The Tampa Bay Lightning’s quest for a third straight Stanley Cup continues. So does the Toronto Maple Leafs’ bid for their first series win since 2004.
Nick Paul scored his first two career postseason goals and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 30 shots Saturday night as the Lightning knocked out the Leafs, 2-1 in Game 7 of the opening-round series.
The Lightning advanced to face the Florida Panthers, the NHL's best regular-season team.
Paul opened the scoring late in the first period and broke a 1-1 deadlock with 3:28 left in the second.
Morgan Rielly scored for Toronto, which hasn’t reached the second round since 2004 and is now 0-9 in elimination games over the last five postseasons.
Jack Campbell had 23 saves for Toronto.
Vasilevskiy did the rest, blanking the Maple Leafs after Morgan goal. Paul tallied 3:07 later.
The Leafs led the series three times, only to lose twice at home.
The Panthers, winners of the Presidents' Trophy, erased a deficit in each of their final three victories against the Washington Capitals to move on to the second round just in time to win the franchise's first playoff series in 26 years.
The second-round schedule begins Tuesday.
LIGHTNING-PANTHERS SCHEDULE
- Tuesday, May 17: at Panthers, 7
- Thursday, May 19: at Panthers, 7
- Sunday, May 22: at Lightning, 1:30
- Monday, May 23: at Lightning, 7
- *Wednesday, May 25: at Panthers, TBA
- *Friday, May 27: at Lightning, TBA
- *Sunday, May 29: at Panthers, TBA
*-if necessary
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