Lightning down Leafs in OT to force Game 7

TAMPA, Fla. –

Brayden Level scored at 18:04 of time beyond regulation because the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 on Thursday to drive a seventh and deciding recreation of their first-round playoff collection.

The winger buried the winner on a rebound between the legs of Leafs goaltender Jack Campbell after Alex Killorn took the preliminary shot.

Ondrej Palat, Anthony Cirelli and Nikita Kucherov had the opposite objectives for the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, who improved to an eye-popping 17-0 following a post-season loss since 2020.

Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 30 photographs. Level additionally had an help for a two-point evening.

John Tavares, with two, and Auston Matthews replied for Toronto, which hasn’t moved onto the second spherical since 2004 and is now 0-8 in elimination video games during the last 5 playoffs.

Jack Campbell made 31 saves. William Nylander added two assists.

The Leafs will now head house for Saturday’s Sport 7 desperately seeking to exorcise the demons of previous spring failures with the load of historical past and expectation hanging round their collective neck.

Toronto is 7-2 all-time at house in Sport 7s, however misplaced at Scotiabank Enviornment final season after blowing a 3-1 collection lead towards the Montreal Canadiens.

Vasilevskiy has received each one of many contests that make up Tampa’s 17-0 file after a loss within the final three playoffs, placing up a .945 save share with 5 shutouts in 16 victories earlier than Thursday.

The 2019 Vezina Trophy winner and final season’s Conn Smythe Trophy recipient hasn’t been his normal stellar self within the collection – his save share stood at .880 heading into Thursday – however did sufficient on this evening to get his group to Sport 7.

Trailing 2-0 within the second interval after Cirelli’s highlight-reel effort with Tampa short-handed, Matthews – named one among three finalists for the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP earlier within the day – responded together with his fourth of the playoffs 54 seconds later when he tipped Mark Giordano’s level shot.

Tavares then tied it with 33.7 seconds left within the interval when Vasilevskiy could not management the rebound with Jason Spezza swatting on the fluttering puck earlier than it bounced over the purpose line.

Toronto‘s captain then gave his group – which additionally fought again from a 2-0 deficit at house to win Sport 5 by a 4-3 scoreline – its first lead of the evening with 7.8 seconds remaining on the clock when he buried his third in as many video games inside a surprised Amalie Enviornment.

The Lightning bought a two-man benefit for 1:45 halfway by way of the third when David Kampf and Alexander Kerfoot have been whistled for high-sticking in fast succession, and Kucherov tied the rating at 9:20 when he fired his second on Campbell.

The Leafs complained Tampa ahead Brayden Level’s chin strap was undone in the course of the sequence, however the purpose stood.

Brandon Hagel then had an excellent likelihood to offer Tampa the lead late in regulation, however he missed the online from in tight with Campbell at his mercy.

Toronto had a pair nice possibilities early in time beyond regulation, however Vasilevskiy was there to disclaim each Kerfoot and Ilya Mikheyev.

After getting their doorways blown off early on the identical ice in Sport 4 on the best way to struggling a 7-3 loss, the Leafs had an honest begin, however went down with the groups enjoying 4-on-4 late within the first.

Kerfoot made an ill-advised drop cross within the impartial zone to nobody. Palat jumped on the turnover and moved in on Campbell earlier than firing his third of the playoffs underneath Campbell’s blocker with 2:22 left within the interval.

Tampa bought the sport’s first energy play with 28 seconds left within the interval, however the Leafs survived and bought to the intermission regardless of Lightning captain Steven Stamkos rattling Campbell’s masks on a depraved one-timer.

Vasilevskiy made massive stops on Ilya Lyubushkin and Matthews on the rebound early within the second earlier than the Leafs bought their first energy play.

However it was the Lightning that struck down a person when Cirelli picked up the puck following a Mark Giordano turnover – Toronto‘s second essential mistake of the evening – and moved into the offensive zone. The Tampa centre moved in one-on-one towards Giordano and used a spin-o-rama to create house earlier than firing low on Campbell for his first of the collection at 10:46.

This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Might 12, 2022.