WATCH: Braydon Coburn scores unlikely Game 7 winner for Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are moving on thanks in part to a third-period goal from defenseman Braydon Coburn.
By
Chris Peters
•
1 min read
For all the tremendous offensive talents on the Tampa Bay Lightning roster, they all seemed to have a real hard time getting going in Game 7 against the Detroit Red Wings. So when all of those great skill players like Steven Stamkos and Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov and Valtteri Filppula got shot down, an unlikely hero stepped up for Tampa Bay.
Defenseman Braydon Coburn, who was acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers for his defensive capabilities, found himself in space with no one between him and the Detroit net. The puck slid out of a battle behind the net to Lightning forward Ryan Callahan. He popped out and had a clear lane to Coburn. Callahan dished the pass and Coburn wound up.
Though the puck arrived at Coburn flat on the ice, when he connected with the one-timer, the puck didn’t zoom off his stick. Rather, it fluttered end over end and right into the top corner over goaltender Petr Mrazek.
The first goal is huge, especially in #Game7. #StanleyCup #TBLvsDET https://t.co/hcprM9x0CR
— NHL (@NHL) April 30, 2015
The goal came 3:58 into the third period in a game where the Lightning were flat out dominated in the possession game through the first two periods. Tampa’s players looked nervous throughout the game, but finally started playing with some confidence after Coburn’s goal.
It was Coburn's first in a Lightning uniform and only his second scored all year. Of all the players you’d expect to score in this game, Braydon Coburn might have been the last. Instead, he simply became an unlikely hero to help the Lightning move on.
Anton Stralman added an empty netter late and goaltender Ben Bishop shut the door to give the Lightning a 2-0 win.
