Lightning rally for OT victory

TAMPA-- After Steven Stamkos tied it on the power play with 26.6 seconds left, Tyler Johnson scored the game-winning goal at 1:04 of overtime to lift the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 4-3 victory against the Nashville Predators at Amalie Arena on Friday.
Stamkos beat Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne with a one-timer from above the left faceoff circle to send the game to overtime.

"We pulled the goalie to get some extra space out there," Stamkos said. "My mindset was to try to get some pucks on net, and I did. It was a goal that was a long time coming for me and it came in a great situation. Hopefully, it can be something that gets us going."
Johnson got behind the Predators defense, took a pass from Victor Hedman, and put a backhand shot between Rinne's legs to win it.

"I got a little lucky there because I was going off for a change," Johnson said. "But I found a little space there to break, and the guys made a great play."
JT Brown and Nikita Kucherov scored for the Lightning (30-20-4), who have won nine straight games at home and ended a two-game skid.
Filip Forsberg, James Neal and Mike Fisher scored for Nashville (25-21-9), which plays at the Florida Panthers on Saturday.
The Lightning are 6-1 in games ending in overtime; the Predators are 1-8.
The game-tying goal came on a 6-on-4 power play, with goalie Ben Bishop pulled for the extra attacker, after Viktor Arvidsson was called for slashing Stamkos at 17:36 of the third.

"We obviously can't afford to take penalties and put ourselves in a 6-on-4 situation like we did," Forsberg said. "You can argue the call, but the call was made, so we have to [deal] with that. Obviously, we couldn't come through with the kill."
The Predators tied it 2-2 at 4:01 of the third when Neal scored on a breakaway, placing the shot high above Bishop's shoulder for his 20th goal.
Neal has scored at least 20 goals in each of his eight NHL seasons, including the past two with Nashville.
"He has been a great player for us," Laviolette said. "He's a consistent goal-scorer in this league, and that's not an easy thing to do."
Forsberg scored to give the Predators a 3-2 lead at 7:46 of the third period. He skated through the Lightning defense from outside the right circle into the slot and flipped a wrist shot past Bishop.

"Unfortunately, we were asleep at the wheel and [gave up] a breakaway goal," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "And then a definite breakdown letting Forsberg get to the net. Especially him, a guy that knows how to find the back of the net."
Kucherov gave the Lightning a 2-1 lead at 10:07 of the second period when he fought off a check from defenseman Ryan Ellis to poke the puck through Rinne's pads.
Fisher opened the scoring at 9:40 of the first period on a wrist shot that got around Hedman and beat Bishop to the far post.

Brown scored at 8:22 of the second period off a rebound of his own shot to tie it 1-1. He has scored four of his seven goals this season in the past seven games.
The Lightning host the St. Louis Blues on Sunday.
"I thought we could have played better, but good teams find a way to win," Johnson said. "It was good to get the two points. Hopefully, we can take this into practice tomorrow and get ready for St. Louis."