First Period
How it started:
Matthews is going to throw everything on net pic.twitter.com/lzPe1argoT
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 17, 2024
The Lightning came back with two:
the no-look pass strikes again pic.twitter.com/y6yP2VAXOL
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 17, 2024
Kucherov alone with that much time and space
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 17, 2024
gets the initial chance and buries his rebound pic.twitter.com/TAnLFT72BL
Brandon Hagel takes a penalty giving the Leafs the first power play. It's not bad, but not very threatening either.
Ryan Reaves makes the game fun with a goal against the Tampa big shots. Or as big as they get in this game with a depleted lineup:
RYAN REAVES 🚨
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 17, 2024
Gave the Lighting top line a minus pic.twitter.com/Gc2Bj4ew5o
bench reaction to Reaves' goal pic.twitter.com/vU9iE81VXs
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 17, 2024
Brayden Point takes a holding penalty and the Leafs try the power play again, but no joy.
2-1 Lightning
Thoughts
The Leafs are not exactly crashing the net here and shooting from their usual spots. They're leading in Expected Goals because of the power play disparity.
Everyone is playing at about 75% except Nick Robertson who wants in the day one lineup.
Second Period
The power play carries over but still no goal past Matt Tompkins.
Martin Jones with a save on a Paul breakaway.
Martin Jones to the rescue pic.twitter.com/pgGedsammV
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 18, 2024
Leafs leave Jones' stick side wide open (Gio moved over to cover Timmins) and Anthony Duclair scores again.
Anthony Duclair makes it 3-1 pic.twitter.com/ajYYyNE3JW
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 18, 2024
3-1 Lightning
Timmins genuinely had no idea what to do on this play. I don't want to play blame the defenceman in a game this meaningless, but this is Timmins' issue. Sometimes he just doesn't know.
Mitch Marner takes a tripping call, so the Lightning get their first power play, but no joy for them either.
Matthews gets a post with a shot that was travelling hard enough to make it into space.
Matthews tries the "I'm innocent" stick drop, but nope, in the box he goes.
Matthews to the box
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 18, 2024
hooking is the call pic.twitter.com/drrm7Z23KV
Jones stones Point to deny Nikita Kucherov the 100th assist. And no joy for the Lightning on the power play.
Timmins starts a thing with a guy I've genuinely never heard of (Lightning fans are saying this about Timmins) but it's not much of a scrum. Timmins takes the extra minor because he started it out of nowhere.
Timmins snapped pic.twitter.com/aBKxGMt6qa
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 18, 2024
Kucherov gets his 100th this time.
Nikita Kucherov assists on Brayden Point's goal
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 18, 2024
that's 100 pic.twitter.com/7NcT1Xo2k6
4-1 Lightning
William Nylander decides to wander off from a puck because he'd get a whistle for a high stick (on the puck, not a penalty). The rest of the team seems to wander off too.
bad pic.twitter.com/ab9L2r6TgO
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 18, 2024
It's not the first time I've seen a wrong choice in that situation, but that was a really bad time to be wrong about something.
5-1 Lightning
Thoughts
Jones last played on March 23. His game before that was February 22. He's got a tough gig.
Third Period
We start the third with Simon Benoit in the box for something I never noticed in the second. No joy for the Lightning again on the power play.
Lightning give the Leafs a power play and everyone who likes numbers that end it zero sits up and pays attention.
Lightning make it 6-1
Tanner Jeannot. 6-1 pic.twitter.com/A0GlHZxdnU
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 18, 2024
Awwwwww Brodie gets a goal.
T.J. Brodie scores on the delayed penalty pic.twitter.com/761CGL37ff
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 18, 2024
6-2 Lightning
Note which forward line is on the ice. Okay, Matthews is there too, but it's the fourth line again.
My boy Pontus Holmberg pops one past Tomkins.
Pontus Holmberg scores his 7th pic.twitter.com/owQs303m5R
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 18, 2024
6-3 Lightning
Ha! Leafs pull Jones.
Timmins makes his best defensive play and blocks a very half-hearted Lightning two-on-one.
John Tavares gets one, after Matthews fails on his shot.
6-4 Lightning
Thoughts
Burn the tape. Get on with the real job which begins on Saturday. Matthews has zero goals, let's see how high he gets that number.
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