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Lightning pounded by Maple Leafs in Game 1

Tampa Bay’s postseason begins with a lopsided loss in Toronto.
 
Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy goes down to make a save as defenseman Victor Hedman (77) tries to help under pressure from Maple Leafs right wing William Nylander (88) and center John Tavares (91) during the second period of Game 1 on Monday night in Toronto.
Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy goes down to make a save as defenseman Victor Hedman (77) tries to help under pressure from Maple Leafs right wing William Nylander (88) and center John Tavares (91) during the second period of Game 1 on Monday night in Toronto. [ FRANK GUNN | AP ]
Published May 3, 2022|Updated May 3, 2022

TORONTO — The Lightning often talk about having seen it all, the highs and the lows. But over the past two postseasons, they have been dominant.

They have set a standard for knowing how to win in the playoffs. They know the recipe for capturing what many say is the most difficult professional sports championship to win.

And now after one game in this year’s postseason, they have to regroup from their worst postseason loss of the Jon Cooper era.

The Lightning started their drive to a third straight Stanley Cup title with a dud, losing Game 1 to the Maple Leafs 5-0 at Scotiabank Arena. It was the first time they had been shut out in the postseason since a 4-0 loss to the Capitals in Game 7 of the 2018 Eastern Conference final.

The Lightning have lost series openers before, as recently as the semifinal round last year against the Islanders. They have rebounded from losses — never losing consecutive games last postseason — but they weren’t beaten this badly in their past two playoff appearances. They have lost in the postseason by five goals just one other time, and that was in their first playoff appearance in 1996.

Playoff time in Toronto is usually accompanied by a feeling of impending doom for Maple Leafs fans. Their team hasn’t won a playoff series since 2004. Winning Game 1 against the defending champs let the city exhale at least for a bit.

Maple Leafs and Lightning players fight during the third period. [ FRANK GUNN | AP ]

The Lightning left frustrated. They had a chance to quiet the home crowd early, spending seven of the game’s first 12:59 on the power play, including a five-minute man advantage seven minutes into the game after Toronto forward Kyle Clifford received a boarding major and was ejected for a hit on forward Ross Colton.

But the Lightning managed just three shots over the seven-minute stretch, lost three of four faceoffs and allowed three shorthanded scoring chances. A power play that operated at a 52-percent success rate over the final eight games of the regular season ran flat.

“Some plays that had been clicking the last stretch here this season were just hitting a stick, hitting a skate,” Lightning captain Steven Stamkos said. “But at the same time, (the Maple Leafs) did a good job of executing on those (penalty kills) early and they gained some momentum.

“It could have been a really different game if we had scored early on that. So that was a missed opportunity for us.”

The Lightning power play was 0-for-5, wasting 12:51 in man-advantage time. That gave the hometown crowd something to cheer about, and when defenseman Jake Muzzin opened the scoring with less than two minutes left in the first period, Tampa Bay found itself chasing the game.

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“Probably a little bit of frustration set in there that we didn’t need to put upon ourselves,” Cooper said.

Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91) and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) try to defend against Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) during the second period. [ FRANK GUNN | AP ]

The Lightning had their own penalty trouble in a game that included 24 combined penalties and 113 penalty minutes. Eleven seconds into a Toronto 5-on-3 power play in the second period, Hart Trophy candidate Auston Matthews scored his first of two goals on a one-timer from the left circle to give the Leafs a 2-0 lead.

When Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman failed to stop a clear attempt off his skate, forward David Kampf beat him to a loose puck at the Lightning blue line for a shorthanded breakaway that gave Toronto a three-goal lead midway through the second.

Before the end of the period, the Maple Leafs led 4-0 on a goal from defenseman Morgan Rielly.

“Certainly we need to get back to what our identity is here as far as keeping the puck out of our net and letting our offense come from that,” Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh said. “(The Maple Leafs) had some odd-man rushes, some breakaways, and that’s not winning hockey. We’ll look at things and be better here in Game 2.”

The Lightning never really tested Maple Leafs goaltender Jack Campbell. Stamkos had a wide-open net in the second but scuffed his shot into the end boards.

Matthews’ second goal, in the third period, came when goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy was caught out of position when trying to play a puck behind the net and it skipped over his stick and bounced right to Matthews with an open net.

“It was a good night for us, but it’s one night,” Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe said. “Put your head on the pillow tonight and enjoy it. When you wake up tomorrow, it’s done. It’s over. The Tampa Bay Lightning will be a far better team when they come back in here.”

Contact Eduardo A. Encina at eencina@tampabay.com. Follow @EddieintheYard.

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