Lightning ousted in opening round after another overtime loss to Leafs

© Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images North America/TNS The Toronto Maple Leafs celebrate winning Game 6 of the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series on an overtime goal by John Tavares against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena on Saturday, April 29, 2023, in Tampa, Florida.

TAMPA, Fla. — The Lightning had played in the final game of the hockey season the past three seasons. This year, the end was quick and unceremonious.

Ten months ago, they fought back tears as they watched the Avalanche parade around Amalie Arena hoisting the Stanley Cup. The previous two postseasons, they had the honor, and they built the knowledge of everything it takes to reach the mountaintop.

But after a first-round series in which they mostly outplayed the Maple Leafs outside of some short but mammoth late-game lapses, their season quietly disappeared down the tunnel with a 2-1 overtime loss to Toronto, giving the Leafs their first playoff series win since 2004.

The Lightning brought drama to the end of their season, rallying from a goal down entering the third period — the exact same situation they faced in a must-win Game 6 at Amalie Arena against the Leafs last postseason — to force sudden-death overtime.

But it was Leafs captain John Tavares who squeaked a wraparound shot past Andrei Vasilevskiy 4:36 into overtime to send the Lightning into the offseason.

After a regular season in which they were the second-best home team in the league, Tampa Bay lost all three playoff games at Amalie Arena in overtime. And they have dropped 10 of their last 11 overtime playoff games.

Needing offense late, Lightning coach Jon Cooper broke up his top line, seeking a spark from moving Brandon Hagel up to play with Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov and moving Steven Stamkos down to the second line.

But it was Stamkos who scored the equalizer, putting in a rebound at the 4:11 mark in the third period.

Anthony Cirelli, who may have been the Lightning’s best all-around player this series, stole the puck in the Leafs’ end and sent it to rookie defenseman Darren Raddysh, who launched a shot from the point, that hit off Ilya Samsonov’s pad and to Stamkos’ stick in front.

As Cooper predicted, Vasilevskiy got better as the series progressed. In Game 6, he made several huge saves, including swallowing a rebound off the stick of Matthews in front during the third period.

The Lightning outshot the Leafs 11-4 in the third, the same period when they blew leads in Games 3 and 4 before losing in overtime.

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