Point wins it in OT in return, Lightning rally past Penguins
Forward, who had missed 4 games, scores 2nd of game at 3:58; Pittsburgh has lost 4 of 5
Lightning at Penguins | Recap
PITTSBURGH — Brayden Point scored twice, including with 1:02 remaining in overtime, in his return from a lower-body injury, and the Tampa Bay Lightning rallied for a 3-2 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Tuesday.
Point, who missed the previous four games, scored the winner on a backhand at the left post with Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry out of the crease. He has scored in seven of his past nine games (eight goals).
Anthony Cirelli scored the tying goal in the third period for the Lightning (10-6-1), who have won three in a row. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 17 saves.
Jarry made 32 saves, and Jesse Puljujarvi and Rickard Rakell scored for the Penguins (7-10-4), who have lost four of five and six of eight.
Point cut Pittsburgh’s lead to 2-1 at 5:41 of the third, skating around the back of the net for a backhand just outside the crease for his ninth goal this season.
Cirelli chipped a shot in off Jarry’s stick to tie it 2-2 at 12:49.
Puljujarvi put the Penguins ahead 1-0 at 12:05 of the first period, tapping in a point pass from Marcus Pettersson at the backdoor to score in a second straight game after having one goal in his first 16 this season.
Sidney Crosby, one goal from 600, nearly extended the lead at 1:49 of the second period, going to a knee for a one-timer above the left face-off circle that hit the right post.
Rakell then made it 2-0 on a power play at 13:05, similarly dropping to one knee for a one-timer from the right circle off a pass from Crosby to end a nine-game goal drought with his seventh of the season.
Tampa Bay’s Nick Paul did not play the third period or overtime for an undisclosed reason.