Ryan Strome’s OT game-winner gives Flames win over Lightning
Ryan Strome scored the winning goal in overtime to give the host Calgary Flames a 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday.
Victor Olofsson, Morgan Frost and Mickael Backlund also scored for the Flames (29-34-7, 65 points), who have won three straight games.
Goaltender Devin Cooley made 32 saves in an outstanding performance.
Strome became the hero 26 seconds into overtime when he whacked home a shot from the slot set up by a pass from rookie Matvei Gridin, who held off a check to make the play.
The Flames have won 54 consecutive games when scoring four or more goals, the fourth-longest streak in NHL history.
Ryan McDonagh, Darren Raddysh and Pontus Holmberg replied for the Lightning, who had a three-game winning streak snapped in the final outing of their four-game road swing.
Goalie Jonas Johansson stopped 25 shots in the clash that saw both teams stake and then relinquish leads.
The Lighting (43-21-5, 91 points), which sit second in the Atlantic Division, will return home for a seven-game home stand.
McDonagh gave the Lightning first blood in the entertaining game by opening the scoring with a point shot that ricocheted off a defender at 7:25 of the first period.
The Flames responded with three straight tallies, the first two 27 seconds apart. Olofsson tied the clash at the 16:25 mark of the period with a rocket of a top-shelf shot from the right circle for his second goal in as many outings.
Frost put the Flames ahead while the previous goal was being announced, burying a shot off the rush for his third goal in four games.
Backlund made it a 3-1 game with another blast, finding the top corner with a wide-open effort from just inside the right circle at 8:28 of the second period.
Then it was the Lightning's turn to claw back. Raddysh made it a one-goal game three minutes later with another slap-shot tally, finding the mark with a point shot.
Then Holmberg tied the clash at 15:40 of the third period, finishing from the slot after a setup by Yanni Gourde following a Calgary turnover.