Goncalves scores in OT, Lightning beat Canadiens 1-0 to force Game 7 in Tampa

Gage Goncalves scored off his own rebound at 9:02 overtime and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 on Friday night to force a Game 7 in the first-round series.

Goncalves scored soon after the Lightning killed scoring star Nikita Kucherov's penalty for tripping Alexandre Carrier.

The best-of-seven series is tied 3-3. Game 7 will be at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa on Sunday.

"If you watch tonight's game, that game didn't need a goal. All it needed was one goal to end it," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "It was thrilling. It was epic. It was goaltenders making extraordinary saves, players doing things that were of grace and skill and magic, and there was intensity, there were hits. It was everything. And there wasn't a goal scored. And yet, everybody in the building was on the edge of their seats. I guess that's how epic games become epic."

The series winner will play the Buffalo Sabres, who defeated the Boston Bruins 4-1 in Game 6 on Friday to advance.

"I think that was just an incredible hockey game," Tampa Bay's Jake Guentzel said. "Chances back and forth. Both goalies played well. That’s just a gritty group. Our team, a lot of emotions but we just stayed even-keeled and we just had to get it back to Tampa.”

The Lightning are trying to avoid a fourth consecutive first-round exit, while the Canadiens are chasing their first series victory in five years.

“I think at the end of the day no matter the result I think we had probably 20 guys who could have looked themselves in the mirror and said they gave everything so credit to everyone out there but we haven't won anything yet," Tampa Bay's Brandon Hagal said.

ALSO READ: Canadiens edge Lightning 3-2 in Game 5, need one win to clinch series

Andrei Vasilevskiy made 30 saves for Tampa Bay, and Jakub Dobes stopped 32 shots for Montreal.

The first three games of the series also went to overtime.

Dobes and the Canadiens survived a flurry of shots on a late power play. The Lightning got the man advantage after Ivan Demidov broke in on Vasilevskiy, failed to score and was called for goalie interference.

Late in the second — with the Lightning’s Charle-Edouard D’Astous off for slashing Phillip Danault — Vasilevskiy stopped Demidov twice from close range.

“I didn't have much emotion," Vasilevskiy said. "For the fans, it was probably a roller coaster. But for me, it was pretty even. I’m pretty experienced, so I don’t want to show my emotions.”

Tampa Bay had a power-play chance early in the third after Kaiden Guhle was called for slashing Guentzel. On the Lightning’s best chance, Nikita Kucherov fired a shot off the post.

ALSO READ: Hagel scores twice to rally Lightning by Canadiens, tying NHL playoff series

Montreal had only one shot on goal on a power play to start the second period with Guentzel off for high-sticking Guhle with 11 seconds left in the first.

Danault kept it scoreless a few minutes later when he swept the puck away in the crease behind Dobras before it could cross the goal line. Montreal then killed Alexandre Texier’s high-sticking penalty.

The game was the second in the NHL playoffs in three days to go to overtime scoreless, with Philadelphia beating Pittsburgh 1-0 on Wednesday night to end that series in six games. Before the season, the last 0-0 playoff game in regulation was in 2021.

SERIES SCHEDULE (best of seven)

Game 1 – Canadiens 4, Lightning 3 (overtime)
Game 2 – Lightning 3, Canadiens 2 (overtime)
Game 3 – Canadiens 3, Lightning 2 (overtime)
Game 4 – Lightning 3, Canadiens 2
Game 5 – Canadiens 3, Lightning 2
Game 6 – Lightning 1, Canadiens 0 (overtime), series tied 3-3
Game 7 – at Tampa on Sunday, Time TBD

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