"It could have been over just like that.

All that mucking and grinding, all that All In from everyone in Lightning sweaters, all the good work against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 6, it wouldn't have mattered, there would have been no Game 7.

But now there will be.

Dwayne Roloson made it so.

The Lightning won 4-2 on Monday night at the Forum. In the moment on which this game could have turned, Roloson turned it back the Lightning's way.

The Penguins had just scored to tie the game at 2 early in the third period. Seemingly seconds later, the puck came free near the Lightning blue line and Max Talbot was in alone on Roloson.

It could have been the game, it could have been the season.

Instead, it was why the Bolts traded for Dwayne Roloson during this season.

He made three quick, clutch saves, two on Talbot, then on a follow by Pascal Dupuis.

There it was, in a split second, the anticipation, the skill …

"You forgot to mention luck," Roloson said. "For me, I just try to get whatever I can in front of the puck."

Any of those shots go in, this game, this season, it's over.

"That was a series changer," Steven Stamkos said.

Because less than a minute later, there were the Bolts, up ice, crashing the Penguins' zone as they had all night, All In, and there was Vinny Lecavalier feeding Steve Downie out front, and there was Downie, the team pit bull, knocking in a rebound off his own shot and the Lightning led 3-2, just like that. A night for the grinders"