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Lightning struggle to match Leafs’ intensity in 5-2 loss

Oct 21, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Max Domi (11) punches Tampa Bay Lightning forward Zemgus Girgensons (28) during a scrum in the second period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Lightning were a step behind to begin their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, caught up, and then were skated off the ice in the second period as the home team scored four times. Despite a third-period power-play goal, the Lightning suffered their second consecutive defeat on their current road trip, 5-2.

Nick Paul evened the game late in the first after William Nylander opened the scoring. Then the Leafs reeled off four straight as Auston Matthews (powerplay), Nylander, Max Pacioretty, and Matthew Knies put the game out of reach. In the third, Brayden Point scored on the power play to snap an 0-for-13 streak with the extra skater for the Bolts.

Andrei Vasilevskiy was pulled after the fourth Toronto goal, after surrendering 4 goals on 14 shots. Jonas Johansson made his season debut with 14 saves on 15 shots.

First Period:

16:03 – In our opinion, William Nylander is the most dangerous player on the ice. He proves it again as he fires home a shot from the slot. The Lightning tried to shut it down behind the net, but the pass from Max Domi came out and Willy didn’t miss. It’s been mostly the Leafs early on with the exception of a few rushes. William Nylander (Max Domi) 1-0 Leafs

12:51 – It’s the third line that finally calms things down a bit for the Lightning. Cam Atkinson gets credit for the first Lightning shot on net and then they turn it over to the first line where JJ Moser’s shot is swallowed up by Anthony Stolarz. The Lightning are a step behind early, hopefully they can pick the pace up or they’re going to get run out of the building.

10:24 – Brandon Hagel with the best chance so far as he calls his own number on a rush. His backhanded wraparound attempt is stopped by a desperation lunge from Stolarz.

8:14 – It looks like the Lightning have found their footing a bit. The top line generates a couple of chances right before the TV timeout. Nikita Kucherov snuck in a shot from the middle of a scrum, but the Leafs goaltender was able to spot it and smother it.

6:25 – The Lightning will go shorthanded as Darren Raddysh goes off for interference. Oliver Ekman-Larsson took a run at Erik Cernak at the end of the play, which was not well received by the big Lightning defenseman.

4:03 – Nick Paul does it all (with a little help from Simon Benoit). Just after the penalty expires, Paul gets in behind the defense and gets a shot off that Stolarz saves, but Benoit spins into the crease, knocking the puck over the goal line. Nick Paul (Victor Hedman, Mitchell Chaffee) 1-1

1:59 – Zemgus Girgensons backs into the zone and doesn’t see Bobby McMann coming. The young Leafs forward hit him pretty well, but nothing comes of it as the Lightning clear the puck.

0:00 – That’s a wrap for the first period. It’s been a bizarro game for the Lightning. For most of the year, they’ve started strong and then relaxed a bit. Tonight, it was the opposite, as they were the better team in the second half of the period. Over the last couple of shifts Chaffee was moved down to the third line with Paul going up to the second line.

Second Period:

18:54 – After a successful penalty kill helped turn the momentum around in the first period, the Lighting are going to try to do it again in the second as Mitchell Chaffee goes off for hooking.

18:04 – So, that didn’t work. Mitch Marner gets a shot off that Vasilevskiy thinks he has trapped under his arm. He doesn’t and the puck drops to the ice. Auston Matthews is there first and pokes it home. Auston Matthews (Mitch Marner, William Nylander) Power Play 2-1 Leafs

12:27 – William Nylander does it again. The Lightning were scrambling a bit after an errant pass leads to a sloppy clear. Toronto controls it in the neutral zone and Nylander sneaks a shot inside the short-side to make it a two-goal lead. William Nylander (Bobby McMann) 3-1 Leafs

10:29 – Jonas Johansson is making his season debut as Vasilevskiy lets in a goal from distance. The Lightning defends the entry pretty well and Max Pacioretty just flings a puck from distance that eludes Vasy. Max Pacioretty (John Tavares, Conner Timmons) 4-1 Leafs

10:02 – A scrum behind the net leads to a bloodied Girgensons, but a 5-on-3 for the Lightning as Max Domi is in the box for hooking and McMann is sitting for roughing (which led to the bloody Zemgus).

9:18 – Hagel’s one-timer is swallowed up by Stolarz. The Lightning have definitely switched things up with Kucherov on the left and Jake Guenztel in front of the net.

8:30 Guentzel can’t push the puck over the goalline from down low and Stolarz snatches it off the red line. This power play can’t buy a goal at this point.

5:58 – Conor Geekie and Moser collide in the neutral zone, leaving Matthew Knies alone. He beats Johansson for the fifth Toronto goal of the night. Matthew Knies (Mitch Marner) 5-1 Leafs

:29 – The Lightning go to the power play as John Tavares hooks Geekie.

0:00 – We have a candidate for the worst period of the year for the Lightning as the Lightning surrendered four goals, couldn’t score on a 5-on-3 power play, and generally sat in mud for 20 minutes.

Third Period:

18:16 – The Lightning fail to convert on the power play, making it thirteen straight that they’ve come up empty. Down by four in the third period, they’re playing for pride right now.

14:25 – Ekman-Larsson with a reverse-hit to Guentzel at center ice. He’ll get an interference call. Those two have been going at it since the second period. Another chance for the Lightning to get a power play goal.

13:12 – The second unit generates a lot of pressure and set up the perfect back-door tap-in, but it doesn’t go in as Atkinson is buried on the attempt. They got most of the time on the power play, partially because the top line had been on the ice, but it also looks like like Coach Cooper wanted to mix things up.

11:30 – The Leafs will get a chance with the extra skater on the backside of the TV timeout as Emil Lilleberg caught holding. At this point it’s about working on the details. Kill the penalty here and use that as a building block for the next game. Expect William Nylander to shoot the puck about 100 times as he looks for the hat trick.

7:09 – Tampa survives the man-advantage for Toronto, but the entire two minutes, along with another 90 seconds or so, is spent in their own zone. Johansson makes a couple of nice saves, but the Leafs are first to every loose puck.

5:55 – Girgensons and Domi to the box after a brief scuffle. Domi gets an extra two for starting the skirmish.

5:07 – Saints alive, the Lightning score on the power play. Stolarz sells out on Kucherov’s fake shot, and it’s an easy finish for Point after Kuch passes it to him in the slot. Brayden Point (Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman) Power Play 5-2 Leafs

3:28 – The Bolts will get a little more practice with the extra skater as Chris Tanev heads to the box for holding the stick of Anthony Cirelli. Again, it won’t mean much for this game, but if they can get set up and generate some chances on this power play, it’s a little shot of confidence for the rest of the week.

1:22 – It’s another two minutes of a two-man advantage (the Lightning had pulled Johansson) that goes by the wayside. Toronto puts it into the net, but it’s waved off for a handpass. The call is wrong as Steven Lorentz played it to himself before passing it to Pontus Holmberg.

0:00 – Some fists are thrown at the horn sounds after Mikey Eyssimont throws an extra hit. Anthony Cirelli and Cernak were involved as well. We’ll see if that carries over to the next match-up in November.

Lines from the warm-ups:

So, Atkinson is in, and Chaffee is up on the second line. Personally, we hope Coach Cooper gives him a chance to show what he can do on that line. He’s shown some prowess around the net with 5 goals on just 30 shots in his young NHL career. Let him cook, Coop!

The Morning Skate:

The Lightning juggled up the lines a little with Mitchell Chaffee getting a look at the second line and Nick Paul dropping down to center the third line. That pushed the rookie, Conor Geekie, over to a wing position, which should take a little pressure off of him.

Mikey Eyssimont drops down to the fourth line with Chaffee’s promotion and Cam Atkinson, who is one goal away from 250 in his career, takes his turn on the third line with Conor Sheary scratched. Defensively, it looks like Emil Lilleberg will be back in place of Nick Perbix.

According to the reporters at the morning skate there were some changes on the power play units with Brandon Hagel jumping up on the left side in place of Darren Raddysh on the first unit. At one point, Hagel and Nikita flip-flopped sides as well. With the power play still trying to find their groove, it’s understandable that some personnel changes are being made.

Some other pre-game tidbits compliments of the Lightning media department:

  • Jake Guentzel is 4 points away from 500 career points
  • Anthony Cirelli is one goal away from passing Chris Gratton to take sole possession of 13th place in goals scored for the franchise. Next up would be Brian Bradley.
  • Conor Geekie is the 11th-youngest player in the NHL so far this season. The last time someone scored their first career goal as a member of the Lightning who wasn’t legally allowed to drink in the US – Anthony Cirelli on March 1st, 2018.
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