Lightning Clinched Stanley Cup Playoff Spot

The Tampa Bay Lightning put on a performance in overtime against the Anaheim Ducks to gain a riveting win last night. The 4-3 score allowed the Lightning to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the eighth time in nine seasons.

The First Period

Tampa Bay left Anaheim scoreless in the first period of the match up. Ross Colton scored the first goal of the game assisted by Steven Stamkos 2:37 into the game.

The two teams went back and forth until Lightning’s Alex Killorn successfully scored, assisted by Erik Cernak and Anthony Cirelli, bringing the score to 2-0 with less than four minutes left in the first period.

Killer makes it two. 🚨 pic.twitter.com/ozoXSr8sGp

— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) April 14, 2022

The Second Period

The Ducks entered the second period with a goal of dominance in mind. Anaheim suited up their defense and kept Tampa Bay to a goalless second period. Four minutes into the game, Adam Henrique completed a goal, assisted by Cam Fowler and Kevin Shattenkirk, to put the Ducks onto the board.

Additionally, Henrique kept his offensive plays going and scored a second goal for Anaheim, assisted by Ryan Getzlaf. Twenty two seconds later, the Ducks stunned their opponent with a third goal of the second period by Troy Terry assisted by Andrej Sustr and Getzlaf.

The Ducks took the lead after the second period, 3-2.

That was a great second period! #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/sJQtyRZvAB

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) April 15, 2022

The Third Period

Shots fired. Goals missed.

The third period was full of attempts by the Lightning to tie the game or take the lead and the Ducks trying to keep their dominance from the second period.

Both teams failed to score a singular goal until 47 seconds remained on the clock. Following Cirelli’s face off win in the offensive zone, Nikita Kucherov scored a goal for the Lightning assisted by Corey Perry and Stamkos to tie the game 3-3 at the end of the third period and head into overtime.

KUUUUUUUUUUUUCH

TIE GAME WITH 12 SECONDS TO GO!!!!! pic.twitter.com/vRiGYYVu0X

— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) April 15, 2022

Overtime

The Lightning and the Ducks entered overtime with both teams fighting for a win that would allow them to enter the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Two minutes in, Cirelli scored a goal assisted by Killorn and Mikhail Sargachev. As a result, he Lightning came out victorious and clinched a spot in the playoffs.

#BOLTSWIN!!!!! pic.twitter.com/6nAMYFC1GA

— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) April 15, 2022

The Lightning improve 41-21-8 and the Ducks currently are 29-33-14.