The Tampa Bay Lightning only needed 53 seconds of overtime to prevail 4-3 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in game five of their NHL Eastern Conference final play-off series.

Jason Garrison was the hero for the Lightning as his shot cannoned off the back of team-mate Tyler Johnson and into the back of the net, with the goal just a minute into the additional period on Sunday earning Tampa Bay a 3-2 series lead, after Nikita Kucherov had forced OT with three minutes remaining in the third.

Unlike their 4-3 win in game four, the Lightning were made to do it the hard way in Pittsburgh as the Penguins raced out to a 2-0 lead.

With barely a second remaining in the opening period, Brian Dumoulin broke the deadlock and Patric Hornqvist increased the Penguins' advantage less than two minutes into the second.

But the Lightning responded with quick-fire goals from Alex Killorn and Kucherov before Chris Kunitz restored Pittsburgh's two-goal buffer in the dying stages of the second period.

The Penguins appeared on track for their first win since game three until Kucherov netted his second of the clash and it paved the way for Garrison to take centre stage in OT.