Reilly Scores in OT to Lift Maple Leafs Past Lightning, 4-3
. The Toronto Maple Leafs win 4-3 in overtime against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 3 of the first-round NHL playoff series.
TAMPA (AP) - Morgan Reilly's goal at 19:15 in overtime gave the Toronto Maple Leafs a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning during Game 3 of their first round NHL playoff series on Saturday.
Ilya Samsonov has stopped 36 shots in Toronto. In the extra period he made eight saves, including one at point blank range on Lightning star Nikita Kuchérov, helping the Maple Leafs take a 2-1 lead in the series. The fourth game will be played at Amalie Arena on Monday.
Auston Matthews, Noel Acciari and Ryan O'Reilly also scored for Toronto. The team forced overtime after Ryan O'Reilly's shot was blocked by Andrei Vasilevskiy in the final minute of regulation.
Anthony Cirelli, Brandon Hagel and Darren Raddysh scored for Tampa Bay. The team took a 3-2 advantage after Raddysh's rookie goal of the playoffs in the second half.
The play was stopped for several minutes in the third quarter while officials sorted out a wild incident that started with Reilly pushing Tampa Bay’s Brayden Point against the boards during a battle for a puck.
The collision sparked several skirmishes. One of them involved Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos, and Matthews.
Stamkos, Matthews and Kucherov were all sent to the penalty area for fighting.
Reilly initially received a five minute penalty for boarding. However, after a review by officials, they decided that there was no penalty for Point's shove. Point had skated into the locker room in pain, before returning to the field in the final minutes of regulation.
Toronto scored two goals in the first frame. O'Reilly's goal from the front forced overtime for the Maple Leafs after Vasilevskiy had blocked William Nylander's left-handed shot.
Hagel's goal made it 2-2. Raddysh, skating from behind the net, lifted a nifty effort over Samsonov to give the Lightning a 3-2 lead. O'Reilly then tied the game with one minute remaining in the third.
No Goal
The Lightning seemed to be 4-2. Two minutes after Raddysh's goal, they appeared to have a lead. What would have been Point's power-play goal was ruled out after officials reviewed the replay and determined that Samsonov covered the puck prior to Point poking it under the goaltenders pad.
HEDMAN RETURNS
Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman returned to the game after missing all of Game 2, including the last two periods, due to an injury that was not disclosed. After being hit in the head by Maple Leafs forward Michael Bunting during Game 1, defenseman Erik Cernak was sidelined. Bunting was suspended for three games after he received a penalty for a head check and interference.