It was a night to remember at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday, as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-2 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference First Round. John Tavares was the standout player of the game, scoring his first-ever hat trick in the Stanley Cup Playoffs to lead the Maple Leafs to victory.
Toronto took control of the game early on, with Mitchell Marner scoring on the power play just 47 seconds into the first period. Tavares then doubled the lead at 12:45, and William Nylander made it 3-0 just a few minutes later during a delayed double minor penalty on Steven Stamkos.
Tampa Bay managed to pull one back in the second period through Ian Cole, but Toronto responded with three quick goals to extend their lead to 6-1. Tavares scored his second of the night at 13:14, Zach Aston-Reese made it 5-1 at 15:52, and Marner scored his second of the game just a few minutes later.
Corey Perry managed to score for the Lightning in the third period, but it was too little too late. Tavares completed his hat trick just three seconds after the Lightning killed off a 5-on-3 power play, sealing the 7-2 victory for the Maple Leafs.
In addition to Tavares' heroics, Morgan Rielly had an impressive night with four assists, while Marner finished the game with two goals and an assist. Ilya Samsonov made 20 saves in net for the Maple Leafs, who bounced back from a 7-3 defeat in Game 1 to tie the series 1-1.
The Lightning, who were missing defensemen Victor Hedman and Erik Cernak due to injuries sustained in Game 1, will be hoping to bounce back when they host Game 3 on Saturday. With both teams eager to advance to the next round of the playoffs, fans can expect another intense matchup between two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
The schedule for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning playoff series is as follows:
- Game 3: Saturday, April 23, at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay
- Game 4: Monday, April 25, at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay
- Game 5 (if necessary): Wednesday, April 27, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto
- Game 6 (if necessary): Friday, April 29, at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay
- Game 7 (if necessary): Sunday, May 1, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto
Toronto Maple Leafs ties the series, Tavares with a hat-trick
It was a night to remember at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday, as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-2 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference First Round. John Tavares was the standout player of the game, scoring his first-ever hat trick in the Stanley Cup Playoffs to lead the Maple Leafs to victory.
Toronto took control of the game early on, with Mitchell Marner scoring on the power play just 47 seconds into the first period. Tavares then doubled the lead at 12:45, and William Nylander made it 3-0 just a few minutes later during a delayed double minor penalty on Steven Stamkos.
Tampa Bay managed to pull one back in the second period through Ian Cole, but Toronto responded with three quick goals to extend their lead to 6-1. Tavares scored his second of the night at 13:14, Zach Aston-Reese made it 5-1 at 15:52, and Marner scored his second of the game just a few minutes later.
Corey Perry managed to score for the Lightning in the third period, but it was too little too late. Tavares completed his hat trick just three seconds after the Lightning killed off a 5-on-3 power play, sealing the 7-2 victory for the Maple Leafs.
In addition to Tavares' heroics, Morgan Rielly had an impressive night with four assists, while Marner finished the game with two goals and an assist. Ilya Samsonov made 20 saves in net for the Maple Leafs, who bounced back from a 7-3 defeat in Game 1 to tie the series 1-1.
The Lightning, who were missing defensemen Victor Hedman and Erik Cernak due to injuries sustained in Game 1, will be hoping to bounce back when they host Game 3 on Saturday. With both teams eager to advance to the next round of the playoffs, fans can expect another intense matchup between two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
The schedule for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning playoff series is as follows: