Trailing 2-1 and with the clock ticking down in the third period of Tuesday's Game 3, the Columbus Blue Jackets needed a goal in the worst way.
They got it. And it was magic.
Things started in the Washington Capitals' offensive zone when Alex Ovechkin made a bad pass to defenseman Dmitry Orlov. Sure enough, he couldn't handle it, Cam Atkinson scooped it up at the blue line, heading the other way.
Atkinson dropped the puck to Artemi Panarin, who dished back to Atkinson at center ice. With Caps defenseman John Carlson stepping up, Atkinson passed back to Panarin, who carried into the zone on a two-on-one.
At the top of the circles, Panarin flipped a backhand to Atkinson, who skated in, forcing Carlson down before feeding it back across the slot to Panarin.
Carlson was in a spin cycle, Capitals goalie Braden Holtby had no idea what was going on, and Panarin buried a one-timer from the left side.
It was Panarin's second goal of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and tied things up at two at 4:12 of the third period.
It wouldn't hold, as the Capitals went on to win in double-overtime, but boy was it ever beautiful.
