Point pots OT winner as Bolts beat Maple Leafs to force series finale in Toronto

The Maple Leafs did everything they could to exorcise a long list of playoff demons.

Toronto fought back from another 2-0 deficit Thursday to take the lead heading into the third period of Game 6, putting the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions on the ropes.

Then disaster struck with a pair of high-sticking penalties in quick succession to gift the Lightning a two-man advantage.

Tampa Bay wouldn't miss, and then Brayden Point did what he seems to always do in the post-season — step up in big moments.

The winger scored at 18:04 of overtime as the Lightning downed the Leafs 4-3 to force a seventh and deciding game in their first-round series.

A clutch performer during Tampa's title runs, Point eased the winner over the goal line on a rebound between the legs of Leafs goaltender Jack Campbell after Alex Killorn took the initial shot in an extra period that had been heavily tilted in Toronto's favour.

The play started after Leafs sniper Auston Matthews, who sparked his team's comeback with a goal midway through the second, lost an edge in the neutral zone, allowing the Lightning to break the other way.

"Our guys played hard," Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe said. "Not a lot between to the two teams. Loved how we played in overtime. We attacked, we had chances, plenty of opportunities to finish it, and really gave them nothing.

"They made good on their one look ... that's the difference."

Toronto, which hasn't moved onto the second round since 2004 and is now 0-8 in elimination games over the last five playoffs, now heads home to host Game 7 on Saturday with an anchor-like weight of history and expectation hanging around its collective neck.

"What's in the past is in the past," Matthews said. "We can't change anything now. It's about this next game and going out there with a purpose and details and just competing for 60 minutes or whatever it takes.

"We've just got to put [everything] on the line and go for it."

WATCH | Point scores OT winner to force Game 7:

Ondrej Palat, Anthony Cirelli and Nikita Kucherov had the other goals for the Lightning, who improved to an eye-popping 17-0 following a post-season loss since 2020.