TAMPA, Fla. — The Lightning cut a three-goal deficit to one in the third period before allowing two empty-net goals in a 5-2 loss to the Maple Leafs in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series at Amalie Arena.
The Leafs lead the best-of-seven series two games to one heading into Game 4 Sunday in Tampa.
Morgan Rielly and Colin Blackwell scored in the first 10 minutes of the game and David Kampf found the back of the net just under six minutes into the second period to stake Toronto to a 3-0 lead.
Ross Colton put the Lightning on the board with a power-play goal with nine minutes remaining in the period, and Ondrej Palat made it a one-goal game with more than 14 minutes remaining.
Tampa Bay continued to pressure the Toronto net the rest of the way, but Jack Campbell stood tall in net and Ilya Mikheyev scored twice into an empty net to seal the win for the Maple Leafs.
Here’s how it happened:
Third period
Brandon Hagel shot blocked by TJ Brodie
Anthony Cirelli backhand shot stopped by Jack Campbell
Victor Hedman slap shot saved by Campbell
Lightning ice the puck
Mark Giordano shot saved by Andrei Vasilevskiy
Vasilevskiy fights off Auston Matthews shot off the rush
Vasilevskiy stops Matthews twice on a breakaway
Mitch Marner hits the crossbar
Campbell stops Nikita Kucherov on a breakaway
LIGHTNING GOAL! Ondrej Palat scores with 14:17 remaining to make it a one-goal game. Leafs lead 3-2.
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare shot deflected up out of play
Nick Paul draws a hooking penalty against Jake Muzzin with a power move to the net that Jack Campbell had to do everything in his power to keep out of the net
Jack Campbell dives to his right to stop a Stamkos shot from the right circle after Kucherov threads a pass across the ice to the Lightning captain
Campbell stops Hedman shot from the high slot
Vasilevskiy stops Mikheyev on a breakaway with Hedman on his heels
Campbell stops Hagel rebound attempt from the slot after quick Colton shot from the corner
Lightning pull Vasilevskiy in favor of an extra attacker
MAPLE LEAFS GOAL: Mikheyev scores into an empty net after a pass from Kucherov is too far up the middle for a diving Stamkos. Leafs lead 4-2.
Lightning again pull Vasilevskiy
Matthews shoots wide, resulting in an icing call
Engvall misses the empty net
MAPLE LEAFS GOAL: Mikheyev scores a second empty-net goal. Leafs lead 5-2.
Second period
Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91), left, is pushed by Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman TJ Brodie (78) during the first period.
Erik Cernak in the penalty box for roughing Justin Holl at end of first period
Lightning get a breakaway after Mitch Marner falls down, but Jack Campbell gets a piece of Pierre-Edouard Bellemare’s shot from the top of the left circle
Ryan McDonagh penalized for delay of game, giving Toronto a 5-on-3 advantage for 25 seconds
Anthony Cirelli faceoff win allows Lightning to clear the puck out of the zone
Maple Leafs now have 5-on-4 for a minute and a half
Pressure from Erik Cernak allows the Lightning to clear the zone
Alex Killorn gets the puck out of the zone
Jack Campbell stops Brandon Hagel shorthanded opportunity
Jason Spezza shot from left side deflected by Ondrej Palat
Vasilevskiy covers Spezza slap shot from right point
Lightning kill off both penalties
Campbell makes save on Mikhail Sergachev shot from the left point with Stamkos in front
Point spin-around shot from near the goal line stopped by Campbell
MAPLE LEAFS GOAL: David Kampf wrist shot beats Vasilevskiy stickside after Brandon Hagel pass for Ross Colton is picked off in the neutral zone. Leafs lead 3-0.
Point turnaround shot from low in the left circle is partially blocked
Justin Holl penalized for holding Brandon Hagel, who got inside position on a breakaway
Maple Leafs win the faceoff and clear the puck out of the zone
Toronto gets the puck out again and nearly scores when Marner gets two chances from in close on the forecheck. Vasilevskiy keeps the puck out of the goal with a couple of pad saves
A Maple Leafs turnover creates a Lightning chance in front, but Toronto manages to clear the puck
LIGHTNING GOAL! Ross Colton scores a power-play goal on a one-timer from the right circle after a nice pas from Mikhail Sergachev. Leafs lead 3-1.
Maple Leafs get a power play after Ondrej Palat penalized for boarding after hitting a defenseless Ondrej Kase from behind
Marner shot misses wide
Vasilevskiy stops Nylander quick shot from the slot
Cirelli clears the puck around the boards and down the ice
Matthews one-timer from the left circle misses wide and goes back down the ice
Lightning kill the Palat penalty
Campbell makes save on Stamkos shot from the right circle
Colton shot rides up high on Campbell, but the goaltender is able to stop it
Campbell stops tight shot from Colton
Colton hits the left post with a wide-open net in front of him after TJ Brodie gets a stick on it
Nylander shot saved by Vasilevskiy
Campbell makes a couple of saves after Corey Perry leads a rush up the ice
Cernak blast from the right point blocked by Jake Muzzin, who appears to injure his arm
Campbell robs Cirelli from in close
(Toronto leads 3-1 after two periods)
First period
Jack Campbell saves shot by Brayden Point in the slot after Anthony Cirelli forces turnover with hard hit in the corner
Andrei Vasilevskiy covers the puck after backhand shot by Ondrej Kase
Lightning ice the puck
Pat Maroon penalized for delay of game after shooting the puck over the glass while trying to get it out of the Tampa Bay zone, and Toronto gets its first power play
Vasilevskiy makes pad save on bouncing shot from Mitch Marner
Auston Matthews shot stopped by Vasilevskiy
Alex Killorn clears the puck out of the zone
MAPLE LEAFS GOAL: Morgan Rielly scores a power-play goal, rebounding an Auston Matthews shot from the blue line into a wide-open net. Maple Leafs lead 1-0. (4:52)
After a period of sustained pressure in the Toronto zone, Ilya Lyubushkin is penalized for high-sticking, putting the Lightning on the power play
Leafs immediately clear the puck out of the zone
Toronto sends the puck back down the ice
Ilya Mikheyev skates the puck out of the Maple Leafs zone
Toronto wins a defensive-zone faceoff and clears the puck out of the zone
Leafs kill the penalty
MAPLE LEAFS: Colin Blackwell scores from the lower left circle seconds on a 3-on-2 after the power play expires. Leafs lead 2-0. (9:44)
Zach Bogosian penalized for holding the stick
Nick Paul sends the puck out of the Lightning zone
Auston Matthews shot from the left side stopped by Vasilevskiy
Vasilevskiy stops a Spezza shot from the right circle and a rebound attempt from the left side
Cirelli shot off the rush blocked
William Nylander shot from left circle saved by Vasilevskiy
Brayden Point chance from the slot stopped by Campbell
Campbell smothers Nick Paul wrist shot from the high slot
Mikheyev shot from the right side knocked aside by Vasilevskiiy
Steven Stamkos tips Zach Bogosian shot wide of the net
Maple Leafs ice the puck
Point backhander from low in the left circle stopped by Campbell
Brandon Hagel gets up the ice with speed and drops a pass for Paul, whose shot from the high slot is stopped by Campbell
Lightning ice the puck
Marner shot hits Vasilevskiy in the shoulder
Backhander by Bunting misses wide
Killorn drives into Holl as time expires in the period
(Toronto leads 2-0 after one period)
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