The Tampa Bay Lightning steamrolled the Boston Bruins 7-1 in game three of their Eastern Conference Second Round playoff at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Wednesday.
The standout performer of the night was Nikita Kucherov, who scored four points for the Lightning. His tally brings him level with Vincent Lecavalier, Tyler Johnson, and Brayden Point for most points in a playoff game in Lightning history.
Ondrej Palat grabbed himself a goal and an assist, while Alex Killorn had two goals and an assist. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy made 23 saves for the Lightning, making him the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Lightning coach Jon Cooper was in disbelief following the final buzzer. He stated, “Come on, let’s be honest, this is an aberration…This doesn’t happen in playoff hockey. They’re the Presidents’ Trophy champions. You turn the page on this one just like you turn the page on an overtime thriller. You can’t hang your hat on that one.”
This game sees Lightning take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven game series. While the first game ended in a 3-2 victory for the Bruins, Lightning bounced back to win 4-3 in a dramatic overtime victory. The next game takes place on Saturday at the Scotiabank Arena.
