TML vs TBL – GIMME MORE !

When describing a perennial contender in the NHL, you need look no further than the Tampa Bay Lightning.  Be it their 3 time Stanley Cup finalist (2 Championships), playoff contender status or regular season dominance, you can NEVER take a night off against this central Florida juggernaut. 

Tonight will be the first of 3 meetings between last year’s first round opponents and the Toronto Maple Leafs.  It is also the first of 6 home games in a row for the Lightning who are already a 7-3-1 at home.   When you add the fact that the workman like penalty killer Anthony Cirelli re-joins the squad and Steve Stamkos is coming off his 1000 point (494 goals) career milestone, the Leafs will need to pay attention.

Toronto is on a 5 game heater of their own, hilited by the 18 point point scoring streak by Mitchell Marner.  Calle Jarnkrok went down last game opening an opportunity for Nick Robertson to re-join John Tavares and William Nylander on the “second” line.  David Kampf moved in with Pierre Engvall and Alex Kerfoot as a checking unit, that left Wayne Simmonds to join Pontus Holmberg and Zach Ashton-Reese on the 4^th line.

As we watched these two higher calibre teams get going, there wasn’t much to choose.  Somewhat surprisingly, Sheldon Keefe started with Mathews/Nylander and Tavares/Marner combos.  Perhaps we will see that as a coaching strategy throughout the season.  To my eyes, there really is no difference between the two allignments.  It may mess with the opposing coaches’ lineup planning so maybe that’s the reason.  Both goalies showed well and the penalty kills were strong on both sides.

After a sometimes docile first period, you could start to see the hate coming out.  Hacking and Whacking.  It took Mitch Marner’s record breaking 19^th point, converting a short handed goal from David Kampf, to set the wheels in motion.  You knew from the game tempo that wasn’t going to be the end.  Ilya Nemesnikov tied it up just 2:20 later.   The 50/50 crowd at Amalie Arena was equally divided on William Nylander’s goal with 3:10 left.  Mathews and Bunting were in on the lead taking goal.  Hostilities ensued and you could only look forward to a third period that started at 4 on 4.

That 4 on 4 turned to a 4 on 3 on the opening faceoff and Kucherov tied it up in quick in order.  Lazy Leaf penalties made it 3-2 when Colton put in a rebound.  Just when Leafs Nation thought about tuning into the rodeo, Marner came through again.  This time on a PP from Mathews and Nylander.  Tavares displayed tremendous determination to drive the net, only to have his potential game winner called back.

My Sweetie called it again when the Leafs lasted only 33 seconds before giving up the overtime winner.  Shameful.

HOPPER NOTES:  Is there a better 4^th line in hockey than Perry, Bellemare and Maroon ? … would/could you ever have heard this reporter (or any other for that matter) say their go to right defenceman for Toronto was Justin Holl ? …Stamkos 1000 pts/Tavares 974 – Stamkos drafted 1^st overall in 2008/Tavares in 2009 – Stamkos – first ballot Hall of Famer/Tavares – needs a Cup…what if Correy Perry had come to Toronto after his Anaheim career ? … just last April, Liligren only got in to 2 Leaf games in round one…CHEERS everyone…always love the comments !