Tampa Bay Lightning forward Dominic James isn't known for his offensive abilities, but he came through for his team in a big way, or so it seemed, in Game 5 of their series against the Montreal Canadiens.
After Brendan Gallagher gave the Canadiens an early lead in the first period, Montreal seemed to control the run of play. 6:49 into the second period, Lightning rookie Dominic James tied things up with his first career playoff goal, and just his eighth ever goal in the NHL. At the time, it seemed like the momentum would swing in Tampa Bay's favor and his goal would be the turning point.
Unfortunately for the Bolts, that wasn't the case, as Montreal's Kirby Dach restored the Canadiens' lead just 11 seconds later
Regardless of the circumstances around the goal, scoring in the playoffs is a major accomplishment for any player, let alone a rookie. After starting his season in the AHL, James earned a spot in the NHL a couple of weeks into the season and never looked back.
James appears to have earned significant trust from Lightning coach Jon Cooper, as he's been a fixture in their bottom-six for the majority of the season and has appeared in all five games in their opening round playoff series.