Anthony Cirelli scored the game-winner with 53 seconds left, Steven Stamkos tallied twice in a four-point game, and the host Tampa Bay Lightning rallied past the Boston Bruins 5-4 on Monday night.
Cirelli scored his 18th goal just as a late power play ended, completing Tampa Bay's third-period comeback from a 4-2 deficit in a battle between the Eastern Conference's top two teams.
Victor Hedman had a goal and an assist, and Nikita Kucherov also scored for the Lightning, who have won 10 of 12 and improved to 20-4-0 against Atlantic Division foes.
Stamkos and Mikhail Sergachev each had two helpers, Ryan Callahan registered his 200th career assist, and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy made 13 saves for Tampa Bay (59-14-4, 122 points).
Brad Marchand scored a pair of goals, and Charlie Coyle and Brandon Carlo tallied for the Bruins, who lost for just the fourth time in regulation in their past 25 games.
David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron each had two assists, and goalie Tuukka Rask stopped 23 shots for Boston (46-21-9, 101 points).
Stamkos one-timed home his 40th tally on a long diagonal pass from Callahan at 6:42 of the first period. The slapper extended his goal streak to five games. Stamkos achieved the 40-goal milestone for the fifth time, but the first time since the 2014-15 campaign.
Marchand answered against the NHL's top penalty-kill unit with his 33rd goal, finishing a clever backhand pass from Pastrnak at 8:32 on the game's first power play, but Stamkos blasted his 41st at 14:58.
Boston started to take control in the second period when David Backes' forecheck sent the puck right to Coyle, who roofed his 12th goal -- just his second in 15 games with the Bruins -- at 8:42 for a 2-2 tie.
The Bruins' David Krejci made a slick pass to himself in the defensive end and led a three-on-two rush. The center dished a pass to a trailing Carlo, who fired home his first goal in 44 games for Boston's first lead at 13:41 of the middle period.
Just over a minute later, Marchand wristed a shot from the low slot, and Vasilevskiy made the initial stop. However, the puck careened high above the goalie and crossed the goal line when it landed at 14:32.
Hedman cut Tampa Bay's deficit to 4-3 at 5:36 of the third period, and Kucherov knotted it 4-4 at 13:15 -- both goals off Stamkos assists.
--Field Level Media
Boston | Tampa Bay | |
Brad Marchand 2 | Points | Steven Stamkos 4 |
Brad Marchand 2 | Goals | Steven Stamkos 2 |
Patrice Bergeron 2 | Assists | Steven Stamkos 2 |
Brad Marchand 1 | Power Play Goals | N/A |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Tuukka Rask .821 | Save Percentage | Andrei Vasilevskiy .765 |
Tuukka Rask 23 | Saves | Andrei Vasilevskiy 13 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Boston | 17 | 4 | 1-3 | 6-6 | 12 | 26 |
Tampa Bay | 28 | 5 | 0-6 | 2-3 | 6 | 30 |