from Damian Cristodero of the Tampa Bay Times,

So you would expect Tampa Bay to be feeling pretty good about itself after a 3-2 overtime win at Joe Louis Arena.

But did you expect this bit of bravado?

"I learned that our team can play with the big boys," coach Jon Cooper said.

"We're proving," center Steven Stamkos said, "that we're for real."...

The game turned, though, in the second period when the Lightning killed 6:48 of penalty time — all but 13 seconds continuous and including 36 seconds of five-on-three — and four seconds later got Stamkos' wrist shot goal for a 2-1 lead with 7:10 left.

"The guys were focused," Cooper said. "It was positive all around. There was no, 'I can't believe you took that penalty.' Everybody was picking each other up saying, 'We're killing this off.' "

"The turning point of the game," Stamkos said. "Guys were sacrificing. It was a huge momentum swing for us."

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