Palat Scores OT Winner As Lightning Beat Boston Bruins 4-3

The Tampa Bay Lightning needed just 4:30 of overtime to claim a big 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series. The series is now tied 1-1 after Ondrej Palat collected a loose puck in front of Jaroslav Halak and beat the veteran goaltender. It was Palat’s first goal of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Patrick Maroon attempted a wraparound on Halak, who denied him. Yanni Gourde tipped the puck to Palat, who converted for the winner.

Palat wins it for the #GoBolts in overtime to tie the series at one win a piece.#NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/PQ8elNpZgc

— BOSHockeyNow (@BOSHockeyNow) August 26, 2020

Halak made 36 saves in the loss, while Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 22 shots in the win.

Nick Ritchie opened the scoring 3:14 into the contest with his first playoff goal as a member of the Boston Bruins. Ritchie pushed into the offensive zone and drove towards goal, dishing a pass to Anders Bjork at the last second. Bjork rifled a one-timer toward goal that Vasilevskiy stopped, but Ritchie collected the rebound and jammed it home through a crowd.

The Lightning needed just under ten minutes to respond. Blake Coleman scored his first of the series and second of the playoffs at 12:42 to even the scoring. Zach Bogosian skated end-to-end, splitting the Boston Bruins defense, and dished a pass to Coleman, who broke away from Bjork. Coleman dove to deflect the pass by Halak, tipping it through the five-hole.

The seesaw continued in the second period. Brad Marchand and the top line made their presence known in the middle frame, as Marchand scored his fifth of the playoffs at 14:33. The Bruins powerplay went to work when Palat took a high-sticking penalty at 14:14. Torey Krug setup the quick powerplay marker, finding David Pastrnak on the wall. Pastrnak appeared to send a cross-ice pass to Patrice Bergeron, who deflected it towards Marchand. Marchand redirected it himself by Vasilevskiy to give the Bruins a lead.

The Lightning quickly struck back less than a minute later. This time, Nikita Kucherov tipped a Kevin Shattenkirk shot form the side of the goal by Halak.

Coleman gave the Lightning their first lead of the series at 10:40 of the third. Coleman went in on a partial breakaway and got off a weak shot that fooled Halak and slid through the five-hole. The shot was partially deflected by Connor Clifton, fooling the veteran goaltender.

Coleman puts the Lightning ahead 3-2 with 9:20 to go in regulation. #NHLBruins #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/0lhLHxOq2Y

— BOSHockeyNow (@BOSHockeyNow) August 26, 2020

Marchand scored his second of the night minutes later, capping off a big push from the Bruins. Sean Kuraly took a feed from Pastrnak at the side of the goal and slid it across the crease for Marchand, who lifted the puck over the outstretched Lightning goaltender to even the score at 3-3 at 16:02.

Brad Marchand ties it for the Bruins late in the third period!#NHLBruins #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/Y8Hb3LjFDP

— BOSHockeyNow (@BOSHockeyNow) August 26, 2020

For the first time during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Boston Bruins headed to overtime. It didn’t last very long. The Lightning dominated the extra frame, outshooting the Bruins 9-1. The Lightning were rewarded with Palat’s goal at 4:40.