Esposito Short Circuits Lightning

Phil Esposito scored twice and set up Johnny Bucyk's game-winner as the Bruins nipped the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 to take a commanding 3-1 series lead in my all-time greats Stanley Cup playoffs.

Boston opened the scoring in the first period on a lovely three-way passing play. Bobby Orr came up the boards in the offensive zone and fed Ray Bourque at the point who then dished it to Cam Neely. Neely's snapshot was tipped over the shoulder of Andrei Vasilevskiy by Esposito to send the Bruins to the dressing room in front.

Corey Perry put Tampa Bay on the scoresheet in the second wristing a laser past a screened Gerry Cheevers. The see-saw affair continued with Peter McNab breaking in alone and beating Vasilevskiiy on the short side. After Esposito notched his second goal of the game to give Boston a 3-1 lead, Brayden Point picked up a loose puck at the Lightning blue line and broke in all alone beating Cheever high on the stick side on a nifty toe drag move for his third goal of the series.

Tampa Bay tied things only 1:22 into the third period. Point shoveled the puck back to Nikita Kucherov and he broke in from the blue line. His shot was denied by Cheevers but the rebound came directly out front and Martin St. Louis deposited it into a yawning cage to tie the game 3-3. Boston was quick to answer a mere 2:02 later as Espo streaked down the ice and set up Bucyk who was crashing the net. The Chief didn't get a lot on his shot but it deflected off the bottom of Vasilevskiy's glove and bounced behind him. 

The line of Bucyk- Esposito-Neely dominated for the Bruins accounting for 6 points with 3 goals and 3 assists. For some reason, Espo's second goal was not saved for my highlight reel, so I included two clips of him setting up the Bucyk. This was the second time in the series that Esposito has been in on a game-winner marker. His first goal of the series gave Boston a Game Two victory to even the series in Tampa Bay.

Playoff scoring leaders

Playoff top goaltenders