NHL Rink Wrap: Perron helps Blues get even; Lightning take control

No Brayden Point again for the Tampa Bay Lightning again, and no problem for them again. Ross Colton scored the game-winning goal with 3.8 seconds to play in regulation, capitalizing on a brutal defensive breakdown by the Florida Panthers at the worst possible time. The Lightning took a beating all night in terms of injuries but kept on rolling and now have a commanding 2-0 series lead after taking the first two games on the road, The series now shifts back to Tampa Bay for Games 3 and 4. The Lightning are looking like a team that just simply has it once again. Especially now that starting goalie Andrei Vasilevsky is starting to find his game again.

The Colorado Avalanche were going to lose a playoff game eventually, and it happened on Thursday night after five consecutive wins to start this postseason. The Blues were significantly better than they were in Game 1 of the series earlier this week and played like a team that has a chance to give the Avalanche a fight. They did a better job controlling the pace of the game, were much better defensively, and got another strong goaltending performance from Jordan Binnington. That is a pretty significant development because if the Blues can get him to recapture his 2019 postseason form that would perfectly complement an offense that has been one of the best in the NHL this season.

He does not always get a ton of attention, but Perron is consistently productive for the Blues and has been one of their most important players since rejoining the team for a third time back in 2018. He scored two huge goals for the Blues on Thursday to help lead their win. That performance gives him seven goals this postseason while he also has three multi-goal games (all wins for the Blues).

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