Maple Leafs-Lightning breakdown: Hits, heartbreak abound in OT epic
TAMPA — From a spillover crowd to spillover emotions, Game 3 of the Maple Leafs-Lightning series delivered playoff hockey in its purest, and occasionally most pugilistic, form.
Brutality on the boards. Crease collisions. Ebb, flow, hits, heartbreak. This one delivered everything except a satisfying ending for the home team.
“I really liked a lot of stuff that went on in this game,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “The only thing I didn’t like was the result.”
Here are some stats, sights and assessments from Tampa Bay’s 4-3 overtime defeat.
The good
In his third career playoff game, 27-year-old Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh attempted five shots on goal (third-most on the team) and finished plus-1 in more than 31 minutes of ice time.
His second-period goal, on a wrist shot from the left circle with 6:26 to play, highlighted a mostly sparkling all-around performance that included four hits and a blocked shot. Teammate Nick Perbix, also in his first playoff series, added four hits and a takeaway.
“They played outstanding for us,” Cooper said. “I can’t say enough.”
The bad
After winning 52.1% of their faceoffs in regulation, the Lightning lost the last one of the night. Three seconds after Ryan O’Reilly beat Brayden Point for the puck, Morgan Rielly delivered the game-winning wrist shot from the left point. The Leafs won the last five faceoffs of the game.
The ugly
Plenty of grisly to go around. Lightning forward Ross Colton went down after taking a cross-check to the face from Sam Lafferty in the second period. But it ultimately paled next to the nasty check Brayden Point sustained from Rielly early in the third period, which set off punches — and penalties — in profusion.
Numbers of the night
0 Power-play goals scored Saturday (in six official opportunities)
36 Saves by Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov
100 Consecutive playoff starts (for the same team) by Andrei Vasilevskiy, which ranks fourth in NHL history
123 Combined hits Saturday (the Lightning had 61)
Espo-se
A sampling of Saturday night’s commentary from unfiltered Lightning radio analyst (and Hall of Famer) Phil Esposito:
“That cross-check to me, is absolutely intent to injure. ... If that’s not intent, I don’t know what is.” — after Lafferty’s second-period cross-check to Colton’s face (resulting in only a two-minute roughing penalty)
“Covered?! You blew the whistle before it you ... These guys are brutal. ... Unbelievable, unbelievable, that’s all I can say. First a guy (Lafferty) gets away with trying to injure a player (Colton), and now this.” — after officials ruled Samsonov had covered the puck before Point jammed it past him from the side of the crease in the second period
“Oh boy, oh boy. Golly. That was really, really dangerous.” — after Rielly’s brutal check of Point near the boards (resulting in only a two-minute roughing penalty for Rielly) five minutes into the third
First-period report card
Unlike Game 2, the Lightning snuffed Toronto’s initial momentum. Anthony Cirelli’s goal, off deft passes from Brandon Hagel and Alex Killorn, came 86 seconds after Noel Acciari gave the Leafs an early edge via a 3-on-2 chance. The Lightning inexplicably let Auston Matthews camp in front of the net, setting up Toronto’s second goal (deflected off Matthews’ stick), and Nikita Kucherov’s hooking penalty abbreviated a Tampa Bay power play. But the Lightning atoned with Hagel’s late goal and outshot Toronto, 13-8.
Grade: C+
Second-period report card
A solid period that might have been sparkling minus a couple of debatable whistles. Tanner Jeannot’s pair of point-blank opportunities in the first two minutes set the tone for an offensively aggressive period in which the Lightning outshot Toronto, 15-8. Raddysh’s first NHL playoff goal was set up by Steven Stamkos’ winning faceoff. For good measure, Vasilevskiy stopped Matthew Knies’ backhanded breakaway attempt in the waning seconds.
Grade: A
Third-period report card
Rielly’s vicious check of Point near the end boards, and the chaos that followed, resulted in half the respective rosters serving extended time in the penalty box. When a semblance of normalcy resumed, the Lightning’s puck possession lagged down the stretch, proving costly. Moments after Toronto pulled its goalkeeper, William Nylander got the puck to the front of the net, where O’Reilly was waiting to jam it in for the tying goal with a minute to play. The Lightning finished the period with three shots.
Grade: C-
Overtime report card
Hard to give the Lightning a bad mark. They peppered Samsonov mercilessly during the period, officially finishing with an 8-6 shot advantage in the session. A lost faceoff sealed their fate, resulting in Rielly’s long wrist shot from the left side with 44.7 seconds to play. Give an A+ to Samsonov. The Lightning? We’ll go a grade lower.
Grade: B
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