed unit stymied Tampa Bay’s NHL-leading power play during three consecutive man-advantage situations, including a 45-second 5-on-3, which ended midway through the first.
Crawford made a terrific glove save on Stamkos’ left circle power-play breakaway shot early in the second.
Palat cut the deficit to 2-1 4:27 into the second on the Lightning’s fourth short-handed goal.
“I thought the boys regrouped,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.
Vasilevskiy made a kick save on Richard Panik’s in-close chance 6 minutes into the third.
Both goalies were outstanding in overtime, including Vasilevskiy’s pad save on Kane during a breakaway.
“He’s got such long legs,” Kane said. “I made the move I wanted, got a little bit too close.”
Tampa Bay went 1 for 6 on the power play, while the Blackhawks were 1 of 4.
NOTES: Stamkos has a point in 18 of 21 games. … Chicago has won just five times, including twice in Tampa Bay’s inaugural season of 1992-93, in regular season road games against the Lightning. The Blackhawks took two of three at Tampa Bay in the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals en route to the championship. … Tampa Bay C Cedric Paquette returned after missing 13 games with an upper-body injury.
UP NEXT:
Blackhawks: Play at Florida Saturday night.
Lightning: Start a four-game trip Friday night at Washington.
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