When the Tampa Bay Lightning left Amalie Arena after Game 2, the situation looked dire. The Washington Capitals had taken two games and were heading home looking confident.
My, oh my, how three games have changed things.
After a dominating team performance in Game 3 and a career night for 23-year-old Bolts goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy in Game 4, the Lightning have taken a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals with a 3-2 Game 5 victory.
Cedric Paquette scored in the opening minute and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 28 shots in the win.
Ondrej Palat and Ryan Callahan also scored as the home team won for the first time in the best-of-seven matchup, with the Lightning taking a 3-2 series lead and moving within one victory of advancing the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in four seasons.
The Capitals, in the conference final for the first time in the Alex Ovechkin era, have lost three straight after winning twice on the road to begin the series.
Ovechkin scored with 1:36 remaining, trimming what once was a three-goal lead to one, however Vasiliveskiy made three more saves down the stretch to finish the victory.
The Bolts pounced early, with Paquette scoring 19 seconds into the game.
Palat made it 2-0 with a goal 10:56 into the first period.
Callahan kept up the pressure with a goal on 33 seconds into the second period.
Washington got one back when Evgeny Kuznetsov scored with 15:39 left in the second.
The Capitals were aggressive in the third period, eventually outshooting the Bolts, but the Tampa Bay defense held until Ovechkin scored with 1:36 left. But it wasn't enough for Washington.
Game 6 will be in Washington on Monday night.
***
