Detroit, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - Tyler Johnson capped a wild late-game sequence with his second goal of the contest 2:25 into overtime, and Tampa Bay stole a 3-2 victory over Detroit to even their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series at two games apiece.
The Lightning trailed 2-0 with less than six minutes to play in regulation, but battled back to force extra time on goals 1:17 apart thanks to a score and assist from Johnson.
Once in the overtime period, Tampa broke out 3-on-1 with Ondrej Palat pushing the puck ahead to Victor Hedman on the right wing. He froze Red Wings defender Kyle Quincey and pulled Petr Mrazek out of position at the right side before Johnson slid home his cross-ice dish.
"I thought they stole this game," Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock said. "We made some mistakes that they capitalize on."
Palat recorded the other goal for the Lightning, who can wrest the series edge from their Atlantic Division rivals back home in Game 5 on Saturday.
Ben Bishop recovered from a miscue to record a 22-save decision.
"Everyone knew the job that had to be done, and they went out and did it," Lightning head coach John Cooper said. "I couldn't be more proud of them."
Gustav Nyquist and Joakim Andersson tallied for the Red Wings, while Mrazek took the loss despite stopping 26 pucks.
Tampa closed within one at the tail end of a 4-on-4, as Johnson outraced Detroit forward Darren Helm up the left wing and flipped a shot over Mrazek and under the crossbar with 5:26 to play.
Just 77 seconds later, the game was tied when Palat drove the net and tapped in a Johnson lead pass for a 2-2 game.
The Wings finally broke through at 5:42 of the second period. Justin Abdelkader intercepted a clear on the left-wing boards and shuttled the puck across to Henrik Zetterberg on the right wing, and his touch pass back to Nyquist found the back of the net.
Despite failing to click with a 5-on-3 and both ends of a one-man advantage as Cedric Paquette and Bishop were called for infractions 1:21 apart a short time later, Detroit eventually took a 2-0 lead on a fluke play.
Bishop mishandled an Andersson shot with his glove, and the carom deflected off Tampa defenseman Jason Garrison, then the crossbar and the tip of Bishop's stick before sliding across the goal line at 14:24.
Game Notes
Johnson's winner was the Lightning's first playoff overtime goal since Vincent Lecavalier tallied at 6:19 of the extra period for a 3-2 win over Washington in Game 2 of an Eastern semifinal on May 1, 2011 ... Tampa Bay failed to score on Mrazek for 119 minutes, 4 seconds before Johnson's first goal of the contest ... Red Wings center Luke Glendening left the game after suffering an injury to his right hand. The club revealed after the contest that doctors stitched up the wound and he will be ready for Game 5.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.