Nikolai Khabibulin came up big again after a loss, but can he string two wins in a row? AP

It's official. This series defines turnabout and game-about. That means it is also official that these two teams will play a Game 7 for the Stanley Cup. Beyond that, anything is possible.

Except maybe a lead change, which has yet to happen between these two clubs. The Flames came close, coming back to tie the score twice after each of Brad Richards' two power play goals in the second period. But other phenomena within this series overrode any lead changing hands; namely the Lightning moving to 9-0 in the playoffs when Richards scores a goal, and the fact that the team scoring first has won all six games.

Of course, that stat is redundant when coupled with the first notion of there being nary a lead change. If this all seems rather circuitous, that's the point. These two young teams continue to play better coming off losses than they do off wins. Lightning coach John Tortorella sums it up best by saying the key to victory is playing better for longer stretches than the Flames.

To that end, his team was successful in this one, even though the Flames flummoxed the Lightning again at even strength. It took a turnover along the right wing boards by Chris Simon as he was upended that led to a nice rebound putback from a steep angle by Martin St. Louis in the first minute of the second overtime to send these teams back to Tampa to decide the season. It was St. Louis's first shot on goal of the game and he made the most of it.

Conversely, the Flames squandered an opportunity to win the Cup on home ice. They got good outings from many of their unheralded players -- guys like Chris Clark, Oleg Saprykin and Marcus Nilson, with Clark and Nilson scoring -- but failed to get top performances from their best players. In particular, Jarome Iginla had a couple of impressive bursts of energy, but registered but two shots on goal while looking fatigued at times. Credit as well goes to Bolts blueliner Pavel Kubina, who played his best game of the series and did a fine job of neutralizing Iginla.

In the end, the story was the bounceback capacity of Richards and goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin. Together, they again played dominant roles in a Lightning win following a loss. Richards now has 15 points in the seven games after Lightning losses, while Khabibulin has surrendered only seven goals in those games, all victories. The trick for the pair and the rest of their teammates is to replicate that brilliance in Game 7 -- just as the Flames will likewise look for a rebound effort from Captain Iginla.

This much we do know: Game 7 will be in Tampa on Monday and the entertainment factor should stay intact -- a function of two teams defining themselves on the game's biggest stage, led by young players in this position for the first time. But something has to give. If the Flames prevail, they will set a record for road wins in a playoff season and become the first champion with a losing record at home. If the Lightning hoist the Cup, they will do so by winning consecutive games for the first time in 14 games.

Yes, like this series in total, anything is possible.

Three Stars

1. Nikolai Khabibulin: Brilliant throughout and he made three stunning saves in the first overtime to preserve the dream.

2. Brad Richards: Two goals and an assist pretty much say it all in a 3-2 win, and the play he made to anticipate the pass by Marcus Nilson on his second goal was special.

3. Pavel Kubina: He turned in a tough-minded performance against an elite player when the stakes were the highest.

Darren Eliot, a former NHL goaltender, is a hockey analyst for SI.com.