Lightning Force Game Seven

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Tampa Bay Lightning playoff hero Martin St. Louis scored 33 seconds into the second overtime period to give the Lightning a 3-2 win over the Calgary Flames and force a Game Seven in their Stanley Cup Finals matchup. This is the second consecutive year and third of the last four that seven games will be required to determine a Stanley Cup Champion.

St. Louis picked up a rebound as he skated in at the Calgary net. He lifted a shot over the shoulder of Flames’ goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff and gave the Lightning the win.

Martin Gelinas had almost won the Cup for Calgary in the first overtime when a puck deflected off his skate and appeared to cross the goal line before it was kicked away by Tampa Bay goalie Nikolai Khabibulin. The scoring chance was not reviewed and play continued.

After a scoreless first period, the Lightning opened the game’s scoring on the power play when Brad Richards beat Kiprusoff for the first of his two power play goals.

Chris Clark tied the game before Richards’ second goal put the Lightning back in front. Marcus Nilson scored before the end of the second to tie the game again.

Both teams were held scoreless on seven shots in both the third period and the first overtime period. St. Louis’ goal came on the second shot of the second overtime.

Khabibulin stopped 31 of the 33 shots he faced while Kiprusoff made 24 saves on 27 shots. Tampa Bay went 2-for-4 on the power play as Calgary was held without a goal on three chances with the man-advantage.

The Stanley Cup will be awarded in Tampa on Monday night to the winner of Game Seven.

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Clark founded the site that would become DetroitHockey.Net in September of 1996 with no idea what it would lead to. He continues to write for the site and executes the site's design and development.

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