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Sport
Frank Pastor

2 empty-net goals by Ilya Mikheyev seal Toronto’s 5-2 win, giving the Leafs a 2-1 series lead

TAMPA, Fla. — The Lightning cut a three-goal deficit to one in the third period before allowing two empty-net goals in a 5-2 loss to the Maple Leafs in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series at Amalie Arena.

The Leafs lead the best-of-seven series two games to one heading into Game 4 Sunday in Tampa.

Morgan Rielly and Colin Blackwell scored in the first 10 minutes of the game and David Kampf found the back of the net just under six minutes into the second period to stake Toronto to a 3-0 lead.

Ross Colton put the Lightning on the board with a power-play goal with nine minutes remaining in the period, and Ondrej Palat made it a one-goal game with more than 14 minutes remaining.

Tampa Bay continued to pressure the Toronto net the rest of the way, but Jack Campbell stood tall in net and Ilya Mikheyev scored twice into an empty net to seal the win for the Maple Leafs.

Here’s how it happened:

Third period

Brandon Hagel shot blocked by TJ Brodie

Anthony Cirelli backhand shot stopped by Jack Campbell

Victor Hedman slap shot saved by Campbell

Lightning ice the puck

Mark Giordano shot saved by Andrei Vasilevskiy

Vasilevskiy fights off Auston Matthews shot off the rush

Vasilevskiy stops Matthews twice on a breakaway

Mitch Marner hits the crossbar

Campbell stops Nikita Kucherov on a breakaway

LIGHTNING GOAL! Ondrej Palat scores with 14:17 remaining to make it a one-goal game. Leafs lead 3-2.

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare shot deflected up out of play

Nick Paul draws a hooking penalty against Jake Muzzin with a power move to the net that Jack Campbell had to do everything in his power to keep out of the net

Jack Campbell dives to his right to stop a Stamkos shot from the right circle after Kucherov threads a pass across the ice to the Lightning captain

Campbell stops Hedman shot from the high slot

Vasilevskiy stops Mikheyev on a breakaway with Hedman on his heels

Campbell stops Hagel rebound attempt from the slot after quick Colton shot from the corner

Lightning pull Vasilevskiy in favor of an extra attacker

MAPLE LEAFS GOAL: Mikheyev scores into an empty net after a pass from Kucherov is too far up the middle for a diving Stamkos. Leafs lead 4-2.

Lightning again pull Vasilevskiy

Matthews shoots wide, resulting in an icing call

Engvall misses the empty net

MAPLE LEAFS GOAL: Mikheyev scores a second empty-net goal. Leafs lead 5-2.

Second period

Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91), left, is pushed by Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman TJ Brodie (78) during the first period.

Erik Cernak in the penalty box for roughing Justin Holl at end of first period

Lightning get a breakaway after Mitch Marner falls down, but Jack Campbell gets a piece of Pierre-Edouard Bellemare’s shot from the top of the left circle

Ryan McDonagh penalized for delay of game, giving Toronto a 5-on-3 advantage for 25 seconds

Anthony Cirelli faceoff win allows Lightning to clear the puck out of the zone

Maple Leafs now have 5-on-4 for a minute and a half

Pressure from Erik Cernak allows the Lightning to clear the zone

Alex Killorn gets the puck out of the zone

Jack Campbell stops Brandon Hagel shorthanded opportunity

Jason Spezza shot from left side deflected by Ondrej Palat

Vasilevskiy covers Spezza slap shot from right point

Lightning kill off both penalties

Campbell makes save on Mikhail Sergachev shot from the left point with Stamkos in front

Point spin-around shot from near the goal line stopped by Campbell

MAPLE LEAFS GOAL: David Kampf wrist shot beats Vasilevskiy stickside after Brandon Hagel pass for Ross Colton is picked off in the neutral zone. Leafs lead 3-0.

Point turnaround shot from low in the left circle is partially blocked

Justin Holl penalized for holding Brandon Hagel, who got inside position on a breakaway

Maple Leafs win the faceoff and clear the puck out of the zone

Toronto gets the puck out again and nearly scores when Marner gets two chances from in close on the forecheck. Vasilevskiy keeps the puck out of the goal with a couple of pad saves

A Maple Leafs turnover creates a Lightning chance in front, but Toronto manages to clear the puck

LIGHTNING GOAL! Ross Colton scores a power-play goal on a one-timer from the right circle after a nice pas from Mikhail Sergachev. Leafs lead 3-1.

Maple Leafs get a power play after Ondrej Palat penalized for boarding after hitting a defenseless Ondrej Kase from behind

Marner shot misses wide

Vasilevskiy stops Nylander quick shot from the slot

Cirelli clears the puck around the boards and down the ice

Matthews one-timer from the left circle misses wide and goes back down the ice

Lightning kill the Palat penalty

Campbell makes save on Stamkos shot from the right circle

Colton shot rides up high on Campbell, but the goaltender is able to stop it

Campbell stops tight shot from Colton

Colton hits the left post with a wide-open net in front of him after TJ Brodie gets a stick on it

Nylander shot saved by Vasilevskiy

Campbell makes a couple of saves after Corey Perry leads a rush up the ice

Cernak blast from the right point blocked by Jake Muzzin, who appears to injure his arm

Campbell robs Cirelli from in close

(Toronto leads 3-1 after two periods)

First period

Jack Campbell saves shot by Brayden Point in the slot after Anthony Cirelli forces turnover with hard hit in the corner

Andrei Vasilevskiy covers the puck after backhand shot by Ondrej Kase

Lightning ice the puck

Pat Maroon penalized for delay of game after shooting the puck over the glass while trying to get it out of the Tampa Bay zone, and Toronto gets its first power play

Vasilevskiy makes pad save on bouncing shot from Mitch Marner

Auston Matthews shot stopped by Vasilevskiy

Alex Killorn clears the puck out of the zone

MAPLE LEAFS GOAL: Morgan Rielly scores a power-play goal, rebounding an Auston Matthews shot from the blue line into a wide-open net. Maple Leafs lead 1-0. (4:52)

After a period of sustained pressure in the Toronto zone, Ilya Lyubushkin is penalized for high-sticking, putting the Lightning on the power play

Leafs immediately clear the puck out of the zone

Toronto sends the puck back down the ice

Ilya Mikheyev skates the puck out of the Maple Leafs zone

Toronto wins a defensive-zone faceoff and clears the puck out of the zone

Leafs kill the penalty

MAPLE LEAFS: Colin Blackwell scores from the lower left circle seconds on a 3-on-2 after the power play expires. Leafs lead 2-0. (9:44)

Zach Bogosian penalized for holding the stick

Nick Paul sends the puck out of the Lightning zone

Auston Matthews shot from the left side stopped by Vasilevskiy

Vasilevskiy stops a Spezza shot from the right circle and a rebound attempt from the left side

Cirelli shot off the rush blocked

William Nylander shot from left circle saved by Vasilevskiy

Brayden Point chance from the slot stopped by Campbell

Campbell smothers Nick Paul wrist shot from the high slot

Mikheyev shot from the right side knocked aside by Vasilevskiiy

Steven Stamkos tips Zach Bogosian shot wide of the net

Maple Leafs ice the puck

Point backhander from low in the left circle stopped by Campbell

Brandon Hagel gets up the ice with speed and drops a pass for Paul, whose shot from the high slot is stopped by Campbell

Lightning ice the puck

Marner shot hits Vasilevskiy in the shoulder

Backhander by Bunting misses wide

Killorn drives into Holl as time expires in the period

(Toronto leads 2-0 after one period)

———

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