Lightning win on late goal; Bruins reach playoffs despite loss

Defenseman Emil Lilleberg scored a rebound goal with 1:35 left in regulation, leading the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning to a 2-1 win Saturday over the Boston Bruins, who reached the postseason later in the day despite the defeat.

Moments after the Bruins were unable to clear a puck out of their own zone, Lilleberg buried the rebound of a Jake Guentzel shot to lead Tampa Bay (49-25-6, 104 points) to the win.

The Lightning snapped a three-game losing streak, while Boston (43-27-10, 96 points) clinched a playoff spot when the Detroit Red Wings lost to the New Jersey Devils later on Saturday.

Brandon Hagel also scored and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 19 saves for the Lightning, who trailed 1-0 into the third period and registered their 23rd come-from-behind win this season.

Morgan Geekie scored Boston's lone goal, his fourth in the past two games.

Jeremy Swayman made 22 saves in net for the Bruins, who are 0-3-2 in their last five games.

Charlie McAvoy set up Geekie's goal, becoming the first Bruins defenseman since Hall of Famer Ray Bourque in 1995-96 to record 50 assists in a single season.

The Bruins went on their first power play of the game after a Hagel interference call with 33.6 seconds left but could not score on the 6-on-4 advantage.

Tampa Bay finished with a 24-20 edge in shots.

The teams combined for just nine shots on goal in a low-event first period. Swayman robbed the best opportunity of the frame from a wide-open Gage Goncalves in the final minutes, closing his pads on the puck on the doorstep.

Geekie broke the long scoreless deadlock 10:47 into the middle frame, taking McAvoy's stretch feed from the defensive zone down the slot for a top-shelf breakaway goal.

The visitors drew even with 13:23 left in regulation, as Goncalves sent Hagel past two oncoming defenders and snuck a five-hole shot on Swayman.

Among a slew of absences from the Tampa Bay lineup, forward Zemgus Girgensons and defenseman Darren Raddysh both had undisclosed injuries. Raddysh scored the game-winning goal in last Saturday's meeting with Boston.

--Field Level Media