Say what you will about the current NHL playoff format but if Tuesday’s game is a preview of things to come, this first round series is going to be incredible. Yesterday’s game had a combined seven goals and 52 penalty minutes. Tampa Bay out shot Toronto 49-24 and Leafs narrowly escaped with a 4-3 win. Below are the highlights from the game.
WIlliam Nylander scored the game’s first goal with powerplay marker nearly 13 minutes into the game. He beat Andrei Vasilevskiy with a soft shot through the five hole…
WILL NY THE SCORING GUY 😎 pic.twitter.com/KQLszU88dN
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) April 11, 2023
Hardly a minute later Tampa Bay tied it up. Alex Killorn tipped Mikhael Sergachev’s point shot past Joseph Woll to get the Lightning on the board…
What a tip! ⚡
Alex Killorn redirects the Sergachev point shot to tie the game. pic.twitter.com/0bCvfHOcBk
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 11, 2023
The late first period scoring continued with a tally from Luke Schenn. The Leafs defenceman pounced on a loose puck to bury his first goal as a Leaf since February 4th, 2012…
Well we knew he had the PasSchenn 🔵 pic.twitter.com/v09f69NpgW
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) April 11, 2023
Schenn kept making an imprint on the game later in the first. He dropped the gloves with Pat Maroon in the corner. The rough stuff didn’t stop there. Just before the period ended Sergachev crushed John Tavares with a clean check. Ryan O’Reilly instantly stood up for his captain and a melee ensued…
Schenn vs. Maroon pic.twitter.com/O0kDE2uLQG
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 11, 2023
Sergachev lowers the boom on Tavares. 💥 pic.twitter.com/r1uXE2I43s
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 12, 2023
In the second period Michael Bunting and Corey Perry got into it as well. Bunting took exception to a hit in the neutral zone, chased him down and fought him in front of the Leafs bench…
This playoff series is going to be interesting… 🍿 pic.twitter.com/H09Hx7R8qT
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 12, 2023
The fight seemed to spark the Lightning as they scored less than a minute later. Nick Perbix did his best Schenn impression jumping on a loose puck and firing it home…
Perbix evens things back up at ✌️ pic.twitter.com/pkynOEjTvY
— x – Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) April 12, 2023
The Leafs powerplay connected again late in the middle frame. Tavares made a silky little dish to Calle Jarnkrok in front and the Swedish winger deposited his 20th goal of the year. 3-2 Leafs…
CALLE ON THE SPOT 🚨 pic.twitter.com/fz5FCyd8ec
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) April 12, 2023
Toronto got an insurance goal in the third. Nylander set up Matthew Knies,who rocketed a one timer. The puck trickled through Vasilevskiy and O’Reilly finished it off. First career point for Knies…
Knies one, ROR 😉 pic.twitter.com/F6qK9mXPh9
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) April 12, 2023
Sergachev knotted it up right after. He placed a perfect wrist shot from the slot off the post and past Woll to get Tampa within one. The Lightning kept pressing for the remainder of the game but couldn’t solve Woll again. 4-3 Leafs final.
Never saw it comin’ 😏 pic.twitter.com/OvYICNOIwo
— x – Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) April 12, 2023
