Leafs fail to clinch post-season berth
TAMPA BAY 4, TORONTO 1
TORONTO — The Toronto Maple Leafs will have to wait a little longer to try and clinch a playoff berth.
The Leafs couldn’t secure their first trip to the post-season in four years on Thursday night, downed 4-1 by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
A victory of any kind would have sealed a spot for Toronto.
There is only one spot now remaining in the National Hockey League’s Eastern Conference after the Ottawa Senators punch their ticket by beating Boston in a shootout.
The Leafs need two points over their final two games — against Pittsburgh and Columbus — to beat out the Lightning and New York Islanders.
Nazem Kadri scored the only goal for Toronto (39-26-15), with Frederik Andersen surrendering four goals on 30 shots.
The victory keeps the Lightning (40-30-10) alive another day, with Brayden Point scoring twice against the Leafs. Nikita Kucherov and Michael Bournival also scored for Tampa, Andrei Vasilevskiy yielding only one goal on 27 shots.
Playoff chatter had the city of Toronto abuzz with the Leafs looking to clinch their first spot in the post-season since 2013 and first in a full 82-game season since 2004.
Toronto was the worst team in the NHL last season, vaulting up the standings this year primarily on the strength of a historic rookie class led by Calder trophy favourite Auston Matthews.
Setting records seemingly every day of late, Matthews had the Air Canada Centre on edge late in the first period against Tampa though when he was decked in the offensive zone by rookie Lightning defender Jake Dotchin.
Matthews’ left knee connected with the right knee of the 22-yearold from Cambridge on the play and the 19-year-old remained down on the ice for a few moments.
Matthews went to the bench in obvious discomfort but quickly returned, generating a chance in tight that slid just wide of Vasilevskiy.
The Leafs had their two best chances to score on the second of two straight power plays earlier in the frame, Nazem Kadri and Tyler Bozak both stopped by the Lightning goaltender.