Tampa Bay Lightning beat Maple Leafs to tie first-round series playoff 2-2
Global News
The Tampa Bay Lightning steamrolled the Toronto Maple Leafs 7-3 on Sunday to knot their first-round playoff series 2-2.
Steven Stamkos scored one minute into the first period to spark an early barrage as the Tampa Bay Lightning steamrolled the Toronto Maple Leafs 7-3 on Sunday to knot their first-round playoff series 2-2.
Ross Colton, with two, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Pat Maroon, Corey Perry and Ondrej Palat had the other goals for the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions. Nikita Kucherov added two assists.
Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 22 shots to improve to 16-0 in the last three post-seasons following a loss after the Leafs secured a 5-2 victory in Game 3.
William Nylander scored twice for Toronto, while Jake Muzzin also beat Vasilevskiy with the game out of reach.
Jack Campbell allowed five goals on 16 shots before being pulled in favour of Erik Kallgren for the Leafs, who came out embarrassingly flat on a night the franchise could have grabbed a 3-1 stranglehold in the best-of-seven matchup. Kallgren finished with 10 stops.
The series now shifts to Scotiabank Arena for Tuesday’s Game 5, while Game 6 goes Thursday back at Amalie Arena. Game 7, if necessary, is scheduled for Saturday in Toronto.
Looking to get more out of a top line that was largely neutralized in Game 3 by Anthony Cirelli, Brayden Point and Alex Killorn with Tampa getting the last change at home, Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe moved Alexander Kerfoot into Michael Bunting’s spot on the wing alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner to begin the game.
But Toronto, which finished the regular season with 115 points, five clear of the Lightning for second in the Atlantic Division, started its third line and third defence pair, and was on the back foot from the drop of the puck as Tampa’s top units came in waves against a skittish opponent.
