MONTREAL -- Tyler Johnson scored 1:03 into overtime as the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 in a battle between NHL Eastern Conference leaders on Tuesday night.
Johnson took his own rebound and saw the puck go in off defenceman Tom Gilbert's skate.
The Lighting (42-20-6) won a fourth straight game and are now one point behind conference-leading Montreal (42-18-7).
The 21,287 Bell Centre fans were treated to hockey at a frantic pace, but no goals through three periods of play between two of the Eastern Conference's fastest teams.
The Lightning had a 35-19 shot advantage, including 10-2 in the third period.
There were chances at both ends, with Montreal's Carey Price and Tampa Bay's Ben Bishop letting nothing slip through. Late in the second, the Canadiens had a glittering chance on a two-on-one break but Bishop stopped Max Pacioretty and then thrust out a pad to block Jacob de la Rose on the rebound.
Midway through the third, Price had the crowd chanting when he robbed Ryan Callahan on a point-blank shot.
It was the third meeting of the season between the clubs, with the Lightning winning the first two by a combined 11-3. They play twice more later this month.
The Lightning's Ondrej Palat, who winced when taking a shot off the leg late in the second period, did not return for the third with a lower-body injury.
Notes-- Trade deadline acquisitions Jeff Petry, Brian Flynn and Torrey Mitchell played their first home games for Montreal. . . The Canadiens made no changes to their lineup, scratching P.A. Parenteau, Manny Malhotra and Mike Weaver . . . With J.T. Brown out with an upper-body ailment, Vladislav Namestnikov played for Tampa Bay. Nikita Nesterov was scratched.
