JOE SMITH | Times
A player's first NHL goal is always special.
But Lightning rookie wing Yanni Gourde made his unforgettable Saturday night.
Gourde scored the game-tying goal in the Lightning's huge 3-2 win over the Panthers. It came shorthanded during the second period. Gourde stripped Vincent Trocheck at the Tampa Bay blueline, then fought off the Panthers forward the rest of the way. Trocheck slashed, and grabbed Gourde, who finished it off in style.
"It's something you dream about," Gourde said. "A surreal moment."
Said coach Jon Cooper: "It was uplifting for all of us.