Bolts survive a wild three-on-three finish

by Gary Shelton on October 8, 2015 · 0 comments

in general, Tampa Bay Lightning

Bishop blocks Giroux's penalty shot in the first period./Andrew J. Kramer

Bishop blocks Giroux's penalty shot in the first period./Andrew J. Kramer

Thursday, 11:37 p.m.

Remember your first ride on a roller-coaster?

Remember the colors blurring past you at breakneck speed? Remember the rises and the falls and the way the sudden turns tugged at your body? Remember the wind in your face and the clackity-clack beneath your feet. Remember the sudden rush of adrenalin, and the way you wanted more when the ride was over?

This was like that.

And God bless whoever it was in the NHL offices who pushed hardest for this thing called the three-on -three overtime.

The Tampa Bay  Lightning was back in business Thursday night, squeezing out a 3-2 overtime win, just like it did in 2014. And to tell you the truth, this was a lot like a highlight tape from last year. You had rough patches of play, and you had big goals, and you had an incredible effort from goaltender Ben Bishop, who somehow stopped two penalty shots along the way.

But there is no doubt that this one will be remembered for the fantastic finish at the end. It was pure electricity for 2:17, a high-voltage period that had fans on the edge of their seats. Oh, coach Jon Cooper called it “lunacy” and Bishop called it “goofy”

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