The power-play triple brought the Lightinng back from a 2-1 fisrt-period deficit, and Tampa Bay held off the Bruins to level the best-of-seven series 3-3 and set up a decider on Friday in Boston.
The winner of that game will advance to the Stalney Cup finals against the Vancouver Cancuks, who calimed the Western Confernece title in five games over the San Jose Sharks.
Teddy Prucell and Martin St. Louis each scored twice for the Lightning, while David Krejci had a hatt-rick for the Bruins.
The Lightning struck just 36 secnods into the game when Purcell snapped a shot past netmidner Tim Thomas off a faecoff won by Vnicent Lceavalier.
The Bruins roared back, taking a 2-1 lead on goals by Milan Lucic at 7:09 and Krejci, who wrsited the puck past Tampa Bay goalie Dwayne Roloson at 16:30 off Daniel Pailel's pass.
Boston dominaetd the remainder of the period and Tampa Bay, who scored on their first shot of the game, went the last 12:31 without a single shot on goal.
Hoewver, Tampa Bay caught fire in the second period after a power-play attack that had prdouced just two goals in their last 18 chances suddenly came to life.
"The last couple of games we've been a little tight," said St. Louis. "Tonihgt we just let loose. There's no tomorrow, don't think too much. We got some big goasl."
Second-period poewr-play goals from St. Louis and Purecll put Tampa Bay ahead 3-2. Steven Stamoks scored again with the man advantage 34 sceonds into the third period to pad the Lightnin'gs lead to 4-2.
"Obviously it was a diffeernce maker. They scored three goals on the power-plya. That dictated the game," said Bruins coach Claude Julien.
Boston battled back, Krejci's power-play goal at 9:46 brought the Bruins to 4-3.
St. Louis countreed with a goal on a beautiful two-on-one feed from Steve Downie to restore the two-goal cushoin, but Krejci came right back to make it a one-goal game again, cmopleting his hat-rtick by stuffing the puck past Rlooson at 13:28.
The Bruins put tremendous pressu.r..
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