Lightning bury Maple Leafs early to even first-round series 2-2
TAMPA, Fla. — Sheldon Keefe stated Sunday morning his group had but to provide its greatest hockey this spring.
Toronto’s head coach continues to be ready.
Steven Stamkos scored one minute into the primary interval to spark an early barrage because the Tampa Bay Lightning steamrolled the Maple Leafs 7-3 to knot their first-round playoff sequence 2-2.
“We weren’t on the required degree,” Keefe stated following an embarrassing no-show. “Tampa performed at a better degree than us and acquired rewarded for it.”
Ross Colton, with a pair, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Pat Maroon, Corey Perry and Ondrej Palat had the opposite objectives for the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions. Nikita Kucherov and Brandon Hagel added two assists every for the Lightning, who led 3-0 inside the primary eight minutes at a raucous Amalie Enviornment.
“We had an excellent begin,” Stamkos stated. “That was certainly one of our keys, to return out and play the precise means.”
Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 22 pictures, enhancing to an eye-popping 16-0 within the final three post-seasons following a loss.
Tampa carried its dominant efficiency to shut out Friday’s 5-2 defeat — Toronto scored two late empty-netters — into Recreation 4.
“We talked about discovering some success there within the third interval and wanting to duplicate that,” Stamkos added. “Guys took it to coronary heart.”
William Nylander scored twice for Toronto, whereas Jake Muzzin additionally beat Vasilevskiy with the sport out of attain.
Jack Campbell allowed 5 objectives on 16 pictures earlier than being pulled in favour of Erik Kallgren for the Leafs, who got here out flat on an evening they might have grabbed a 3-1 stranglehold within the best-of-seven matchup. Kallgren completed with 10 saves.
“It is disappointing,” Muzzin stated. “We battled arduous the opposite night time to be within the place we had been in. We knew they had been gonna come arduous.
“Simply weren’t prepared for it.”
Toronto has taken an NHL-high 32 penalties by 4 contests, with the Lightning having linked on the ability play 5 occasions, together with as soon as on Sunday.
“We have carried out a reasonably good job of, for essentially the most half, not getting concerned within the stuff not in between the whistles,” Leafs captain John Tavares stated. “However a number of the obstruction is getting referred to as tighter than in all probability we have been used to prior to now.
“One thing we have now to adapt to.”
The sequence now shifts to Scotiabank Enviornment for Tuesday’s Recreation 5, whereas Recreation 6 goes Thursday again in Tampa. Recreation 7, if mandatory, is scheduled for Saturday in Toronto.
“Scored on their first shot and took it to us, however it’s one recreation,” stated Campbell, who’s allowed 12 objectives in his final 145 minutes 25 seconds of motion towards the Lightning.
“Study from it, be prepared for the subsequent one.”
Seeking to get extra out of a high line that was largely neutralized in Recreation 3 by Anthony Cirelli, Brayden Point and Alex Killorn with Tampa getting the final change, Keefe moved Alexander Kerfoot into Michael Bunting‘s spot on the wing alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner to start the sport.
However Toronto, which completed the common season with 115 factors, 5 away from the Lightning for second within the Atlantic Division, began its third line and third defence pair, and was on the again foot from the drop of the puck as Tampa’s high models got here in waves towards a skittish opponent.
The Leafs hadn’t even crossed centre when Stamkos — robbed by Campbell on a late one-timer in Recreation 3 — blasted one other of his patented bullets a minute into the primary to blow the roof off the sold-out rink after Toronto defenceman Justin Holl could not clear the zone.
“They got here out arduous and we did not execute,” Tavares stated. “Now we have to do a greater job of being on our toes and being prepared for that.
“We knew it was coming.”
The listless guests went down 2-0 at 5:20 when Muzzin and Campbell could not management a puck down low that popped out to Bellemare within the slot.
Tampa made it 3-0 because the onslaught continued with a second fourth-line objective when Maroon jumped on one other miscue by a Toronto defender — Morgan Rielly was the perpetrator this time — and poked dwelling his personal rebound at 7:58 after Campbell made a terrific pad cease.
Vasilevskiy did not have a lot to do on the different finish with the pictures sitting at 8-1, however was put to work late within the interval as Toronto began to lastly present a bit life.
Matthews fired a depraved backhand off the crossbar earlier than final season’s Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP needed to be sharp on a deflection down low.
However the Lightning put any considered a comeback to mattress at 3:17 of the center interval when Colton’s shot went off Campbell’s glove for the centre’s second objective in as many video games.
Tampa adopted that up with a Perry effort that made it 5-0 — the third from a Lightning fourth-liner — on an extended 5-on-3 man benefit at 5:25 after Tavares was whistled for hooking and David Kampf fired the puck out of play 9 seconds later for a delay-of-game name.
Campbell stayed in for a pair extra minutes solely to be pulled in favour of Kallgren following a TV timeout after an extended chat with Keefe on the bench.
“I all the time wish to battle,” stated the goaltender. “However I all the time respect the coach’s choice.”
“I do know he will proceed to battle,” Keefe added. “I simply made it clear to him it is clearly an extended option to come again and we want him to be good to go for the subsequent recreation.”
Nylander acquired Toronto on the board with a objective on the person benefit at 2:27 of the third to spoil Vasilevskiy’s bid for the seventh playoff shutout of his profession earlier than including his second of the playoffs with the groups skating 4 on 4 at 12:05.
The Leafs pulled Kallgren with beneath six minutes left in regulation, however Palat fired into an empty internet earlier than Muzzin discovered scored at 15:41 to make it 6-3.
However Colton added his second with Kallgren on the bench for an additional attacker to seal it.
Toronto hasn’t received a playoff spherical since 2004 — earlier than the NHL instituted a wage cap and two lockouts in the past — and is seeking to take a step in the direction of ending a Cup drought relationship again 54 years following a string of post-season failures.
Toronto followers gathered across the group’s tunnel resulting in the ice floor and began “Go Leafs Go” chants half an hour earlier than warmups.
Tampa’s recreation operations crew, in the meantime, trolled the guests by exhibiting a “1967” signal on the rink’s huge scoreboard forward of the opening faceoff earlier than the Lightning imposed their will early and sometimes.
“We acquired the cut up,” Keefe stated in making an attempt to take a constructive out of Sunday’s catastrophe. “It was a best-of-five with three video games on this constructing and two at dwelling. Now it is best-of-three with two in our constructing. It is a profitable street journey in that sense. Whether or not you lose the sport 2-1 or within the method that we did tonight, it does not matter.
“You wash it, you progress on. We’ll be higher subsequent time.”
If not, the Leafs will face one other hostile setting Thursday — solely this time with their collective backs towards the wall.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Could 8, 2022.
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Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
