The Panthers and Lightning were tied entering the third period of Game 2 in their NHL playoff series Thursday, and it seemed likely it would remain that way as the period wound to a close.
Both Florida and Tampa Bay generated plenty of chances in the period, but goalies Sergei Bobrovsky and Andrei Vasilevskiy were coming up with all the saves to keep the game knotted.
But just when it was looking as if the game would go to overtime, the Lightning broke through. Nikita Kucherov found Ross Colton alone in front of the net, and Colton beat Bobrovsky for the eventual game-winner with just 3.8 seconds remaining.
As great as the goal was, the call from the Lightning radio broadcast team may have been better.
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Play-by-play commentator Dave Mishkin and analyst Phil Esposito teamed up to make the end of the game a truly memorable one for Lightning fans listening in. Mishkin was responsible for the theatrics while Esposito gave the Tampa Bay faithful exactly what they wanted.
"(GAME WINNING) KUCHEROV MAGIC" #TBLvsFLA
— Lightning Radio (@BoltsRadio) May 20, 2022
Ross Colton wins it, thanks to an other-worldly feed by Nikita Kucherov, as called by @DaveMishkin and @PhilEspo7
The Postgame Show with @GregLinnelli is next
🎧: https://t.co/JaUzaTshKr, @WFLANews or Lightning Radio Network pic.twitter.com/qIz4yqJYlW
From the simplicity of Mishkin bellowing "Kucherov magic!" to Esposito laughing in the background, the two nailed the call. Mishkin quickly went from zero to 100 as Kucherov's pass from behind the net created the scoring opportunity seemingly out of nowhere.
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Colton, though, could see the play developing, as he told reporters after the game.
"Once [the puck] got rimmed down, I saw it on [Kucherov’s] stick," Colton said, per The Athletic. "My eyes lit up a little bit because I knew that it was coming to me."
Colton's goal gave the Lightning a 2-1 win in Game 2 and a 2-0 series advantage. Tampa Bay will now be on home ice for Games 3 and 4 with a chance to take a commanding series lead or even sweep the best-of-seven.
