Mike Fisher's triple-overtime goal came just in time, because Ryan Johansen and Filip Forsberg's legs had simply had enough.
Watch the Nashville Predators pour off the bench - synchronously crashing to the ice - after Fisher lifted the club to its first ever overtime win on home ice in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the longest game in club history.
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Mike Fisher's goal in the 112th minute of action in the wee hours Friday morning ensured that the longest game in Nashville Predators' history was a triumphant one.
After Martin Jones failed to corral a high shot from the point, Fisher dug the puck out and swept in his second goal of the game to lift the Predators to 4-3 triple-overtime win that evened their second-round series with the San Jose Sharks at two games apiece.
Related: Predators tumble onto ice celebrating Fisher's triple-OT winner
Fisher's line of Colin Wilson and James Neal accounted for each Nashville goal, but the most important contributor wearing gold was goaltender Pekka Rinne. He made 44 stops in the contest, including 21 in the sudden-death frames.
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Suddenly-scorching Nashville Predators forward Colin Wilson had the longest game in franchise history on his stick in Friday morning's triple-overtime frame versus the San Jose Sharks.
But Martin Jones was up to the task and able to make his 40th stop - a sliding stick save on Wilson's backhand deke.
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After much deliberation, Joe Pavelski's goal does not count - goaltender interference https://t.co/nG5yFgSbgK
— The Cauldron (ICYMI) (@CauldronICYMI) May 6, 2016
Joe Pavelski nearly authored one of the more remarkable overtime goals in Stanley Cup Playoffs history - but unfortunately his tireless effort included blasting through the opposing goaltender.
Watch as Pavelski reaches up to knock a loose puck into the crease as he crashes toward the net. And just before it crosses the goal line - with his person now sprawled on top Pekka Rinne - he muscles his stick from the pile and swats the puck over the line to ensure it enters legally.
The officiating team reviewed the play, but eventually deemed that he had interfered with Rinne despite clearly being helped into the Nashville Predators crease.
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Jamie Benn is putting together the makings of a remarkable playoff scoring portfolio.
The Dallas Stars point-piling captain collected two assists in Thursday's 3-2 overtime win over the St. Louis Blues, running his league-leading total to 14 points in 10 games.
He has 19 points in 16 career playoff games, or a 1.19 point-per-game average, which ranks higher than the NHL's active leader (among those with 50 games), Sidney Crosby.
This isn't outlying production, of course, as Benn's 176 points over the last two regular seasons ranks as most league-wide. But unlike most players, who see their rates tail in the second season, Benn's postseason scoring (albeit a small sample) represents a higher rate than his inflated totals over his previously prolific regular seasons.
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Cody Eakin's overtime winner drew the Dallas Stars even with the St. Louis Blues, but it was significant for another reason.
The Dallas Stars snapped their 8-year playoff overtime win drought on the 8-year anniversary of Cinco De Morrow. It was meant to be.
— Graham Jenkins (@JenkinsSports) May 6, 2016
Now that's symmetry.
The Stars' last playoff overtime win before Thursday night came in the wee hours of May 5, 2008, when Brenden Morrow's quadruple overtime winner in Game 6 against the San Jose Sharks sent them through to the Western Conference Final.
In fairness, the Stars have only made the playoffs twice and played in three playoff overtime games in the eight years since that run - in 2014 when they lost in the first round, and this postseason.
Dallas lost 5-4 to the Anaheim Ducks in overtime of Game 6 in 2014, dropped Game 5 to the Minnesota Wild in OT in their first-round series last month, and fell 4-3 to the Blues in the extra frame in Game 2 of the series in progress.
Still, it was a fitting way to bookend Cinco de Morrow.
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Cody Eakin is the OT hero in Game 4 vs. the Blues as his game-winning goal ties up the series. @VWCanada #TeamTiguanhttps://t.co/SjSvix7IdB
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 6, 2016
At last, the No. 1 center strikes.
Tyler Seguin stand-in Cody Eakin brought the Dallas Stars level in their second-round series with the St. Louis Blues, firing a quick-rising snap shot over the short-side shoulder of Brian Elliott just under three minutes into the first overtime period.
Eakin's goal breaks up a 17-game drought dating back six weeks, and represents his first point in Dallas' two wins in the series. He recorded three assists in the Game 2 loss on home ice.
Jamie Benn assisted on both Eakin's winner as well as Patrick Sharp's second-period goal, seeing his postseason scoring lead increase by three points to 14.
Realted: Benn pads snowballing postseason scoring record
Dallas will head home having reclaimed home-ice advantage with a best-of-three to determine the Central Division representative in the Western Conference Final.
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Jonathan Drouin remains untaught as a professional; it's been just a few months since he was exiled for failing to report to the minor league affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
But if there's a handbook he received, and skimmed through, then Drouin's got the section on reparation down pat.
The second-year man has reserved his talking for the offensive zone since placing an apologetic call to Steve Yzerman and returning to the big club. But the point-per-game postseason performer did speak Thursday between Games 3 and 4, permeating working maturity.
"Every day is better and better, every day I feel more confident about myself," Drouin said, according to Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun. "Let's just make sure that keeps going and we'll be fine. Since I came back, I'm just playing the game, not thinking about who's on the ice, just playing hockey."
For as long as Tampa lasts in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Drouin will have more and more opportunity to not just contribute, but continue to earn the trust of his teammates, coaches, and hockey operations after nearly throwing his future with the organization away.
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The NHL's coaching carousel could welcome in a new rider.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Thursday on the "Headlines" segment that it's believed long-time NHLer and current Utica Comets coach Travis Green is among the list of candidates in consideration to succeed Bruce Boudreau as head coach of the Anaheim Ducks.
Friedman noted that Green has connections inside the organization, and Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province has since reported that Green has previously been linked to the job.
Green has completed his third season in charge of the Vancouver Canucks' American Hockey League affiliate in Utica. He guided the team to a Calder Cup Final last season.
He has one year remaining on his contract, which includes an out clause.
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