The Pampa Bay Lightning were looking to take advantage of their home ice on Wednesday night. Having split the first two games in Pittsburgh, the Bolts hoped to go up in their best-of-seven series.
Instead, the Penguins wrestled home ice back with a 4-2 win on the road.
Phil Kessel and Carl Hagelin led the way for Pittsburgh with a goal each two points apiece on the night.
“They are a responsible line on both ends,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said of Hagelin, (Nick) Bonino and Kessel. “[Bonino and Hagelin] obviously kill penalties and have great awareness defensively. I think [Kessel’s] game has come a long way away from the puck. …They are a line that we have a comfort level with.”
Pittsburgh also got goals from Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz/
For the Lightning there is no need for a panic button.
“We have been to three playoffs together, and we have been in every different situation,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “Up two, down two, up 2-1, down 2-1, so it’s nothing we haven’t seen before.”
Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat scored for Tampa Bay.
“You have to give them credit,” Johnson said. “They play hard, they use each other very well. I thought we had a great first period. We were all over them, but that second period, we had a little bit of a letdown, and that just can’t happen.”
Andrei Vasilevskiy was not the issue for the Lightning, he made 44 saves in net for Tampa in place of Ben Bishop who remains sidelined from the Game 1 injury.
“I think we started off really good, with a nice push in the beginning,” Lightning defenseman Anton Stralman said. “We almost weathered the storm in the second, but they got a late goal, and that was a big boost for them. We’re not executing well, and they are taking advantage. They are getting a lot of zone time, and it’s tough to defend a good offensive team like that.”
Matt Murray made 26 saves and improved to 9-3 in the playoffs this season.
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