The Tampa Bay Lightning got here out swinging within the opening recreation of the primary spherical towards the Toronto Maple Leafs, scoring three targets within the first interval.
The Lightning’s “large three” had been on full show as Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Anthony Cirelli, and Nikita Kucherov all discovered the again of the online.
The Tampa Bay Lightning kicked off their return to the Stanley Cup in model
The Tampa Bay Lightning scored three targets within the first interval to mark an emphatic return to the Stanley Cup.
The primary objective got here with 18:41 left on the clock, when Corey Perry skated behind the online and fired a shot from between the faceoff circles. Maple Leafs goalie Ilya Samsonov made the preliminary save, however the rebound fell to Bellemare, who slammed it house for a 1-0 lead. It was a gritty, hard-fought objective, emblematic of Bellemare’s model of play.
The second objective got here just some minutes later, as Anthony Cirelli beat Samsonov off a rebound from a Brandon Hagel shot. Cirelli has been a key participant for the Lightning all season lengthy, offering stable two-way play and well timed scoring. His objective gave the Lightning a 2-0 lead and put the Maple Leafs on their heels.
The third objective was maybe essentially the most spectacular, as Nikita Kucherov slapped a shot previous Samsonov on the facility play with simply seconds left within the interval. Kucherov was arrange by Mikhail Sergachev and Alex Killorn, who’ve been instrumental within the Lightning’s success all season lengthy.
The objective showcased Kucherov’s unbelievable offensive expertise and the Lightning’s skill to create scoring possibilities with their energy play.
The Tampa Bay Lightning’s three-goal outburst within the first interval set the tone for the remainder of the sport. The Maple Leafs, who’ve been the most effective groups within the league all season lengthy, had been clearly caught off guard by the Lightning’s relentless assault. The Lightning’s “large three” had placed on a clinic, showcasing their pace, talent, and toughness.
The Tampa Bay Lightning discovered the again of the online and bested Samsonov on solely 15 photographs to silence the house Maple Leafs crowd. They had been heavy underdogs to the Maple Leafs to start the sequence, so will probably be attention-grabbing to see how the Maple Leafs reply after being preverbically “punched within the mouth”.
Tampa Bay’s three-goal first interval within the opening recreation of the primary spherical towards the Toronto Maple Leafs was a pivotal second within the recreation. The Lightning’s “large three” forwards of Pierre-Edward Bellemare, Anthony Cirelli, and Nikita Kucherov had been all instrumental within the Lightning’s success, showcasing their pace, talent, and toughness. It created a lead that may very well be practically insurmountable for the Maple Leafs within the subsequent two intervals.
