Michael Eyssimont and Anthony Cirelli each had a goal and an assist and the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning avoided elimination in the first-round playoff series Thursday night with a 4-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Maple Leafs lead the best-of-seven series three games to two.
Nicholas Paul and Alex Killorn also scored for the Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 28 shots.
The Maple Leafs have not advanced from the first round of the playoffs since 2004.
Morgan Rielly and Auston Matthews scored for the Maple Leafs. John Tavares added two assists. Ilya Samsonov made 34 saves.
The teams scored 26 seconds apart early in the first period.
Rielly scored in his third successive game with a 39-footer from the slot at 5:46 of the first. Matthew Knies and Tavares earned assists on the goal that came against the early flow of the game.
Cirelli answered with a 16-foot wrist shot from the slot for his third goal of the series. Brandon Hagel and Nick Perbix earned the assists.
The Lightning had a 14-9 advantage in shots on goal in the first period. Each team had one power play in the period.
Eyssimont’s 14-foot shot from a sharp angle caught Samsonov deep in the goal to give the Lightning the lead at 4:23 of the second period. It was his first goal of the series. Zach Bogosian and Ian Cole picked up assists.
Tampa Bay’s Brayden Point hit a goal post with a 19-foot shot at 15:44 of the second period.
Tampa Bay had a 24-6 edge on shots on goal after two periods.
Toronto started the third period on a power play when Tampa Bay’s Patrick Maroon was called for roughing at the end of the second period. The Lightning killed off the penalty.
Vasilevskiy stopped Toronto’s Mitchell Marner on a breakaway at 5:11 of the third.
Paul gave Tampa Bay a two-goal lead at 11:53 of the third.
Samsonov was removed for an extra attacker with four minutes to play.
Matthews scored his fourth goal of the series at 16:26 of the third.
Killorn scored into an empty net at 19:55.
–Field Level Media
