TORONTO – Facts Tampa Bay Lightning no stranger to adversity.
Comeback Stanley Cup The champions faced another predicament on Saturday night. And as they had so many times in the past, the group that was challenged in battle was able to make it through the occasion.
Lightning has been pushed to the brink by despair Toronto Maple Leafs but they ended up winning 2-1 in Game 7 of their best match series.
Tampa Bay have now won nine consecutive playoffs since they were swept by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round of the 2019 knockouts, with the first series against Toronto proving to be one of the toughest tests. their worst during that period.
“It was a melee series. They have some unbelievable players,” Tampa star defender Victor Hedman said after the game. “Today it’s a closing match, it could go either way.”
But in the end the game went to Lightning, even though it was a tough victory. Tampa Bay lost striker Brayden Point to injury in the first half, and although Point attempted to rejoin the game in the second half, he was ultimately unable to continue.
The Lightning was able to withstand the loss of Point, who has 28 goals in 66 regular games this season.
With the loss of one of her best players, Tampa once again found herself forced to stand up to a challenging situation.
“I don’t think you’ve done what we’ve done over the last few years unless you have players who can react the way they did,” Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said when asked about The team’s response to Point’s injury. “They’ve done it time and time again and we shouldn’t be surprised that they’ve done it.”
While Tampa may be a team with a lot of playoff experience, it was one player in his first Game 7, striker Nick Paul, who provided the spark for the Lightning. Paul scored both of Tampa’s goals, the first two of his playoff career.
It was a fitting breakout for depth ahead after his teammate Corey Perry spoke earlier Saturday morning about how Game 7s could be an opportunity for players to make a name for themselves. However, Paul quickly spread the credit among his teammates.
“It’s the plays that go around it, you know?” Paul said. “Obviously it’s a team game. I was the one who ended up putting it in the net, but everyone on the ice made the play happen.”
The road to the NHL’s first three peatlands since 1982’s New York Islanders won’t be easier for Lightning in the second round, as they move on to take on the Florida Panthers that won the Presidents Cup in a clash intrastate level. The Lightning beat the Panthers in the first round of last year’s playoffs.
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