TAMPA, Fla – For the second time in three days the Lightning came up big when it counted, claiming a key win over the Penguins to stave off elimination from the 2011 play-offs over the Easter weekend and forcing a dramatic game 7 showdown on Wednesday night.
Veteran goaltender Dwayne Roloson was on form again, making 27 saves in the Bolts 4-2 victory at the St Pete’s Times Forum to ensure the 2004 Stanley Cup champions would live to fight another day.
Roloson’s opposite number, Marc Andre Fleury, could not recapture the same scintillating form which saw him shut out the Lightning in game 1 as the Pens squandered an early lead courtesy of Pascal Dupuis’ ninth minute effort.
Teddy Purcell grabbed his first of the post season at 16:36 to tie the game heading in to the first break, then Sean Bergenheim struck early in the 2nd period to give the home side a slender lead as Roloson and the Lightning began close the door.
Pittsburgh’s Chris Conner was awarded a rare post season penalty shot, but the Pens forward lost control of the puck and so failed to convert the teams first penalty shot since 2008 with his side down 2-1.
Jordan Staal looked to have reinvigorated the game less than four minutes in to the final period when he tied the game at 2-2 before Maxime Talbot and Pascal Dupuis were both denied in close by Roloson.
The former Edmonton and Minnesota puck stopper denied Talbot not once but twice on the door step before turning away a second rebound effort by Dupuis. And the effort from Roloson proved pivotal as just moments later Steve Downie found himself with time in front of the Penguins net and scrambled the puck home to score the game winner.
Former Pittsburgh winger Ryan Malone put the icing on the cake as he rifled a shot past the Pens keeper on a breakaway with 10 minutes remaining to seal a 4-2 victory.
The two sides meet again on Wednesday in Pittsburgh in a winner takes all showdown; with the Lightning already buoyed by two wins in the Pens rink during the series, including Saturday’s 8-2 blowout victory in which Steven Stamkos grabbed his first two post season goals.
Contact the author: rob.mcgregor@prohockeynews.com
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