Dallas Stars vs Tampa Bay Lightning Box Score on Sep 26, 2020

Corey Perry scored the first goal of the game and netted the last one, too, and the Dallas Stars kept their Stanley Cup hopes alive with a 3-2 double overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday night in Edmonton.

The Lightning hold a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven championship series, and will have their second chance to clinch Monday night. Meanwhile, the Stars will look to build on a huge victory, one that required a late third-period game-tying goal and then Perry's winner 9:23 into the second overtime period.

During a flurry at the net, Perry grabbed the loose puck, patiently held off the defenders while picking his spot and slipped it into the yawning cage. It was Perry's ninth shot on goal in the game in a big-time performance.

"We talked about it all day, we get one, we keep going," Perry said. "We start building here, and I think we're starting to do something special."

Perry joins Joe Sakic, Maurice Richard, Patrick Kane and Glenn Anderson on the list of players with five or more career playoff overtime goals.

The Stars have plenty of young talent, but also possess an excellent collection of experienced veterans, and two of them loomed largest with their season on the line -- Perry and Joe Pavelski -- and authored yet another comeback victory for the club that leads the NHL this postseason in comeback wins.

With the Lightning holding a 2-1 lead and time counting down, Pavelski found the net during a scramble with 6:45 remaining in regulation, which forced overtime. It is the 61st playoff marker of Pavelski's career, which moves him into top spot for the most by a U.S.-born player in NHL history.

Pavelski turned 36 in July and Perry celebrated his 35th birthday in May -- making them the oldest players on the Stars -- but they've turned back the clock in keeping their team alive.

"With the way they're playing, I'm not sure you can call them old," said Tyler Seguin, who collected three assists in the game.

Through most of the outing, especially overtime, the Lightning were the better team but couldn't find the game winner thanks to a 39-save outing from Stars goalie Anton Khudobin.

"We played good enough to win," said Tampa Bay forward Ondrej Palat. "In overtime, we really tilted the ice. Lot of possession. Lot of chances. Just didn't score on it."

The night really ended up a missed opportunity for the Lightning to claim their second Cup title in franchise history.

Perry's first tally with 2:08 remaining in the first period was erased by Palat's highlight-reel goal early in the second period. Palat took a pass as he headed down the wing, cut sharply to the net after gaining a step on the defender and then moved the puck from his backhand to forehand before tucking home a deke at 4:37 of the period.

Mikhail Sergachev gave the Lightning the potential Cup-winning goal when he blasted a rocket of a point shot past Khudobin at 3:38 of the third period, but they couldn't hang on. Even so, the Lightning have plenty of reasons to keep calm.

"We've been in this situation before," defenseman Victor Hedman said. "We're a very resilient group. We know how to respond to adversity. So you know, we were up 3-1, now it's 3-2, so just have to go out and get the next one. That's our focus. We're obviously disappointed not to win today, obviously, but we just have to look forward and get ready for Monday."

Andrei Vasilevskiy made 30 saves for the Lightning.

The injury woes continued for the Stars, who were already without a couple of defensemen and forwards before the back-to-back games. Forward Roope Hintz wasn't able to play after being injured on Friday, and then defenseman Andrej Sekera left the game midway through the first period after blocking a shot but returned in the third period and finished the game.

--Field Level Media