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After a dramatic overtime win in Game 3, the Toronto Maple Leafs look to extend their series lead on Monday in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round series against the host Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Leafs hold a 2-1 edge in the series, an outcome that didn’t seem likely when Tampa Bay took a 3-2 lead late into the third period of Saturday’s Game 3. However, Ryan O’Reilly equalized with one minute remaining in regulation, and defenseman Morgan Rielly scored with 45 seconds left in overtime.
Despite outshooting the Maple Leafs by a 39-27 margin, the Lightning now find themselves trailing in the series, and again without the home-ice advantage.
While Jon Cooper said Brayden Point’s disallowed goal in the second period was “not why we lost,” the Lightning coach was still incredulous over the decision. Point’s second attempt at a loose puck under the pads of goalie Ilya Samsonov pushed the puck over the goal line, yet the referee had halted play prior to the apparent goal.
Point’s goal would have given Tampa Bay a 4-2 lead, and underlined the lopsided nature of the game’s second period. The Lightning outshot Toronto by a 15-8 margin in the frame, and Darren Raddysh scored at the 13:34 mark to establish Tampa Bay’s 3-2 lead.
Samsonov was the difference for the Maple Leafs all evening, stopping 36 of 39 shots. In particular, O’Reilly pointed to the goaltender’s work in the second period as a key factor in Toronto’s victory.
O’Reilly completed the “Gordie Howe hat trick” with a goal, an assist (on Rielly’s game-winner), and a fight. Rielly’s hard push on Point into the boards early in the third period sparked an extended skirmish between the two teams, resulting in a pair of fights — O’Reilly against Nikita Kucherov, and Auston Matthews versus captain Steven Stamkos.
The Lightning (75 minutes) and Maple Leafs (56) have combined for 131 penalty minutes in the series’ first three games, with five major penalties apiece. Rielly initially was given a five-minute boarding major for his shove on Point, though the officials removed the penalty altogether after a video review.
Point briefly left the game in the aftermath of the collision, but he returned later in the third period. Defenseman Erik Cernak has been ruled out for Game 4 after missing the previous two games with upper-body injuries.
Mitch Marner leads all players with eight points (two goals, six assists) in the series. The Maple Leafs forward has recorded multiple points in all three games.
Corey Perry’s five points (two goals, three assists) lead all Lightning skaters.
Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy is expected to start again in net after stopping 23 of 27 shots in Game 3.
Toronto forward Sam Lafferty was fined $3,108.11 by the NHL Department of Player Safety on Sunday for cross-checking Ross Colton of Tampa Bay. The fine was the maximum allowed under the league’s collective bargaining agreement.
Lafferty lowered the boom on Colton with 4:50 remaining in the second period on Saturday. Lafferty was assessed a minor penalty for roughing.
Maple Leafs projected lineup
Forwards
Calle Jarnkrok – Auston Matthews – Mitchell Marner
Alexander Kerfoot – John Tavares – William Nylander
Matthew Knies – Ryan O’Reilly – Noel Acciari
Zach Aston-Reese – David Kampf – Sam Lafferty
Defencemen
Jake McCabe – TJ Brodie
Mark Giordano – Justin Holl
Morgan Rielly – Luke Schenn
Goalies
Ilya Samsonov
Joseph Woll
Scratched: Erik Gustafsson, Timothy Liljegren, Conor Timmins, Wayne Simmonds, Erik Kallgren
Injured: Jake Muzzin (neck), Victor Mete (upper body), Nicholas Robertson (shoulder), Carl Dahlstrom (shoulder), Matt Murray (head)
Suspended: Michael Bunting
Lightning projected lineup
Forwards
Steven Stamkos – Brayden Point – Nikita Kucherov
Brandon Hagel – Anthony Cirelli – Alex Killorn
Ross Colton – Nicholas Paul – Tanner Jeannot
Pat Maroon – Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – Corey Perry
Defencemen
Victor Hedman – Nick Perbix
Mikhail Sergachev – Darren Raddysh
Ian Cole – Zach Bogosian
Goalies
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Brian Elliott
Scratched: Haydn Fleury
Injured: Erik Cernak (upper body), Michael Eyssimont (upper body)
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