Blue Jackets stun Lightning in NHL playoff upset

The Columbus Blue Jackets overturned a three-goal deficit to stun the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 in a dramatic start to the Stanley Cup playoffs Wednesday.

Tampa Bay, heavy favorites to win this year's Stanley Cup after compiling a league-best 62-16 record, looked to be cruising to victory in game one of the best-of-seven series after surging into a 3-0 lead.

Goals from Alex Killorn, Anthony Cirelli and Yanni Gourde had put the Lightning into a commanding position by the end of the first period.

But just as Tampa Bay's Amalie Arena home crowd prepared to celebrate, Columbus came roaring back into the Eastern Conference first round contest.

Nick Foligno cut the deficit to two goals in the second period after scoring on a breakaway when Josh Anderson forced a turnover.

David Savard then made it 3-2 in the third period after beating Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy at his near post.

Anderson then brought the Blue Jackets level with a shorthanded effort, gliding around Victor Hedman to beat Vasilevskiy for 3-3.

Seth Jones then completed a stunning fightback with the winning goal on a power-play with five mins 55 secs remaining to put Columbus 4-3 ahead.

At the other end, Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was rock-solid, making 26 saves and blocking the final 17 shots he faced.

Earlier, the Lightning looked to be romping away with a comfortable victory when Killorn opened the scoring with a backhanded effort to beat Bobrovsky.

Cirelli doubled Tampa Bay's lead after a rebound from Erik Cernak and Gourde added a third after steering in a shot from Mikhail Sergachev.

Game two of the series takes place on Friday.

(AFP)