Leafs give Bolts a jolt of their own medicine
Youth, speed key ingredients in victory
The Tampa Bay Lightning have a lot to think about if a playoff series with the Toronto Maple Leafs comes to pass in April or May.
Namely, how to handle some of their own medicine, youth, speed and scoring. Tampa, the NHL’s current overall standings leaders encountered plenty of all three Monday night at the Air Canada Centre.
Auston Matthews ( three assists), William Nylander (two goals) and Mitch Marner (an assist after a five-point game against Ottawa) were the vanguard of a 4-3 win.
Yet Toronto knew its 3- 0 lead, achieved in just 17 shots on goal against the formidable Andrei Vasilevskiy, was no guarantee of a romp. The Bolts had shut Toronto out in their first meeting five weeks ago and gained a big lead in the Atlantic Division.
But in less than six minutes, the Bolts tied it. After Nazem Kadri almost stripped the puck at centre ice, the Lightning persevered and produced a late second- per- iod rebound goal by Alex Killorn, with an assist from Nikita Kucherov, his 70th point by NHL leading scorer.
Two goals in the opening 1: 18 of the third, Kucherov and Yanni Gourde, stunned the home side, but James van Riemsdyk quickly found a mouse hole by Vasilevskiy’s post to restore the lead.
With two games in hand, the Lightning’s lead on Toronto is down to six points with Boston between both clubs.
A mid- period shift gave 19,112 customers their money ’ s worth early in the match, first with re- cent Marlie call- ups Travis Dermott and Kasperi Kapanen almost combining on a point shot and deflection. Suddenly the Leafs were swarming Vasilevskiy, the NHL’s victory and shutout leader. He had to rely on stretching his 6-foot-3 frame to make a series of saves with the hot Marner in the vicinity and get some shot blocking help.
The Leafs came back with their other daunting trios on the next draw, Matthews beating Steve Stamkos to the draw, getting it back to Jake Gardiner and then redirecting to Nylander for a rocket in a small pocket over Vasilevskiy’s near-side shoulder.
Frederik Andersen, looking for his 28th win and 15th at home, had to stop Tyler Johnson on a first period short-handed breakaway and find the puck through traffic as the NHL’s second best power play had a crack at him.
Early in the second period, with Marner filling in for Zach Hyman at left wing on the Matthews’ line, Nylander was able to score off a rush. Marner whacked at a puck to stop the Bolts at the Leaf line, Matthews relayed to Nylander and he put his second through Vasilevskiy’s blocker side.
Matthews almost had Toronto’s fifth goal off the crossbar in the third period, as he, Marner and Nylander begin another assault on respective 60-point seasons.
The Leafs survived a harrowing closing minute with the Tampa net empty to seal the win.
The victory also gives the Leafs a chance to win five in a home stand of at least five consecutive in a home for the first time since 1989- 90, if they can get past the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday. The Leafs won six of eight straight at the Gardens in 1989-90.