TAMPA, Fla. — Just like that, the Tampa Bay Lightning are heading to the postseason.
The Bolts first punched their ticket to the playoffs when the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the New York Islanders 6-3. Then the Lightning's 4-3 OT win against the Anaheim Ducks Thursday night sweetened the deal.
It's the fifth straight season the Lightning have clinched a playoff berth and begins the reigning Stanley Cup champs' push for a threepeat — a feat few other teams before have accomplished.
Anthony Cirelli scored the game-winning goal 1:58 into overtime when he was left alone to the left of Anthony Stolarz and shot the puck into a wide-open net.
Ross Colton, Alex Killorn and Nikita Kucherov also scored for the Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 10 saves before being replaced by Brian Elliott, who stopped all 13 shots he faced.
So far, five other Eastern Conference teams have already punched their tickets to the postseason: The Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins.
Although the Lightning lost some depth after last season, the core of its championship teams remained intact — Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Brayden Point, Kucherov, Killorn and Vasilevskiy.
It should come as no surprise then that Stamkos, Hedman, Point, Kucherov and Killorn round out the Top 5 leading point scorers this season for the Bolts. As for their goaltender, Vasilevskiy is tied for the NHL lead in wins this season with 35.
Leaning on those guys will be critical as the regular season winds down and playoff hockey draws near. Staying healthy will also be vital. Currently, the Bolts have an injury-free roster.
The NHL playoffs will begin on Monday, May 2, with the regular season concluding on Friday, April 29.