Ranking the Top Round Two Games in Tampa Bay Lightning History

Honorable Mention:  2022, Game Two vs. Florida

Following a remarkable seven game series victory over Toronto in round one, the 2022 Lightning were rewarded with the Presidents Trophy winning Florida Panthers. Game two of the series earns a mention thanks to the late game heroics of Nikita Kucherov and Ross Colton.

The Lightning thumped Florida pretty well in game one and game two was a much tighter affair that was surely heading for overtime. Tampa Bay would capitalize on a late Florida giveaway and Kucherov would fire a no-look, behind the back pass in front for Colton who would one-time it past Sergei Bobrovsky with four seconds remaining. The late blow pretty much spelled doom for the Panthers who lost both games on home ice and would go on to be swept.

5. 2015, Game Three vs. Montreal

In the spirit of buzzer-beating goals to take a stranglehold on a series, we have to include game three against Montreal in 2015. Similar to game two against Florida in 2022, the game was a tight one, looking to head to overtime at 1-1. Victor Hedman would jump up on the rush and feed Tyler Johnson who would beat Carey Price for the game winner with 1.1 seconds to go.

After winning the first two games of the series in Montreal, Tampa Bay would put the series out of reach in game three with Johnson’s back-breaking goal. Montreal would eventually climb back into the series, forcing it to go six games but the 3-0 deficit was too tall of a mountain to climb. The win was extra sweet for Lightning fans who had seen Tampa Bay swept from the playoffs the year before at the hands of Montreal.

4. 2018, Game 4 vs. Boston

After winning game three in Boston, the 2018 Lightning already had the split they were looking for and held a 2-1 series lead over the Bruins. Game four turned out to be an epic, back and forth game that would require extra hockey.

After going up 2-0, Tampa Bay would allow three unanswered Boston goals and the Bruins would take a 3-2 lead in the third period. A tying goal on a Steven Stamkos one-timer stunned the Boston crowd and sent the TD Garden into a frenzy following a potential tripping call that went un-called and led directly to the tying goal.

In overtime, the unlikeliest of heroes would get his stick on game winning goal. Dan Girardi came all the way down from the blue line and went right to the blue paint. He got his stick on a back-hand feed from Alex Killorn for the game wining goal as Tampa Bay would steal both games in Boston and take a 3-1 series lead and would eventually go on to win their first ever playoff series over Boston.

3. 2011, Game Two vs. Washington

After coming from behind from 3-1 down against Pittsburgh in round one, Tampa Bay would stay hot in round two. The Lightning took game one in Washington and found themselves in a back-and-forth second game.

Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals tied the game at two with just over a minute to go in regulation, sending the game to overtime. In the extra frame, Tampa Bay would catch Washington in a bad change for the game winning goal. A back-hand feed by Teddy Purcell found Vinny Lecavalier all alone in front of the net. Lecavalier would make a nice move and roof it and then jump into the Washington glass as Tampa Bay would head home with a 2-0 lead in the series.

This win was the fifth straight game the 2011 Lightning would win. They would extend their win streak to eight games, spanning from the first round to the Eastern Conference Final. The Lightning would go on to sweep Washington and advance to the Conference Final for the second time in franchise history.

2. 2020, Game Five vs. Boston

In a repeat of their 2018 series against Boston, Tampa Bay would drop the first game and then win the following three games to take a 3-1 lead. In 2020, the fourth consecutive win would be a hard-earned double OT thriller thanks to the heroics of Victor Hedman.

The Lightning looked to be on their way to burying the Bruins in game five. Out of nowhere, Boston tied the game late thanks to a fortunate bounce onto the stick of David Krejci. Boston would fight for their lives and force a second overtime period. Victor Hedman would eventually win it thanks to a sweet curl and drag to cap off a strong offensive zone shift.

The victory marked the second OT game of the series. Game two was a thriller in its own right as Tampa Bay earned a scrappy victory to bring the series level. This win also was the second time in three years eliminating Boston from the playoffs, both of which came in five games.

2004, Game Three vs. Montreal

2004 marked just the second time in the second round for the Lightning. After going up 2-0 in Tampa, the Lightning looked to advance to their first ever Eastern Conference Final as the series shifted north of the border.

Trailing 3-2 late in the third period of game three, Tampa Bay would tie the game with under a minute left to play. Montreal’s own, Vinny Lecavalier deflected a pass from Dave Andreychuk between his legs and tied the game in dramatic style to force overtime. Lecavalier’s childhood friend, Brad Richards would win the game for the Lightning just over a minute into OT, banking a rebound off José Théodore to take a 3-0 series lead in one of the great moments in franchise history.

This game proved to be one of the first truly iconic playoff games in the history of the franchise as Tampa Bay would go on to eventually earn their first second round victory and then go on to hoist their first Stanley Cup. Finishing off a sweep in Montreal made the occasion just that much greater.