The Toronto Maple Leafs have a 2-1 lead in the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. On Saturday from the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, the Maple Leafs defeated the Lightning 5-2, after losing 5-3 in game two of the series in Toronto.
One Canadian scored for the Maple Leafs. Defenseman Morgan Rielly of Vancouver, British Columbia opened the scoring at 4:54 on the power-play. It was an all-Canadian goal as Michael Bunting of Scarborough, Ontario, and Mitch Marner of Markham, Ontario notched assists.
For Rielly, it was his fifth career goal in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The goal on Friday was key. Even though it was not the game-winning goal, it opened the scoring, and gave the Maple Leafs a lead they would not relinquish.
The Maple Leafs are trying to beat a Lightning squad that has won the last two Stanley Cups. This is no tall order as the Lightning are loaded with skill, led by their captain Steven Stamkos of Markham, Ontario, and Brayden Point of Calgary, Alberta. However the Maple Leafs are generating offense themselves. In three games in the series so far, Marner leads the team with six points, as he has two goals and a team-high four assists.
