2. THE TURNING POINT
The Lightning gave up a pair of power-play goals in the first period to dig themselves a 2-0 hole for the third-consecutive game.
The task appeared daunting: rallying from a two-goal deficit in Pittsburgh, a place where Tampa Bay had little success of late, against a slumping but still dangerous Penguins team featuring superstars like Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel and Patric Hornqvist.
With 23 seconds to go in the first period, however, the Lightning were gifted a 5-on-3 situation when Evgeni Malkin was whistled for tripping Erik Cernak and, with action continuing on the delayed penalty, Phil Kessel slashing Alex Killorn.
Ten seconds into the 5-on-3 advantage, Matt Cullen tripped J.T. Miller to raise the arm for another penalty. But before that penalty could be called, Point got the puck in the left circle and sniped a shot over the left shoulder of Penguins goalie Matt Murray, pinging the pipe as the puck went in and beating the buzzer with just three seconds remaining in the period.
"I think going into the 2nd period 2-1 was momentum for us," Point said.
Getting the goal so early in the 5-on-3 provided the Lightning with another extended two-man advantage situation when the second period began. And Point was again able to capitalize, Nikita Kucherov slipping a pass to Steven Stamkos in the slot, the Lightning captain faking a shot and dishing toward the back post for Point to one-time into the opening.
And since that score came just 41 seconds into the second period, the Lightning still had over a minute left on a traditional 5-on-4 power play.
They needed just 47 seconds.
Point netted the hat trick after converting a well-schemed passing sequence from Kucherov in the right circle to J.T. Miller down low to Point in the slot to bury, one-touch passing all around to set up Point's one-timer.
In the span of a minute-and-a-half of game action, the Lightning went from down 2-0 to leading 3-2. But it all got started with that late first period goal that allowed the Bolts to remain on the power play for considerable time to start the second.
"We knew we had the extended 5-on-3, so it was imperative for us to score at least one," Stamkos said. "Obviously you get one at the end of the period, it's nice. You're feeling good about your game heading into the second, and then we get one quick and get a chance to stay on the power play and bury another one. That's a huge momentum swing in a game. You go from being down 2-0 a minute and a half ago in the time of the game and then you're up 3-2. Big goals by the power play today."