Maple Leafs-Lightning breakdown: Can the Rays loan the Bolts a closer?
Leafs #Leafs
TAMPA — While the Rays were keeping their foot on the figurative gas across the water Monday night against the Astros, the Lightning were squandering a third-period lead for the second consecutive game.
“I think we sat back a little bit too much,” center Anthony Cirelli said after his team surrendered three third-period goals, and one in overtime, in a 5-4 defeat to the Maple Leafs in Game 4.
Unless Jon Cooper’s club finds its own variation of Pete Fairbanks (i.e. someone who can finish off a foe), it will be baseball season — and only baseball season — in these parts by week’s end.
Here’s our breakdown of the, well, breakdown that occurred at Amalie Arena.
The good
Much like Game 3, the Lightning had a lot of good to go around. Alex Killorn’s pair of goals ended a playoff scoring drought dating to 2021, and the penalty kill was stout — if not stellar — in the first two periods. Moreover, they won 21 of 36 faceoffs (58.3%) in the first 40 minutes.
Granted, the Leafs feasted on deflected shots Monday night, but that doesn’t nullify the fact that Andrei Vasilevskiy hasn’t exactly stood on his head in this series. Entering this postseason, Vasilevskiy owned a .923 save percentage in 103 career playoff games. In these four contests against the Leafs, it’s .856 (113 of 132).
Nonetheless, three of Toronto’s five goals were deflected.
“(Deflected shots) are tough on any goalie,” Cooper said. “Your job as a defender, you’ve got to get sticks and you’ve got to give your goalie a chance to see the puck. And some of these, we haven’t.”
The awkward
In a diplomatic gesture, the Lightning had both Bucs quarterbacks — Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask — activate the Tesla coils just before the opening puck-drop. Flanked by a few Tampa Bay offensive linemen, Mayfield hollered and pumped his fists while Trask smiled and gave a golf clap. The significance? Maybe nothing. It just seemed a bit of a bizarre contrast.
Numbers of the night
7: Points for Brandon Hagel in his last eight playoff games vs. Toronto. He had an assist Monday.
91: Combined hits Monday night, fewest in this series since Game 1 (81)
94: Career playoff points for Steven Stamkos, tying Ondrej Palat for the third-most in franchise history
138: Career playoff games for Killorn, tying Ondrej Palat for third-most in Lightning history
Espo-se
A sampling of Monday night’s commentary from unfiltered Lightning radio analyst (and Hall of Famer) Phil Esposito:
“I was just about to say, ‘Why don’t you shoot?! He’s right there!’” — after Mikhail Sergachev’s first-period goal from the left circle off a Nikita Kucherov feed
“You’ve got to control your emotions, you’ve got to. That’s not good.” — after Victor Hedman’s second-period roughing penalty
“David, how many times do I have to tell you, that was a very slow change again.” — to radio play-by-play colleague Dave Mishkin after Auston Matthews’ third-period goal, which cut the Leafs’ deficit to 4-2
First-period report card
Quintessential bounce-back period after the Game 3 excruciation. Goals by Killorn and Sergachev were among 12 shots on net attempted by the Lightning, who allowed only five. Tampa Bay’s lone penalty-kill shift was so disruptive at the blue line, the Leafs struggled to set up. The lone quibble: Hagel’s feeble penalty shot after being tripped by Morgan Rielly.
Grade: A
Second-period report card
The Leafs applied considerably more offensive pressure (finishing with a 14-7 advantage in shots on goal) but could put only one puck past Vasilevskiy (on a ricocheted shot). Tampa Bay’s penalty kill again flustered Toronto, and its two goals in the period were exquisite; Killorn’s wrist shot that rattled off the right post literally froze goaltender Ilya Samsonov. Hedman’s roughing penalty was unnecessary, but that’s splitting hairs of a playoff beard.
Grade: A-
Third-period report card
Forty solid minutes — and a three-goal lead — were squandered by some woefully timed sloppiness. A lax line change contributed to Toronto’s first goal of the period, an Auston Matthews wrist shot with 10:16 remaining. A penalty kill that had sparkled succumbed three minutes later with Matthews’ redirect of a William Nylander shot with 7:31 to play.
Grade: F
Overtime report card
Tough to fault Sergachev for tripping Nylander, who appeared poised for a high-danger scoring opportunity 2½ minutes into the extra session. But it led to the winning goal, a redirect by Alexander Kerfoot, who was embedded in front of the net. Toronto had six shots on goal in overtime, the Lightning one.
Grade: D
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