TAMPA, Florida (AP) The Pittsburgh Penguins stayed alive in the NHL Eastern Conference finals with a 5-2 win at Tampa Bay on Tuesday, squaring the series 3-3 and forcing a decisive Game 7.
Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist, and Phil Kessel, Kris Letang, Bryan Rust and Nick Bonino also scored, sending the series to a decider in Pittsburgh on Sunday.
The Penguins are hoping to reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2009 and the Lightning looking to advance to the Cup Final for the second straight year.
Crosby assisted on Kessel’s 5-on-3 power-play goal in the opening period and skated around Tampa Bay defenseman Anton Stralman into the clear before sending a wrist shot between goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy’s legs for a 3-0 lead in the final minute of the second period.
Brian Boyle scored twice in the third period for Tampa Bay, with one of the goals bouncing off Kessel before getting past Murray, who finished with 28 saves. The second score drew the Lightning within one goal with 7:17 remaining.
Rust’s breakaway goal gave Pittsburgh breathing room and Bonino added an empty-netter to finish it off.
Kessel’s goal was his team-leading ninth of the playoffs. Crosby had the primary assist, his first point since delivering game-winners in Games 2 and 3, and Evgeni Malkin also had an assist to extend his point streak to four games after a slow start in the series.
The Lightning had an apparent goal by Jonathan Drouin ruled out five minutes into the game, when Penguins coach Mike Sullivan successfully challenged that the young Tampa Bay winger was offside.
Pittsburgh switched back to rookie goaltender Matt Murray, after having used the more experienced Marc-Andre Fleury in Game 5 as he returned from a long absence due to concussion.
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