Lightning force Game 7 with 4-3 OT win against Maple Leafs
Posted May 12, 2022 11:08 pm.
Last Updated May 13, 2022 9:25 am.
The Tampa Bay Lightning and defending Stanley Cup Champions have forced a deciding Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, winning 4-3 in overtime on Thursday.
Brayden Point scored the game-winning goal in Game 6 with a minute-and-a-half left in the first overtime.
Maple Leafs captain John Tavares had two goals for Toronto. His second on the night had given the Leafs a 3-2 lead entering the third period. Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov evened the score at 3-3 on a two-man advantage following two high sticking penalties called against Toronto.
Auston Matthews also scored for the Leafs. Ondrej Palat and Anthony Cirelli had the other goals for the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, who improved to an eye-popping 17-0 following a post-season loss since 2020.
After 18 years of torture and teasing, after a bitter 0-8 streak of failing to knock out an opponent on the ropes, Toronto will dive right back into its oh-too-familiar narrative. We’re going to Game 7, folks. @lukefoxjukebox has more.https://t.co/m8HHFQBHGO
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 13, 2022
The Lightning are trying to become the first team to capture three consecutive Stanley Cup titles since the New York Islanders won four straight from 1980-84.
Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 30 of 33 shots while Jack Campbell made 31 saves on the night. Vasilevskiy made several key saves in overtime, stopping all nine shots he faced.
The final and deciding Game 7 will be played on Saturday in Toronto at Scotiabank Arena. The Maple Leafs have not advanced past the first round of the NHL Playoffs since 2004.
“What’s in the past is in the past, man. We can’t change that now,” Matthews said postgame.
“It’s about this next game and going out there with a purpose, and with details, and just competing for 60 minutes or whatever it takes. We just gotta put our balls on the line and go for it.”
Toronto has won two of three games at home in the series.
Matthews was announced Thursday as one of three finalists for the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player. He finished the regular season with a franchise record of 60 goals, capturing the Rocket Richard Trophy for the second straight year.
The other finalists are Connor McDavid and Igor Shesterkin.
With files from The Associated Press
