Lightning evens series with 3-2 overtime win against the Red Wings

Tyler Johnson led a stirring Tampa Bay rally late in regulation, then scored 2:25 into overtime to lift the Lightning to a 3-2 victory over the Red Wings on Thursday night in Detroit, evening their playoff series at 2-2.

The Red Wings led 2-0 in the third period before Johnson scored with 5:26 remaining. He then assisted on Ondrej Palat’s tying goal 77 seconds later.

Early in the extra session, defenseman Victor Hedman led an odd-man rush from the right side and slid the puck across the goal mouth. It deflected ever so slightly off goalie Petr Mrazek, but Johnson was able to shoot into an open net from a tough angle for his fourth goal of the series.

Gustav Nyquist and Joakim Andersson scored in the second period for Detroit. Andersson’s goal came in fluky fashion when goalie Ben Bishop knocked it in off the crossbar.

at Washington 5, N.Y. Islanders 1: Rookie Evgeny Kuznetsov scored twice, Karl Alzner added a goal and an assist, and the Capitals took a 3-2 lead in their first-round series over the Islanders. Buoyed by a raucous crowd chanting, “We are louder!” in reference to some back-and-forth among players about which team’s fans produce more noise, the Capitals controlled the action most of the evening after falling behind 1-0. Dominating despite zero points from stars Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, Washington got goals from Kuznetsov, Brooks Laich and Jason Chimera in the third period, which it began leading only 2-1. The Capitals can end the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series by winning Game 6 at New York on Saturday.

at Nashville 5, Chicago 2: Rookie Filip Forsberg had his first career hat trick, and the Predators forced a sixth game in their first-round Western Conference series against the Blackhawks. A triple-overtime loss in Chicago pushed the Predators to the brink of elimination, and the teams appeared headed for the third overtime game of the series tied at 1-1 after two. James Neal then got the go-ahead goal in the opening minute of the third to start a flurry of three goals in a span of less than 2 1/2 minutes and the Predators pulled to 3-2 in the series with Game 6 on Saturday night in Chicago. Forsberg finished his hat trick with an empty-netter in the final minute. Colin Wilson also had a goal, and Neal had an assist. Brad Richards had a goal and an assist, and Kris Versteeg also scored for Chicago.