NHL playoffs Friday: Lightning even series versus Penguins in Game 4

Tony’s been in hockey fandom for almost a month now, but he’s been navigating the ins and outs of the disasters of big leads pretty well.

The Penguins made it a game late with three straight goals in the third, but the Lightning held on for the win. The series now heads back to Pittsburgh on Sunday for Game 5 with an 8 p.m. puck drop.

A quick start saw the Lightning up 1-0 on the Penguins just 27 seconds into the game. Out of the gate, Tampa Bay’s forecheck got the puck in deep in the Pittsburgh zone and Victor Hedman’s shot from the point deflected off of Ryan Callahan’s stick to give the Lightning the lead.

The HBK line — comprised Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino, and Phil Kessel — have kept the Pittsburgh Penguins in the playoffs. Aside from keeping the team’s hope for a Stanley Cup alive, the HBK line has also garnered the attention of the other HBK.

Wrestling fans recognize that abbreviation. For them it stands for Heartbreak Kid, the nickname of WWE legend Shawn Michaels. Fans from both worlds have noticed this and it is resulting in an excellent combination of the two.