Toronto bounced back in a big way on Thursday night. They led game two from start to finish. John Tavares and Mitch Marner combined for five goals, Morgan Rielly had four assists and Ilya Samsonov stopped 19 of 21 shots. Below are the highlights from the game.
The Leafs got started early with a goal in the first minute. Marner drew a penalty by intercepting a pass in the offensive zone. Then he scored off the draw on the powerplay to put Toronto up 1-0…
MITCH MARNER OPENS THE SCORING 47 SECONDS INTO GAME 2! 🪄 pic.twitter.com/zwR2C79f1Z
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 20, 2023
It didn’t take long for game two to get physical. Less than a minute after the Marner goal Mark Giordano and Zach Bogosian dropped the gloves…
Gio and Bogo drop the mitts and we’re off to a wild start in Toronto! 😤 pic.twitter.com/A80A8qeLVk
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 20, 2023
Later in the first the Leafs scored off the faceoff again. Tavares won the draw to Morgan Rielly who skated down the wall and dished it back to the captain for the one-timer…
O CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN! 🫡 pic.twitter.com/LLUi5wkVVd
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) April 20, 2023
Just like game one there was a 3-0 lead in the first twenty minutes. This time it was Toronto. On a delayed penalty late in the frame William Nylander ripped a wrist shot past Andrei Vasilevskiy on the glove side…
JUST SILLY WILLY!! 🎯 pic.twitter.com/OghQo8GyTr
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) April 20, 2023
Tampa got on the board partway into the second. Ian Cole jumped up in the attack, received the pass in the slot and walked around Justin Holl to score the first Lightning goal of the night…
Cole steps up and gives Tampa some life! ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/DQU1JOHRf6
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 21, 2023
In the second half of the period the Leafs restored their three goal lead. Rielly and Nylander worked a give and go for a scoring chance. Tavares cleaned up the rebound for his second of the night…
JOHNNY TWORONTO!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/qUr4GmjLyc
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) April 21, 2023
A few minutes later the fourth line got in on the action. They dominated the Lightning defence on the forecheck, worked the puck loose and drove the net. Zach Aston-Reese shoveled the loose puck home to make it 5-1…
ZACH ON THE ATTACK! pic.twitter.com/YPVD1U44u7
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) April 21, 2023
Toronto’s onslaught didn’t stop there. Before the second ended Tampa turned the puck over in their zone and Marner threw a slapshot on net. It deflected off Brandon Hagel to make it 6-1 Leafs…
MITCHY DOUBLE DIPS!! pic.twitter.com/w2qmPOqczH
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) April 21, 2023
Luke Schenn made his mark on the game in the third. Him and Tanner Jeannot engaged in a spirited tilt. Both men landed a few solid punches…
Schenn and Jeannot throw down 🥊 pic.twitter.com/gmc8YhZqIi
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 21, 2023
Later in the third Corey Perry scored a second goal for Tampa. He patiently waited for Samsonov to commit and slid the puck under him…
Corey Perry scores the Lightning’s second of the goal pic.twitter.com/03M0uClAAI
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 21, 2023
Perry and Holl went at it a couple minutes later. Holl took exception to Perry’s check behind the net and they squared off for the third fight of the game…
Holl and Perry put up their dukes as Perry enters full villain mode in Toronto👿 pic.twitter.com/E5nznzMFyf
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 21, 2023
With the game all but over Tavares found the back of the net for the hat trick. 7-2 Leafs final.
JOHNNY TORONTO 🧢
JOHNNY TORONTO 🧢
JOHNNY TORONTO 🧢 pic.twitter.com/S71S3A1I5r— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) April 21, 2023
