Music: {allcanada} Lightning score 4 PPGs, rout Canadiens in Game 2

Sunday, May 3, 2015

{allcanada} Lightning score 4 PPGs, rout Canadiens in Game 2

MONTREAL -- Nikita Kucherov scored two of the Tampa Bay Lightning's four power-play goals in a 6-2 win against the Montreal Canadiens in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Second Round series at Bell Centre on Sunday.

The Lightning lead the best-of-7 series 2-0. Game 3 is Wednesday at Amalie Arena in Tampa (7 p.m. ET; USA, CBC ,TVA Sports).

The Lightning, who entered the game without a power-play goal in their past 23 chances, needed only four shots to score on four consecutive power plays. Valtteri Filppula, Kucherov and defenseman Victor Hedman each scored with the man-advantage in the second period to give the Lightning a 4-1 lead after 40 minutes.

Filppula, who set up Kucherov's double-overtime goal in Game 1, one-timed a wrist shot from the right side on a return pass from Hedman for the first power-play goal, tying the game at 19:36 of the first period.

Filppula and Hedman each had a goal and an assist.

Montreal defenseman Jeff Petry scored his first NHL playoff goal at 7:20 of the first period to put the Canadiens ahead 1-0 when he beat goalie Ben Bishop with a wrist shot from the right point. It was the second time Montreal has scored first in eight playoff games.

Lightning captain Steven Stamkos scored his first goal of the playoffs in the second period and assisted on each of Kucherov's power-play goals.

Stamkos, who had not scored a goal in his previous nine games, including eight in the playoffs, gave Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead at 8:06 of the second period. Stamkos got behind defenseman Tom Gilbert and Andrei Markov and drove in on a breakaway. He deked Price and tucked the puck inside the right post for his ninth playoff goal in 31 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Kucherov made it 3-1 when he scored on a 4-on-3 power-play at 12:29. Kucherov shot into an open right side to finish off a passing play with Tyler Johnson and Stamkos. The goal came 15 seconds after Gilbert was called for cross-checking while each team was already a man short.

Hedman increased Tampa Bay's lead to 4-1 by scoring the Lightning's third power-play goal. He beat Carey Price with 14 seconds remaining before intermission.

Johnson got his second assist on Kucherov's second power-play goal of the game at 6:37 of the third. Lightning forward Alex Killorn also had his second assist of the game. It was the fifth consecutive goal the Lightning scored in the game.

Price, who made 18 saves, had not allowed more than five goals in his 73 previous games this season, including the first seven in the playoffs.

Gilbert scored his second goal of the playoffs at 11:06 to draw the Canadiens within 5-2, but J.T. Brown restored the Lightning's four-goal lead at 16:05.

Goalie Ben Bishop made 27 saves for his seventh win in as many games against Montreal this season.

Bishop is 12-1-2 with a 1.49 goals-against-average in 16 regular-season and playoff games against the Canadiens. He missed Montreal's first-round playoff sweep last spring because of an elbow injury.

Montreal went 0-for-3 on the power play. The Canadiens are 1-for-26 in this year's playoffs.

Tampa Bay center Cedric Paquette did not play after taking a shift of the second midway through the period. He sustained an undisclosed injury and did not return.

Montreal center David Desharnais was a late scratch because of the flu. He was replaced by Brian Flynn.