Michael Bunting scores in 3rd period as the Pittsburgh Penguins top the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-4

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PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 06: Jesse Puljujarvi #18 of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Erik Cernak #81 of the Tampa Bay Lightning battle at PPG PAINTS Arena on April 6, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images)

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Michael Bunting snapped a tie with 5:28 left in the third period, and the Pittsburgh Penguins moved into a playoff spot with a 5-4 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.

Referee Steve Kozari was taken off the ice on a stretcher after colliding with Lightning defenseman Haydn Fleury 6:11 into the third period. Kozari was able to move his arms. Fleury did not return.

Evgeni Malkin had two goals and an assist for Pittsburgh, and Bunting also had two assists. Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang also scored.

Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic made 30 saves in his eighth straight start.

Pittsburgh (36-30-11) posted its fourth straight win and improved to 6-0-2 in its last eight games overall. It is tied with Philadelphia (36-30-11) for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference, with the Flyers visiting Columbus on Saturday night.

The Lightning (43-27-7), who clinched a playoff berth Friday when Philadelphia, Washington and Detroit lost in regulation, had won 10 of their previous 12.

Steven Stamkos scored twice for Tampa Bay, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 23 stops. Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman each had three assists.

Bunting scored his 18th goal on a backhand from just outside the slot. Bunting was acquired in a March trade with Carolina.

Tampa Bay trailed 4-1 before rallying in the third. Nicholas Paul scored his 23rd goal 25 seconds into the period. Anthony Duclair cut the deficit to 4-3 at 7:23, and Stamkos tied it 4 with his second one-timer on a power play at 10:45.

Crosby put the Penguins in front when he scored his 40th goal of the season 4:20 into the first period, finishing a 2-on-1. Bryan Rust held the puck long enough to avoid a block attempt from a sliding Darren Raddysh before finding Crosby for a backhand at the left post.

Malkin’s 24th goal made it 2-0 at 6:06 of the second. After Stamkos scored with 7:45 left in the period, Letang snuck a snap shot through Vasilevskiy from the point and Malkin made it 4-1 with his sixth goal in six games, a wrist shot on his own rebound from outside the crease with 3:03 remaining.

The Lightning dressed 11 forwards and seven defensemen. Forward Anthony Cirelli was sidelined with an undisclosed injury after he got hurt during Thursday’s 7-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens.