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Late glow: Bolts down Habs in last second, take 3-0 series lead

May 7, 2015 - 4:15 AM Tampa, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Tyler Johnson beat the buzzer, and the Lightning are one step closer to closing out the Canadiens.

Johnson tallied off a dish from Victor Hedman with 1.1 seconds left in regulation, and Tampa Bay claimed a 2-1 victory over Montreal and assumed a commanding 3-0 series edge in this Eastern Conference semifinal.

Alex Killorn registered the other score for the Lightning, who can advance to the Eastern finals with a win in Game 4 in front of a partisan crowd on Thursday.

Ben Bishop aided the cause with a 30-save performance.

"We were confident [in him] in here the whole time," Lightning captain Steven Stamkos said of his goaltender. "I know there were some questions from the media and from other people about this being his first [Stanley Cup Playoff]. But he's such a competitive guy. He wants to play against the best, he wants to beat the best. When you have that attitude it's almost contagious around the room."

Brendan Gallagher notched the lone marker for the Canadiens, who have dropped eight consecutive games in the regular season and playoffs to the Bolts since sweeping their first-round series last spring.

Carey Price stopped 17 shots in the crushing setback.

As time wound down towards a third intermission, Ondrej Palat carried the puck up the right wing and cut toward the center below the circles.

He found Hedman on the opposite wing, and the hulking defenseman waited until Habs blueliner Andrei Markov dove before slipping a pass to Johnson, whose shot from atop the crease found space between Price's pads for the shocking game winner.

"I literally had no idea it was that close," Johnson said. "I knew when I jumped on the ice this would probably be the last shift of the period, but I didn't realize when I was standing in front it was that close. It's pretty cool."

A Montreal turnover in the defensive zone resulted in the game's opening score, with Killorn flipping ahead to Stamkos, who dished back for a successful shot low to the glove side with Price down at 12 minutes of the first period.

Bishop came up with eight saves, though none were quality chances, in the second period. Price had it easier, needing to stop just three pucks.

With Stamkos in the box for tripping 4:22 into the third and Bishop's stick out of reach, the Canadiens put three shots on goal but failed to knot the score.

Tomas Plekanec and Jeff Petry failed to release a shot during a 2-on-1 short- handed break with Max Pacioretty off for tripping near the midway point of the period.

Gallagher finally tied the game with 9:58 left in regulation, poking home a loose puck at the left post off a goal-mouth scramble. The Canadiens finished with 15 third-period shots but couldn't solve Bishop thereafter.

"We played a hell of a game, had a lot of chances, put so many pucks at the net, hit some posts again," Plekanec said. "It's a bad way to lose."

Game Notes

Johnson leads the NHL with eight goals, and has done so with only 25 shots on goal ... Tampa Bay last swept an opponent in the second round of the 2011 postseason, taking out Washington in four straight ... Montreal last suffered a clean sweep against rival Boston in the 2009 Eastern quarterfinals ... The Canadiens finished 0-for-2 on the advantage, and slid to 1-for-28 in the playoffs on the power play ... In order to advance, the Habs will have to join the 1942 Maple Leafs, 1975 Islanders, 2010 Flyers and last season's Kings in rallying from an 0-3 deficit to win a best-of-seven series.