TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Pittsburgh Penguins got off to a sluggish start before taking a two-games-to-one lead in the NHL’s Eastern Conference finals.
Carl Hagelin and Phil Kessel each had a goal and an assist as the Pens downed the Lightning 4-2 in Tampa Bay. The game was scoreless until Hagelin scored with 10 seconds left in the second period following a giveaway by Jonathan Drouin in the Pittsburgh zone. Kessel and Tyler Johnson traded goals early in the third period before Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz beat Andrei Vasilevskiy 2:22 apart to put Pittsburgh ahead 4-1 with 6:48 remaining.
The Lightning buzzed the net early in the game before the Penguins took over. The Pens outshot Tampa Bay 38-16 over the final two periods, including a 21-6 margin in the second.
Matt Murray stopped 26 shots for the Penguins, who stay in Tampa for Game 4 on Friday.
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